The Case for the Preservation of the King Edward Hotel, Jackson, Mississippi
Jun 18 '02 (Updated Apr 15 '06)
The Bottom Line The King Edward is a sad shell of what it once was, and a poignant reminder of what must be done. If not rescued soon, it may be lost.
I was trained in architecture and design and have had an interest in historic preservation since my early youth. I often saw the old King Edward Hotel on visits to Jackson as a child. In later years, I have embarked upon a campaign of sorts to see that it does not meet the wrecker's ball.
A Brief History
The original Edwards House opened in Jackson a short time after the Civil War. The hotel quickly became the leading hotel of the capital, as well as its busiest, as it was directly across from the railway station. Eventually, the old building was demolished around 1922 and a new Hotel Edwards arose in its place.
Hotel Edwards, the Center of Mississippi
The new building was a far cry from the older, simpler hotel. Its twelve stories of golden brick trimmed with stone were designed by architect William T. Nolan. The Beaux-Arts detailing is light and graceful, if conventional. The entrance is framed by eight modified Corinthian columns with a handsome, well proportioned architrave above. Essentially a well detailed brick box, the hotel nonetheless quickly filled the insistent need for a prominent hotel in the small but growing city of Jackson.
Its halls and rooms were filled with the politicians, who flocked to the new hotel like flies to a watermelon. More state business was said to have been conducted in the lobby of the Edwards than in the State Capitol building a few blocks down Capitol Street. Among its most prominent early guests was Charles Lindbergh, who visited Jackson after his historic flight. Eudora Welty mentions the hotel as a central feature of Jackson life in her incomparable book One Writer's Beginnings, a memoir about growing up in Jackson.
The hotel's prominence grew until the late 1950's, when older traditional hotels were beginning to fall out of fashion. A dark savior would emerge to transport the old Edwards into a new era.....
Dumas Milner....Savior or Satan?
A Jackson developer and businessman named Dumas Milner bought the flagging Edwards in 1954, vowing to transform it into the state's best hotel. Unfortunately, his vision for the hotel included masking the whole thing behind an ugly screen of brise-soleil (concrete breeze-blocks). For whatever reason, probably the cost, this was not done. Still, Mr. Milner's architects and designers did much harm to the grand old building. The doors and windows facing Capitol and Mill Streets were modernized with plate glass and muiticolored tiles. A new ballroom was built next door, along with a new swimming pool atop the parking garage. Doubtless, some improvements needed to be made, but these were executed in an artless, crude fashion, damaging the grace of the building to this day.
A New Name...and a Twelve Year Run
The name "Edwards" was deemed much too fusty for the hotel. Along with the Edwards in Jackson, Milner purchased the (now destroyed) La Salle Hotel in Beaumont, Texas and re-christened them both King Edward, with a new crown logo and the promise of "royal service" according to old advertisements.
Inside, the old lobby was cruelly mangled, its oval rotunda bricked over in favor of recessed lighting and streamlined features throughout. That this happened was particularly sad, as the old lobby was lined with golden-veined Tennessee marble. The marble floors were likewise covered over in dull carpeting...bright modern furniture filled the rooms. Particularly galling was the intrusion of an escalator in the lobby, though the grand stairway was left unscathed.
The old dining room was remodeled into the Coach and Six, a rather tacky looking room in comparison with the stately old dining room with delicate Adamesque detailing. An oyster bar was inserted next to the dining room with an outside entrance from Capitol Street.
The most popular feature of the remodeled hotel was the new swimming pool, built with a terrace on top of the old parking garage. I once met a woman on the street who said she had worked in the poolside cafe...
Too Much....Too Late
The times were changing, in more ways than one. Milner's enthusiasm soon turned to the construction of two Sun 'n Sand motels, one in Jackson and one in Biloxi (this always seemed curious to me--the only sand in Jackson is in gravel pits). Curiously, the Jackson location was closed last year and awaits certain demolition. Its Polynesian theme was endearing in a kitschy way, but the times have changed again. Only the sign, a bit of Mondrianesque early 1960's exuberance, may be saved.
The King Edward soldiered on through the turbulence of the 1960's with a brave face. To its lasting credit, it was the first hotel in Jackson to admit black patrons, though one harbors a suspicion that this may not have been for reasons of altruism.
The End
The end came on the 30th of June, 1967 when E. Bill Green, the General Manager who had started there as a bellman, locked the doors for the last time. An auction was held shortly thereafter, and most of the contents were stripped and sold, though one could still see a few ghostly chairs and other artifacts through the dusty windows into the 1980's.
The New Guests
The hotel became a popular place for the homeless, who set about stripping away anything they could pry loose. Despite their pillaging, much of the graceful architectural detail survives today, hidden beneath Milner's hideous modernization scheme.
Millions of bats also took up residence in the hotel. SO many, in fact, that a well known lawsuit between building inspectors and the city was settled a few years ago. The inspectors were becoming ill from the bat droppings. Fortunately, the bats and their remains have been cleared out now, no longer posing a hazard to anyone.
The Future
The future of the hotel is bleak, unless someone comes forth with a plan that will work. Dozens of schemes have been proposed over the years, a few of them not always legal. The most promising one was a proposal by the Alexander Company of Madison, Wisconsin to restore the hotel as a hotel and telecommunications conference center. This was in the heady days of WorldCom's ascendancy. Now that Bernie Ebbers has been ousted, those days are gone. The proposal was funded, partly with private funds, and with $22 million of state money. All came to naught over a disagreement about the parking garage. The developers took their ball and went straight home, leaving the City wondering what to do...
Ownership
The City seized the hotel last September in a move resulting from unpaid property taxes. That the city finally has the reins is a good thing. We hope. So far, the City has not done much with the building, beyond meek cries for development proposals. They will have to become pro-active very soon. Though the building is still quite solid, each passing day brings more damage and the mournful profile of the hotel with its gaping windows still stains the skyline.
Hotels Needed
Studies have shown that there are not enough first class hotel rooms in Jackson. Development of the hotel in connection with a conference center would be a smart move for the city. While the 400 rooms here might need to be reduced to a smaller number to meet modern tastes, they are likely just large enough. A public/private partnership could be developed in such a way that the city could actually make money from the process. Similar partnerships have been successful all over the country. Buildings in far worse condition have been rescued in this manner and are thriving parts of their cities today.
Directly across the street, the old train station is being redeveloped into a multi-modal transportation center. The King Edward should follow in its wake. Cities without much civic ornament must preserve what they have. Historic landmarks are rarely replaced with greater landmarks....
Development? Finally?
Recent changes in the city's tax laws designed to make it easier to build affordable housing may be what will save this handsome building from oblivion, once and for all. The legislation passed in February, but the City has been moot on their plans, beyond a declaration that they do not intend to destroy the hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
The Mississippi Heritage Trust, formerly under the leadership of the redoubtable Stella Gray Sikes, has been leading the charge for its restoration. Obviously, any restoration project will cost a lot of money. So far, the $20-40 million price tag has kept developers away, but with the state willing to pony up $22 million in proceeds from gambling (oh excuse me--we are supposed to call it gaming now), there is little excuse for its present state.
Final Note
For a look at a small piece I posted in Preservation Online about the Edwards, here is the link;
http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arc_911/081001.htm
On a recent trip to Jackson, I was able to walk in the building and wander around the first floor at will. The boards and barricades had been torn away by vandals and the hotel left open to trespassers of all kinds.
I know that many of you are thinking that the hotel is unsalvageable and should simply be demolished. If you feel that way, you are entitled....I just thought I might try my hand at a preservation piece and see what happened. Comments welcome...
Update--August 2003
The City of Jackson has received three serious development proposals from Wyndham Hotels of Dallas, Historic Restoration Inc. of New Orleans and a group from New York. One can only hope that the hotel will soon be restored, possibly as a hotel once again. There is hope at the end of a thirty six year tunnel.
The proposal from Wyndham will be pursued, as of November, 2003. The final proposal has yet to be presented.
August 2004
The talks with the Roberts brothers and Wyndham appear to have come to a halt. The proposals from Historic Restoration Inc. of New Orleans and the group from New York will be pursued.
October 2004
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041020/NEWS01/410200344&SearchID=73187743383449
March 2005
The proposal from the HRI Group of New Orleans has been accepted by the City of Jackson. New Orleans Saints quarterback Deuce McAllister and the former Mayor of New Orleans, Sidney Barthelemy, are both involved in the project. Environmental tests and general clean-up work are underway. Construction is scheduled for later this year. The hotel should emerge as a mixed-use project of offices, condominium apartments, restaurants, shops and a health club. Plans call for the complete restoration of the lobby and perhaps the ballroom.
Recent article from the Clarion Ledger:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050408/NEWS01/504080340/1002
For an idea of the current proposal:
http://www.magnoliareport.com/KEFloor.pdf
August 2005
David Watkins, of Watkins Partners Inc. indicates that the project will be moving ahead in the very near future. Architectural plans are being prepared and work should commence by the beginning of 2006. Recent comments by the Mayor regarding demolition are little more than bluster, fully intended to move the project along. The delay, however, is not due to the inability or unwillingness of the developers. The monies are in hand and ready to be appropriated. TB
April 2006
The state legislature has appropriated $2m for the necessary environmental clean-up work before restoration can begin this summer. It is hoped that restoration efforts will begin soon. Mr. Watkins' resolve has not been diminished. TB
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