In preparation for a proposed historical survey, Hattiesburg officials recently identified approximately 300 structures in the Arledge subdivision and the Katie-John-Dabbs neighborhood that were earmarked for more research into the civil rights, religious and civic significance of those facilities.
That survey can now get underway with a $10,000 Certified Local Government Grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which will allow the city to bring in a professional consultant to perform the fieldwork and documentation for the project. The boundary of the study is bordered by Katie Avenue to the north; Dudley W. Conner Street to the east; Duke Avenue, Steven Street and Ruby Avenue to the south; and Dabbs Street to the west.
“This consultant would document every structure that falls within the boundaries, in terms of photographic documentation, as well as some historical documentation,” said Russell Archer, historic preservation planner for the city. “That way we’ll have a good record of everything that’s in those two districts.”
The $10,000 grant is reimbursable for $5,000 or 50 percent of the final project costs, whichever is less. Officials hope to get started in late summer or early fall – no later than October – and all the information gathered in the survey must be submitted by October 2020.
“(The grant is) extremely helpful,” Archer said. “Hattiesburg is a Certified Local Government registered through the state archives, and not every community has that designation.
“So we were lucky to be able to apply for the money to help offset the costs of the survey. The 300 structures make it quite a large area, and it’s going to take some time, so we want to make sure to bring in a consultant that’s well qualified to do that work within that large geographical area.”
The city will now put out Requests for Proposals for consultants to inspect the structures, which range in age from the late 19th century to the late 20th century. The survey is the first step in city officials getting a better idea of the stories, contributions and patterns of development of the area.
“From that point, we can either just leave it at that – and have an important historical document and resource to refer to – or we can use that as a basis for deciding if it makes sense for Hattiesburg to have additional historic districts designated,” Archer said in a previous story. “Such as like we have The Oaks, Parkhaven and North Main districts, we may perhaps find some pockets of the (Arledge) area that would warrant having that historic designation. But that would be more of a Step Two.”
After the survey, each structure in the area will be featured in a Historic Resources Inventory Sheet. That document will bear property description, the aforementioned photograph, and legal information including the parcel number.
“So we’d be able to refer to that resource inventory sheet to find further information about any of those properties within that boundary area,” Archer said. “So it’s pretty valuable for us to have that, as a foundation for knowing what is there and what is the importance of those resources.”
