A MDAH Publication  |  Volume 44 No. 8  |  August 2002

Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, executive director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust since 1997, was presented an award of appreciation by the MDAH Board of Trustees July 19. Sykes, who recently resigned from her post of leadership of MHT, had led many successful campaigns to preserve numerous historic properties throughout the state; spearheaded the establishment of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program in Mississippi; and expanded membership in MHT to make it a strong and visible advocate for preservation. Left, MDAH director Elbert R. Hilliard, Sykes, and MDAH Board of Trustees president William F. Winter.

Installing Fire Protection in Historic Structures

Installing a new fire protection system in a historic building is a complex task. The 2001 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 914) Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures is a valuable new tool. The September 25-27 workshop "Fire Protection of Historic Properties: Performance Based vs. Prescriptive Codes," to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will bring together managers of historic buildings, historical architects, architectural conservators, and fire protection engineers to discuss approaches to achieving both fire safety and historic preservation goals. To register, call 215/ 568-7015 or visit www.nfpa.org/PDF/CULAAA2.pdf?src?=nfpa.

Temple Heights Featured

Temple Heights, a late Federal-style house built in Columbus in 1837, is the subject of an extensive feature in the July issue of Antiques magazine. Author H. Parrot Bacot, professor of art history at Louisiana State University, includes local background history and many photographs of interiors and furnishings of this Mississippi Landmark/National Register property. Temple Heights is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Butler III, who have been preservation leaders in Columbus for many years.

Essays in Journal of Mississippi History Summer Issue Span Three Centuries

The cover story of the new summer issue of the Journal of Mississippi History is "First Try at a Second Chance: The Pioneering Lung Transplant," by Mary Jo Festle, associate professor of history at Elon University. Greg O'Brien, professor of history at the University of Southern Mississippi, is the author of "'We are behind you': The Choctaw Occupation of Natchez," and C. B. Waldrip, doctoral student at the University of Alabama, offers "Sex, Social Equality, and Yankee Values: White Men's Attitudes toward Miscegenation During Mississippi's Reconstruction." Book reviews and history news are included in each issue. Single copies are available from the Old Capitol Shop at $7.50 each. Subscribe by becoming a member of the Mississippi Historical Society.

Easement Granted: Corinth Machinery Building

David Campbell of Columbia, South Carolina, and Chris Chain of Columbus have conveyed an easement for the historic Corinth Machinery Building in Corinth to the Department of Archives and History. In accepting the perpetual protection easement MDAH director Elbert R. Hilliard stated, "I join the rest of the preservation community in thanking you for the splendid services that you have rendered in this matter involving the protection of one of Mississippi's most historic buildings." The Corinth Machinery Building, constructed in 1869, is the oldest documented industrial building in Mississippi. Built during the Reconstruction era, it represents the efforts of the people of Mississippi to rebuild the state's economy following the Civil War. It is of particular importance to Corinth, which was devastated by the battles fought in 1862 over its strategic rail junction.

Alan Lomax, 1915-2002

Alan Lomax, the legendary collector of folk music who was the first to record internationally known musicians like Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie, died July 21. His interest in folk music began when, as a teenager, he helped his father, pioneering folklorist John Lomax, to record songs of cowboys, prisoners, plantation workers, and others. In 1941-42, Lomax and African American folklorist John Wesley Work visited Mississippi and recorded bluesmen Muddy Waters, Son House, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Sid Hemphill, and Fred McDowell, among many others. At Parchman Prison Lomax recorded field hollers, work songs, ballads and blues; he also traveled the state to record fife-and-drum, gospel, and church music, as well as children's songs. Lomax's work in preserving folk traditions led to folk revivals in the U. S. and across Europe and had a profound and lasting influence on popular music.

Published by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History • Elbert R. Hilliard, director • Chrissy Wilson, editor
Please send correspondence to: MHN, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205 or email to pubinfo@mdah.state.ms.us