Booneville,
Mississippi Historic District
A Nomination for a Downtown Historic District
Background
The Small Town Center was approached by Booneville, Mississippi with a request for the Center to study the entire town of Booneville and make recommendations for improvements. A special topics course, ran by Shannon Criss, was developed with the objective to challenge the way in which we see and sense a place against the way others describe and project their perceived roles of society in the place. The overall goal of the class was to represent observations and find the underlying forces, then to develop a line of investigation which would bring forward persons and institutions associated with conditions found; and, offer a larger knowledge about the relationship of societal conditions within the built landscape.
Process
Jim Martin, a student of the course, found his observations were focused upon the downtown buildings and the positive, physical aspects of the place. He began a large task of analyzing each building; and documenting them through photography, residents' memories, and historical research. His documentation led him into determining which of the downtown buildings would conform to the standards of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. As a result of this project and the process involved, the Small Town Center has developed a working relationship with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The data collected in this process was prepared into a historical document that is a Ôpreservation plan' to help the town identify the historic, cultural, aesthetic, and visual relationships that unify and define the central downtown district. Throughout this process, other students also took part in the research and documentation of the preservation plan. This preservation plan will help define specific ways to maintain and enhance the positive character of the area, identify legal and financial tools, such as finding optimum placement of easements, identifying a historic preservation commission and addressing issues of zoning. These tools will aid in the conservation of historic resources, and present design standards for new construction and for the enhancement of environmental amenities.
The Downtown Booneville Historic District, as it is now referred to, is composed of forty-eight primarily commercial and government buildings, that encompass the Main Street of the downtown area. Thirty-two of the forty-eight buildings contribute to the architectural and historic character of the district. These buildings are the elements which identify the district's historical significance and are presented in a Ôpreservation plan' document.
Results
As a result of the students' research, a historical commission was founded to establish policies, procedures, and strategies for maintaining and enhancing the district,and the Mayor of Booneville has dedicated tax incentives to downtown building property owners for improvement to their properties. The Downtown Booneville Historic District national registration document was submitted to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History board in September, 1998, and was approved as a National Historic District.
This project was partially funded by the Booneville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Research at Mississippi State University. The Mississippi State University students involved were Jennifer Dobson, Jim Martin, and Brian Wiginton. The director of the project was Shannon Criss.
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