Historic Natchez College: a new era dawning – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

Final week was thrilling – nice information continues to return for Natchez! And tops on that record was studying that historic Natchez Faculty on North Union Avenue is about to have new life! For a few years, this historic web site has sat dormant – however a brand new period is now dawning!

Because of a Lilly Endowment grant of $750,000, the Larger Missionary Baptist Conference and Mississippi Division of Archives and Historical past have now partnered to start Section One of many restoration of this necessary web site of Natchez and Mississippi Historical past.

The historic Huddleston Memorial Chapel would be the first constructing to be restored, to be adopted by restoration of the ladies’s dormitory (Section Two), and finally restoration of the grounds to incorporate set up of an amphitheater (Section Three). When accomplished, Natchez Faculty will change into the Baptist Heritage and Artwork Heart.

The nice announcement got here with a go to by our US Congressman Bennie Thompson, together with Rev. Reginald Buckley, Baptist Conference President, MSDAH Govt Director Katie Blount, and so many others who had been right here to have a good time this nice information! We’re so grateful to all who’ve labored so diligently to make this a actuality for Natchez!

I’m particularly pleased with Alderwoman Valencia Corridor who’s working tirelessly to advertise growth in Ward One and in Natchez total. Her continued dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.

Natchez Faculty was a significant middle of schooling to African Americans of Mississippi for over 100 years, from its founding in 1884 up till it’s closing in 1989. It has sat uncared for in North Natchez for many years. We’re so grateful new life is now coming.

As introduced by Katie Blount, restoration of this web site might be a key part of total historic preservation efforts in our space, to incorporate the restoration of Jefferson Faculty, the primary establishment of upper studying in Mississippi, situated in Northern Adams County at Washington. The primary territorial capital of Mississippi, it’s right here the place our statehood started. And work will quickly start to rework Jefferson Faculty right into a Museum of Mississippi Historical past and a Historic Preservation Subject Faculty, sponsored by a partnership between Mississippi State and Tulane.

Nice issues proceed to occur for Natchez! As a result of Natchez Deserves Extra.

Dan Gibson is mayor of Natchez.