East End Historic District is roughly bounded by 18th St on the north, 11th Ave on the east, 14th St on the south, and 17th Ave on the west. A semi-triangular shaped section extends from the southern edge roughly occupying the area between 16th and 14th Avenues. The 970-acre (3.9km2)[1] district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1987.[2] The district's significance lies in its large collection of Queen Anne–style and Colonial Revival–style cottages built between 1890 and 1910 during Meridian's "Golden Age."[3] Sixty percent of the buildings in the district are from this time period, representing Meridian's rapid eastward growth along the railroad lines after the American Civil War. This growth was made possible by the development of transportation, industrial, and commercial sectors of the city's economy.[4]
Richard McLemore, one of the founders of the city, built his first cabin just outside the district and claimed much of the area in the district to be part of his cotton plantation. In 1839 he established a cemetery (now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as McLemore Cemetery), which is Meridian's earliest remaining historic site.[4] In 1853 Lewis Ragsdale, another one of Meridian's founders, purchased much of McLemore's plantation and subdivided it, giving rise to the many residences in this district. Because of textile and planing businesses located along a streetcar line, 16th Ave became a major north–south route through the city and was the first street in the city to be paved.[4]
Structures identified as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[4]
Highlands Historic District (also called Red Line) is roughly bounded by 19th St on the north, 34th Ave on the east, 9th St on the south, and 36th Ave on the west. The area was originally known as Missouri Ridge because Union soldiers, primarily from Missouri, camped in the area and were engaged in the Battle of Meridian during the Civil War.[2] The district grew from the introduction of Meridian's light railstreetcar system in 1883. The particular streetcar line servicing the area was known as the "Red Line"; the area shares that name as well. The rail line it began on 8th Street, continued up 34th Avenue, then turned west between 19th and 20th Streets and continued into Highland Park, just outside the western boundary of the district. The streetcar line provided transportation in and to the area that allowed it to develop.[3] The 220-acre (0.89km2)[1] district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1987.[2]
The district is overwhelmingly residential, with over 90% of its structures being homes; the exceptions are 3 churches, a daycare center and a convenience store. A typical residence in the district is an early 20th-century cottage with an independently roofed porch. Most buildings in the district were built just after the turn of the 20th century, but building dates range from the late 1890s to the early 1930s. Architectural styles of the cottages include Queen Anne, Eastlake, and Colonial Revival. Some of the buildings' porches were remodelled in the 1920s using American Craftsman architecture.[5]
Buildings identified as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[5]
1803 35th Ave – Two-story Queen Anne style wooden residence.
3504 16th St – One-story Queen Anne style wooden residence.
Meridian Downtown Historic District
Downtown Meridian in the early 1900s
Meridian Downtown Historic District runs from the former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad tracks north to 6th St between 18th and 26th Avenues, excluding Ragsdale Survey Block 71 on the northeastern tip of the district. The district was created in 2005 to combine two older districts, Meridian Urban Center Historic District and Union Station Historic District.[3] Meridian's city council voted to combine these two districts and the nine blocks between them into one large district, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 2007.[2]
Meridian's downtown was originally divided into a central business district and an industrial zone. The business district made up much of the old Urban Center Historic District, while Union Station Historic District was the industrial zone. The buildings in downtown Meridian represent almost then entire history of the city, ranging from around 1870 to the mid-1950s. The buildings are associated with periods of economic growth, including Meridian's urban emergence in the 1880s, a transportation boom with the building of Union Station in 1906, industrial growth in 1913, struggles during the Great Depression, and transportation, industrial, and commercial maintenance in the 1940s and 1950s. Architectural styles in the district include Italianate, Spanish Colonial Revival, Romanesque, Art Deco, and Commercial minimalist architecture.[6]
The western part of the district, centered on the intersection of 25th Ave and 4th and 5th Streets, has a close connection to the African-American community in the city. Important African-American commercial landmarks include the E. F. Young Hotel and the Fielder and Brooks Drug Store, inside which a COFO office was located during the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.[6]
Looking from the 22nd Avenue Bridge into Downtown Meridian
Doughboy Monument (Intersection of 23rd Ave and 6th St)
Meridian Urban Center Historic District
Row of buildings on Front Street
Urban Center Historic District sign in front of downtown park
The former Meridian Urban Center Historic District encompassed the area between 21st and 25th Aves, stretching from the railroad tracks north to 6th St. In 1872, 25th Avenue was the principal north–south axis in Meridian, and the streets running parallel to the tracks (Front, 4th, and 5th streets) were just beginning to develop around the new railroads. Commercial success built on railroading resulted in a large range of late 19th and early 20th Century architectural styles from Italianate row buildings to an Art Deco skyscraper known as the Threefoot Building.[3] The 230-acre (0.93km2)[1] district was originally added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979,[2] and was later combined with Union Station Historic District in 2005 to become Meridian Downtown Historic District.
Depot Historic District sign outside of Union Station
The former Union Station Historic District, originally added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979, as "Meridian Depot District," occupied the area between 18th and 19th Avenues, stretching from the railroad north to 5th St. Just over a block east of the Meridian Urban Center Historic District, the district covers an area of 80 acres (0.32km2).[1]
In 1885, Meridian was the junction of five railroads, with three others considering coming into the city. From then to 1905, this area was primarily residential, with a small industrial complex developing around the railroads.[3] The construction of Union Station in 1905–1906 led to the development of this area in business and industry. Much of Union Station was demolished in 1966, but a small portion continued to serve as a passenger station.[8]
The name change occurred in 2000, after the demolished section of Union Station was rebuilt in 1996 as the Union Station Multi-Modal Transportation Facility. Another name change occurred in 2005 when the district was combined with Urban Center Historic District to become Meridian Downtown Historic District.[3]
Cliff Williams Machine Shop/General Supply Store (208–210 19th Ave)
Merrehope Historic District
Frank W. Williams Home
Merrehope Historic District is an irregular shape, roughly bounded by 14th St to the north, 26th Ave to the east, 8th St to the south, and 30th Ave to the west. An additional section extends from the western edge between 8th and 10th streets and terminates at 33rd Ave. The 350-acre (1.4km2)[1] district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1988.[2] Architecture in the district ranges from the late 1880s to about 1940, representing Meridian's Golden Age and focusing on the African-American community of the time.[9]
The district was originally subdivided around 1853 by city founder John T. Ball, but started developing after the American Civil War. Following the war, Meridian's economy boomed through railroading, logging and textile enterprises. As Meridian began to grow northward, so did the need for housing.[3] This housing development was made possible by the Meridian streetcar system established in 1883, which had a station adjacent to the Merrehope district on 10th Street and lines running along 8th Street and 29th Avenue. Until a few years before then, most of the city's residents lived downtown close to their workplaces. With the streetcar system up and running, workers could now relocate to the outskirts of the city and commute to work. The 1907 Illustrated Handbook of Meridian, Mississippi describes the relocation as "a wonderful spreading out of hundreds of families who had for years remained in cramped quarters in the congested section of the city."[9]
Much of the district, especially the northern part, was inhabited by middle-class blacks during its peak. In 1908 blacks owned more than fifty businesses in the city, and many were lawyers, doctors, teachers and nurses. Many of these lived in Merrehope District. The district's strong ties to the black community are exemplified in its institutions. A black fire company was located at 9th St and 27th Ave from 1884 to 1903, and two black churches, First Baptist Church and St. Paul United Methodist Church,[10] were built in the district in the late 19th century. The Carnegie library built for African Americans in the city was the only Carnegie library for blacks in the entire country.[9] The Masonic Temple, built in 1903, was owned jointly by three black fraternal lodges and stood as a tribute to the business capacity and enterprise of the black community.[10]
The district is home to five buildings listed on the National Register separately:[9]
Structures still standing that are identified as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[9]
3010 9th St – Two-story Mediterranean style wooden residence with pyramidal roof. The house was built in 1915 by M. R. Grant, who helped establish the Marion Park neighborhood.
3020 9th St – Two-story Queen Anne–style residence.
2702 10th St – One-story Queen Anne–style cottage.
2702 11th St – One-story Queen Anne–style residence.
1215 26th Ave – Queen Anne–style cottage built during the 1890s.
Meridian School of Music (815 28th Ave) – Two-story Mediterranean-style building built in 1909. The school was the first chartered music school in the state.
1121 29th Ave – Two-story Queen Anne–style cottage built during the 1880s.
Frank W. Williams Home (905 31st Ave) – located on the same lot as Merrehope.[11] Built in 1886, the home is an example of Queen Anne style architecture with stained glass, oak paneling, parquet floors, and detailed gingerbread. Many original features and antique furnishings are still in the home. The house was designated a Mississippi Landmark on June 14, 1995.[12]
Mid-Town Historic District
26th Street facing South
Mid-Town Historic District is roughly bounded by 22nd St on the north, 23rd Ave on the east, 15th St on the south, and 28th Ave on the west. It contains a collection of architectural and historically important 20th Century residences representing the houses of Meridian's wealthy industrialists, professionals, and merchants, as well as the working class associated with Meridian's Golden Age, when the city was the center of Mississippi's railroad economy. Because of this historic architecture, the 1,020-acre (4.1km2)[1] district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1987.[2]
Ninety percent of the buildings in the district were built between 1900 and 1930, most of them in the Bungalow style.[13] The district has a large percentage of brick structures, built as an alternative to the wooden frame residences made popular by the lumber industry and mills in Meridian.[3] 23rd and 24th Aves were main routes connecting downtown with the northern part of the city through Poplar Springs Drive, making these avenues attractive to builders.[13]
Structures listed as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[13]
Looking down the street toward 2405 Poplar Springs Road
Poplar Springs Road Historic District is roughly bounded by 29th St on the north, 23rd Ave on the east, 22nd St on the south, and 29th Ave on the east. The 820-acre (3.3km2)[1] district, added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1987,[2] is a collection of residences representing the prosperity of Meridian at the turn of the 20th century and pre-Depression era.[3]
Before Poplar Springs Road (now Poplar Springs Drive) was a street, it was a cattle trail. Around the turn of the 20th century there was a spring north of Meridian, and cattle would travel on the path that is now Poplar Springs Drive to get to the spring. This is the reason that the street doesn't follow the same layout pattern as the rest of the city; the cattle's path gives the street its curvy shape.[14]
In 1905, local lumberman M. R. Grant laid out a plan of irregular side streets and lots along Poplar Springs Road and named it Marion Park, after his daughter. One of the city's first hospitals, Matty Hersee, was located in the park, having been built in 1903. The hospital was moved from the district in 1923, and the original building has since been demolished. Marion Park School was built in 1923 and was later expanded to become the current Meridian High School, the primary school in the Meridian Public School District.[15]
Because of this new residential area, many people started moving north and building the structures that still contribute to the district today. As the area developed, a streetcar brought passengers from downtown Meridian to the Poplar Springs area. The old streetcar stop is marked by a banner.[14] Hundreds of shade trees were planted and still contribute to the streetscape of the district.[3]
Structures listed as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[15]
Dilapidated structures in the West End Historic District
West End Historic District is roughly bounded by 7th St to the north, 28th Ave to the east, 5th St to the south, and Shearer's Branch, a small creek in the city, to the west. The 590 acres (2.4km2)[1] district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1987.[2] With architecture spanning from 1870 to 1936, the district represents the rise of Meridian from its destruction during the American Civil War to the position of Mississippi's largest city. The steady growth of Meridian's economy during this time made possible the expansion of this district.[3]
The history of the district can be traced from Meridian's earliest days, but its significance lies in its large collection of residences dating from 1890 to 1910. Continuous streetscapes of historic buildings built during this time period can be found throughout the district. A typical residence in the city is a Queen Anne cottage with a steep roof line and a porch that has been remodelled in the Craftsman style. Two of the oldest residences in Meridian are in this district, a Greek Revival mansion located at 2721 7th St that was built around 1870 and an Italianate building at 2907 7th St built in 1876.[16]
West End developed as lumbermen, industrial laborers, and railroaders moved west as the city grew. Many of these settlers were Irish Catholics from a small community called Paulding, which was annexed as the city limits expanded. The area was locally called "Irish Alley" and was served by St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church along with a Catholic convent that has since been demolished.[16]
Structures still standing that are listed as pivotal to the nature of the district include:[16]
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to Arthur Ashe Boulevard. However, the streets rapidly resemble a grid after they go through what is now Virginia Commonwealth University. The Fan is one of the easterly points of the city's West End section, and is bordered to the north by Broad Street and to the south by VA 195, although the Fan District Association considers the southern border to be the properties abutting the south side of Main Street. The western side is sometimes called the Upper Fan and the eastern side the Lower Fan, though confusingly the Uptown district is located near VCU in the Lower Fan. Many cafes and locally owned restaurants are located here, as well as historic Monument Avenue, a boulevard formerly featuring statuary of the Civil War's Confederate president and generals. The only current statue is a more modern one of tennis icon Arthur Ashe. Development of the Fan district was strongly influenced by the City Beautiful movement of the late 19th century.
Hillcrest Historic District is an historic neighborhood in Little Rock, Arkansas that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1990. It is often referred to as Hillcrest by the people who live there, although the district's boundaries actually encompass several neighborhood additions that were once part of the incorporated town of Pulaski Heights. The town of Pulaski Heights was annexed to the city of Little Rock in 1916. The Hillcrest Residents Association uses the tagline "Heart of Little Rock" because the area is located almost directly in the center of the city and was the first street car suburb in Little Rock and among the first of neighborhoods in Arkansas.
The Merchants Avenue Historic District in a residential neighborhood southeast of the downtown in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, composed of 33 mostly large homes on large lots within six city blocks around Merchants Avenue. It was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Elson-Dudley House is a historic home located at 1101 29th Avenue, Meridian, Mississippi. Built in 1894 by Julius and Dora Neubauer Elson, some of Meridian's earliest settlers, the home is a Victorian Eastlake movement home with Queen Anne influence. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979, under the Meridian Multiple Property Submission. It is also part of Merrehope Historic District, which was listed on the National Register on September 19, 1988.
The history of Meridian, Mississippi begins in the early 19th century before European-American settlement. Originally settled by the Choctaw Indians, the land was bought by the United States according to the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. The city grew around the intersection of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railway of Mississippi and developed a largely rail-based economy. Although much of the city was burned down in the Battle of Meridian during the American Civil War, the city was rebuilt and entered a "Golden Age." Between about 1890 and 1930, the city was the largest in Mississippi and a leading center for manufacturing in the Southern United States. After the decline of the railroading industry in the 1950s, the city's economy was devastated, resulting in a slow population decline. The population has continued to decline as the city has struggled to create a new, more modern economy based on newer industries. In the past 20 years or so, Meridian has attempted to revitalize the city's economy by attracting more business and industry to the city, most specifically the downtown area.
Merrehope, a 26-room Victorian mansion that currently serves as a historic house museum, was originally built in 1858 by Richard McLemore for his daughter Juriah Jackson. After changing ownership several times, with small alterations from each owner, the house was eventually bought by S.H. Floyd in 1904, who remodelled it into its present appearance. The building was one of few spared by General William Tecumseh Sherman on his raid of the city in the Battle of Meridian, and has served many functions throughout its history, including time as a residence, a shelter for Union officers, a Confederate General's headquarters, an apartment building, and a boarding house. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1995.
The North University Park Historic District is a historic district in the North University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The district is bounded by West Adams Boulevard on the north, Magnolia Avenue on the west, Hoover Street on the east, and 28th Street on the south. The district contains numerous well-preserved Victorian houses dating back as far as 1880. In 2004, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Washington Avenue Historic District is the historic center of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the location of the early industry and commerce that was key to the community's development. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986.
The Masonic Temple at 1220 26th Avenue, Meridian, Mississippi was built in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was also listed as a contributing property to the Merrehope Historic District in 1988. It has since been demolished.
Parkridge is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, located off Magnolia Avenue east of the city's downtown area. Developed as a streetcar suburb for Knoxville's professional class in the 1890s, the neighborhood was incorporated as the separate city of Park City in 1907, and annexed by Knoxville in 1917. In the early 1900s, the neighborhood provided housing for workers at the nearby Standard Knitting Mill factory.
The Carnegie Branch Library at 13th St and 28th Ave in Meridian, Mississippi is one of two former Carnegie libraries in the city, both funded by a grant from Andrew Carnegie in 1904. This library was built for blacks while the other was built for whites. The other library was built at 25th Ave and 7th St and now houses the Meridian Museum of Art. Both buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The black library was demolished in 2008.
The numerous historic hotels in Meridian, Mississippi, provide insights into the city's growth and expansion, both in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and into the modern age. Many hotels were built in downtown Meridian in the early 1900s to provide lodging for passengers of the railroad, which was essential to the city's growth at the turn of the 20th century. Two of these historic hotels–the Union Hotel, built in 1910, and the Lamar Hotel, built in 1927–have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mansion Hill Historic District encompasses a part of the Mansion Hill neighborhood northwest of the capitol square in Madison, Wisconsin. In the 19th century the district was home to much of Madison's upper class, and held the largest concentration of large, ornate residences in the city, but in the 20th century it shifted to student housing. In 1997 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Benson Street-Forest Avenue Residential Historic District is a historic district in Hartwell, Georgia which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The North Broadway Street Historic District is a 28 acres (11 ha) historic district in De Pere, Wisconsin which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It included 47 contributing buildings and seven non-contributing ones.
The Michigan Avenue-Genesee Street Historic Residential District is a primarily residential historic district, located along Michigan Ave between Clinton Street and the railroad tracks, and along Genesee Street from Michigan Avenue to Shiawassee Street in Owosso, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The West Warm Springs Historic District in Boise, Idaho, is a neighborhood of homes of some of Boise's prominent citizens of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Roughly bounded by W Main St, W Idaho St, N 1st St, and N 2nd St, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and included 14 properties. Of these original resources, 11 remain in the district.
The Warm Springs Avenue Historic District in Boise, Idaho, is a residential area with 96 contributing houses representing a variety of architectural styles constructed between 1870 and 1940. The district includes Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Bungalow, and other styles representing the work of architects Tourtellotte & Hummel, Wayland & Fennell, Kirtland Cutter, and others. The Children's Home Society of Idaho occupies the largest structure in the district, and its buildings are the only structures that are not houses.
Woodlawn, Alabama is a community in Jefferson County, Alabama, which is now a neighborhood within the city of Birmingham, Alabama. It grew as an independent community, and became the City of Woodlawn, and built a substantial City Hall building in 1908, but was annexed by Birmingham in 1910. The community area experienced a surge of growth after it was annexed.
↑ "Mississippi Landmarks"(PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. May 2008. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 9, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
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