Belinda Stewart Was Here
By Amanda Wells
Belinda Stewart knows the truth in the age-old saying “There’s no place like home.” In 1990, after graduating from Mississippi State University School of Architecture, Belinda moved back to her beloved small hometown of Eupora. “I became interested in being an architect when I heard a presentation on architecture in high school and realized that it represented so many of my interests rolled into one profession,” she says. “I was inspired by my carpenter grandfather, who built hundreds of houses, and by the stories about the places I loved.”
It was during her time at Mississippi State that Belinda developed a deep love and appreciation for historic preservation. “Dr. Michael Fazio assigned a research paper in our architectural history class and suggested that we become an expert in one particular style or building,” she remembers. “I chose to focus on the historic architecture of my home county, Webster County. The research for that project excited and inspired me to learn more about the historic architecture of Mississippi, particularly the vernacular architecture, and has expanded over time.”
In Eupora, Belinda set up shop and established Belinda Stewart Architects, a firm founded on the beliefs that small towns inspire, that family roots can build an ethic that weaves through a profession, and that architecture shows the beauty in our history and hope in our future. Over the course of 30 years, Belinda Stewart Architects has grown into a united team of design professionals dedicated to great design, historic preservation, and sustainability. Belinda knows that the firm’s rural location is what inspires her team, creating an energy that breeds creativity. True to their core mission, the majority of the firm’s work has been on existing buildings in rural communities, with a focus on public community buildings – projects Belinda believes have the potential to touch the widest range of people.“My love for old buildings actually began as a love of stories,” says Belinda. “I grew up visiting neighbors and loving their stories, particularly those tied to buildings and places. Later I realized that the stories of a particular place are just as important as the place itself. It is the tangible place or structure that stands to remind us of the important stories of our communities.”
To date, Belinda Stewart Architects has provided architectural services for over 500 historic structures, which have in turn received more than 100 design and preservation awards. All of Belinda and her team’s designs are “place-based,” meaning they are inspired by the character of the community in which they sit. These are the projects that serve as sparks for revitalization, spurring redevelopment.
The historic projects throughout Mississippi that Belinda and her team have touched are many, including the YMCA Building at Mississippi State University, the Tallahatchie County Courthouse Restoration, the Amzie Moore Museum in Cleveland, Eupora First Baptist Church, the Mississippi River Commission in Vicksburg, the Lloyd Ricks Building at Mississippi State University, the Cotesworth House and Library in Carrollton, the Monroe County Courthouse, the Madison County Courthouse, and the Pontotoc County Courthouse.
Look around Mississippi and you’ll realize that, while Belinda’s heart lies in Eupora, her hand is all over the place. Belinda Stewart Was Here – and we are so glad.
The People Behind BSA
John Beaty, Ph.D
Kristian Berryhill
Craig Bjorgum, AIA
Maggie Bjorgum, AIA
Parker Blaylock
Sally Carder
Holly Hawkins, AIA
Elizabeth Hurtado, Associate AIA, LEED GA
Ashtyn Krusee, Associate AIA
Sam Krusee, Associate AIA
Audrey McNeel
Brittany Riland
Karen Shook
Stephanie Stewart, Associate AIA
Landon Voller, AIA
Preservation Projects
Monroe County Courthouse, Aberdeen
Prentiss County Courthouse, Booneville
Enochs Hall, Mississippi School for the Arts, Brookhaven
Madison County Courthouse, Canton
Cotesworth House & Library, Carrollton
Amzie Moore Museum, Cleveland
Yalobusha County Courthouse, Coffeeville
Eupora First Baptist Church
Marshall County Courthouse, Holly Springs
Holmes County Courthouse, Lexington
Mantee Depot
Lloyd Ricks Building, Mississippi State University
YMCA Building, Mississippi State University
Pontotoc County Courthouse
Bolivar County Courthouse
Tallahatchie County Courthouse, Sumner
Mississippi River Commission, Vicksburg
Yalobusha County Courthouse, Water Valley
Learn more at: