Hattiesburg High School
Preservation Crossing
By Chatham Kennedy
The pounding of hammers has replaced the ringing of school bells in the Old Hattiesburg High School. Once a place of learning and community, the Jacobethan-style school closed its doors in 1959 after the construction of the new public high school. Since that time, the school has suffered damage from hurricanes and the passage of time. The most significant damage occurred when an arsonist set fire to this Mississippi Landmark in 2007, gutting the 1921 front structure. Thankfully, the original 1911 structure to the rear remained largely unscathed.
After installing metal bracing to support the damaged front building, the Downtown Hattiesburg Association worked to find someone to save this important part of Hattiesburg’s history. Impressed by Intervest’s restoration of the old Pascagoula High School to become Bayside Village Senior Apartments, the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership reached out to developer Steve Nail to discuss options for their endangered school. Nail worked to secure funding for the project, which included state and federal historic and low income housing tax credits.
On April 12, 2019, Nail and his team, which included Wallace Architects, LLC, Harris Construction Services, Hunt Capital Partners, LLC, Mississippi Home Corporation and KeyBank Real Estate Capital, hosted the groundbreaking for the $10 million restoration of the old high school which will soon become affordable apartments for seniors. The new name for the complex, Preservation Crossing, is a reference to the building’s history as a high school and the idea that the new tenants could possibly be living in their former classrooms, creating new memories and friendships.
Restoring the Old Hattiesburg High School came with many challenges. As a result of the 2007 fire, the front building was completely gutted and stabilized with steel beams. With no existing interior walls, Nail was able to create 74 apartments with open floor plans. Amenities at Preservation Crossing include a fitness center, laundry facility, courtyard and full perimeter fencing with controlled access gates. In the eyes of Nail, “it is anything but the appearance of a low-income housing property,” adding “she’s fought so hard to be here, we can’t help but try to save her.” Although Preservation Crossing is not a senior care facility or nursing home, Nail hopes to arrange for his tenants to receive one hot meal per day as well as access to a Telehealth nurse. Additionally, Nail plans to have transportation available to those in need. All of these services would be available at no cost to tenants.
“She fought so hard to be here, we can’t help but try to save her.”
Other cities might have given up on this badly damaged historic building, but not Hattiesburg. Largely vacant for over 60 years, the building has spent the last 12 years supported by metal bracing. Advocates including the Downtown Hattiesburg Association, the City of Hattiesburg, and the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership had faith that this cornerstone of Hattiesburg history could be brought back to life and that faith has proven to be well-founded as the old Hattiesburg High School begins a new chapter as Preservation Crossing.