President Lynn Walton presided over today’s meeting. Wes Brooks provided the opening prayer. AD Hunt led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynn led us in the Four Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn North and on Zoom.
Lynn thanked everyone in attendance. She said this was a great turnout. Lynn reminded board members of the board meeting next week after lunch. She will send out an email reminder.
Tyler Gravley was inducted and asked to provide a brief classification talk. Tyler is from Wiggins. He attended Stone High School and USM. He now works at The Citizens Bank of Philadelphia.
She also reminded everyone of the donation box in front and you can donate to the Edwards Street Fellowship Center until September 30. Everyone will need to think about a charity for the next quarter. Lynn is also looking for volunteers to help plan a Christmas event.
Mark Killingsworth introduced today's guest speaker. Carter Burns is the Executive Director of Historic Natchez Foundation. A former board member of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, he currently serves on the board of the Mississippi Historical Society and the National Preservation Partners Network.
Founded in 1974, the Historic Natchez Foundation has worked to preserve and tell the story of Natchez while stimulating development through the rehabilitation of historic properties. The Historic Natchez Foundation operates a continual revolving fund for endangered historic properties. This program has not only preserved buildings but also funded Foundation operations. Some of the buildings they have saved and renovated are the Raphael Building, the Neil Varnell House, and the Prentiss Club.
The Raphael Building is situated in the heart of downtown Natchez, the Raphael Building has always operated as a business and residence. The building has housed a wide variety of businesses including a bakery, grocery store, locksmith shop, tenement housing, and law office. This lengthy history highlights the building's adaptability.
Currently, the Raphael Building requires serious attention. Opportunities range from an ideal downtown investment to a comfortable and convenient private townhouse. Because of its location in the Natchez On-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District, the Raphael Building is eligible to receive historic tax credits for income-producing rehabilitation projects.
The Neil Varnell House was constructed in 1894. In September 1978, 205 Clifton Avenue was sold to its longest owner and caretaker, J. Neil Varnell. The house retains many of its original details, such as woodwork on its multiple porches, including one on the second floor. Original interior millwork and stairway details remain as well. Three separate porches offer distinct views of the river unlike any other location in Natchez.
The Prentiss Club is one of the city’s two most architecturally sophisticated and finely finished twentieth-century buildings. In 1895, a group of successful Natchez businessmen, confident in the renewed prosperity of Natchez, organized an elite social club. Its name honored Sargent Smith Prentiss, whose relief portrait adorns the façade of the building. In 1898, The Natchez Democrat described the club as the “most exclusive club in the state.”
If you are interested in the historic buildings of Natchez, you can visit: https://natchez.org/properties
Lynn thanked Carter Burns for his remarks. There being no further business to come before the club, she adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”