Hattiesburg City Hall is set to receive some much-needed renovations, courtesy of the Community Heritage Preservation Grant initiative from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
During a January 20 news conference at city hall, Mayor Toby Barker announced the city is the beneficiary of $99,200 from that grant, which will allow for improvements on the first and third floors of the building. In particular, work will focus on correcting and preventing the entrance of moisture into the building, which has caused some damage in recent months.
“(This will fund) the repair of the windows, trim and flooring that (have been) affected by moisture in the first place,” Barker said. “It will also make these spaces more functional and citizen-friendly.”
This project will mark the fourth round of renovations to Hattiesburg City Hall since Barker and his administration took office in 2017. Barker said this announcement is serendipitous for the city, as January 19 was the 101st anniversary of city hall.
“Last year, as we celebrated a century of service in this building, we kept looking at ways and envisioning how we could preserve it and enhance it for the next century,” Barker said. “In September (2023) we submitted this grant application to the heritage preservation grant program, and we thank the board of trustees at MDAH … for their confidence in awarding yet another grant for Hattiesburg.
“We thank our legislative delegation … for their letters of support and calls on our behalf. When it comes to bringing projects to this community, they are never measured in their enthusiasm or effort. We thank our team here … for all they do in keeping the building both functional on a day-to-day basis, while also preserving its architectural legacy.”
Officials hope to move to the design phase of the project in the very near future.
“It was the legacy of people who came before us … who brought this building forward to fruition,” Barker said. “They took the risk (more than) a hundred years ago to make this happen.
“But it was the work and courage of other leaders and citizens several decades later that truly made this building open and available to all citizens in our community. Our charge, in the 21st century, is to be good stewards – both in how we take care of this institution, and the culture which with we govern.”CHPG grants help preserve, restore, rehabilitate, and interpret Mississippi courthouses and schools across the state. In communities that participate in the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, buildings other than courthouses and schools are also eligible, as long as they are Mississippi Landmarks.
The 56 Certified Local Government communities in Mississippi are Aberdeen, Baldwyn, Biloxi, Booneville, Brandon, Canton, Carrollton, Carthage, Claiborne County, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Clinton, Columbia, Columbus, Como, Corinth, Durant, Gautier, Greenville, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hazlehurst, Hernando, Holly Springs, Indianola, Jackson, Kosciusko, Laurel, Leland, Lexington, Louisville, McComb, Meridian, Mound Bayou, Mount Olive, Natchez, New Albany, Newton, Ocean Springs, Oxford, Pascagoula, Philadelphia, Port Gibson, Quitman, Raymond, Senatobia, Sharkey County, Starkville, Tunica, Tupelo, Vicksburg, Water Valley, West, West Point, and Woodville, and Yazoo City.
“The City of Hattiesburg makes it a regular practice to pursue grant opportunities, particularly when it has the potential to better the infrastructure at parks and other facilities enjoyed by our residents and visitors,” Barker said. “In recent years, both Hawkins Elementary and Woodley Elementary (schools) have been beneficiaries of this funding source.
“We appreciate our Hattiesburg delegation for supporting this funding, and always supporting projects that we apply for, through their letters of support and their advocacy.”
