MDAH News

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History will offer three days of free admission thanks to the support of FedEx. The museums will be free to the public in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Saturday, January 14, through Monday, January 16. 

 The Two Mississippi Museums will host MLK Night of Culture at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 16, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. This year’s theme, inspired by the Black Empowerment gallery in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, celebrates the unity and determination of Black Mississippians demanding their civil rights from 1965 to the mid-1970s, urged on by successes such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The evening will feature performances exploring how African Americans persevered through the turmoil of racial violence, and publicly demanded their rights as American citizens through boycotts, marches, and protests organized across Mississippi.   

 “FedEx is honored to celebrate the legacy and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through our continued support of the Two Mississippi Museums,” said Rose Flenorl, manager of Global Citizenship at FedEx Services. "We are proud to help visitors connect with Dr. King’s legacy, and leave inspired to drive positive changes of their own.” 

 “We are grateful to FedEx for their continued support of our Martin Luther King Jr. celebration,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “Welcoming the public into the museums as guests of FedEx is a wonderful way to honor this important holiday.” 

 The Two Mississippi Museums will also host a food drive throughout the free weekend to benefit Stewpot Community Services located in Jackson. 

 Dr. King’s involvement in Mississippi included visiting Greenwood in support of Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, testifying in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) during the 1964 Democratic National Convention, and continuing James Meredith’s March Against Fear following the assassination attempt against Meredith in 1966.  

 For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.  

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) project to stabilize the Windsor Ruins site will continue through the spring of 2023. More than a century of destructive exposure to the elements has caused significant erosion to the 45-foot-tall Corinthian columns and fracturing of cast iron capitals on the columns.  

The stabilization project includes the repointing of masonry, infilling voids in the columns with new masonry, pinning and securing the failing stucco finish, and conservation treatments to the cast iron capitals. The masonry and stucco stabilization are 85 percent complete, with the capital conservation remaining to be completed. Temporary fencing has been erected to protect visitors at the site from falling debris, while repairs continue for the remaining twenty-three full columns and five partial columns. 

Windsor Plantation was constructed for planter Smith Coffee Daniell II from 1859 to 1861. One of the largest private residences in Mississippi before the Civil War, the mansion originally featured twenty-nine Corinthian columns. The mansion was designed in an eclectic mix of Greek, Italianate, and Gothic architectural styles by David Shroder and artisans from New England and Europe, and construction labor was primarily completed by enslaved people. It was believed that some of the missing columns and components were lost during the 1890 fire that destroyed the residence. A 2017 study of the site showed that four of the missing columns were still standing as late as 1910.  

“To our knowledge, a project to stabilize a ruin like this has not been attempted at this scale in the United States,” said MDAH chief of preservation Mingo Tingle. “MDAH staff, WFT Architects and architectural conservator, George Fore, have worked seamlessly with Cangelosi Ward General Contractors, and United Restoration & Preservation, Inc. to address the stabilization process and specific conservation needs of the Windsor Ruins.” 

Although this project has been developing for years, this is considered an emergency stabilization. There are larger initiatives that involve telling a much broader story of the region, including new interpretation at Windsor.  

“The site serves as a tangible and symbolic connection to the cultural, economic, and political environment of mid-to late-nineteenth century rural Mississippi,” said Barry White MDAH's director of historic preservation. “Once the stabilization project is completed MDAH plans to update interpretive signage to reflect to site’s broader significance in history regarding pre-contact, slavery, the Civil War, sharecropping, and the evolution of the preservation movement.” 

MDAH launched a social media campaign in 2019 seeking photographs of the Windsor Ruins site, taken between 1942 and 1971, to determine when the last missing column was lost. MDAH staff used the public’s photo submissions to help establish a timeline of past column collapses and predict when future collapses may occur. It was determined that the last column collapse occurred in the early to mid-1960s. MDAH commissioned architectural conservator George Fore also found evidence relating to the timeline of column integrity during the period of public outreach. 

Family photos submitted by Ruthie Drake Fahey, a native of Port Gibson, were especially helpful having been taken only a decade after the Windsor mansion fire. “Fahey’s family photos, which were likely taken circa 1900, contain what may be the oldest known photos of the site,” said Tingle. 

Built near the town of Bruinsburg, in Claiborne County, the Windsor Ruins site is located near the section of the Mississippi River where Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant directed soldiers to cross the river from Louisiana in their quest to capture Vicksburg. Windsor Ruins was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, acquired by MDAH in 1974, and designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1985. 

See Tingle discuss stage 1 stabilization work currently underway at Windsor Ruins in this MDAH video. 

Getting to Windsor Ruins: From U.S. Hwy 61 north of Lorman, take the Alcorn State University exit and proceed west on Hwy 552. Go past the Alcorn entrance and continue west and then north on 552. There are Windsor Ruins signs along the way. The entrance to Windsor Ruins is on the right about 3 miles past the Alcorn entrance. 

For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

MDAH offices and archives library will be closed Friday, December 23 to Monday, December 26. All museum sites will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 24, and reopen on Tuesday, December 27.

The archives library will be closed on Saturday, December 31, and all museums will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, and reopen on Tuesday, January 3. MDAH offices will also be closed on Monday, January 2.

Visit www.mdah.ms.gov/explore-mississippi for more information about our one-of-a-kind museums, historical sites and cultural attractions throughout the state. Explore our wide ranging Digital Archives herehttps://da.mdah.ms.gov/.

The Mississippi Museum store will host a Holiday Open House at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 3, to celebrate the upcoming holiday season.  The event is free to the public. There will be a 10 percent discount on all merchandise during the open house, and museum members will receive a 20 percent discount on store items. 

“We’re excited to host this holiday open house because this will create a wonderful mix of food, conversation, and relationship building right in the heart of our two museums,” said Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums.

The event will feature a complimentary lunch prepared by Chef Nick Wallace and will include some familiar favorites from the Nissan Cafe by Nick Wallace such as Mississippi gumbo and shrimp and grits. Wallace will also prepare a selection of finger foods for visitors to sample from 2 to 4 p.m.

Other activities include food and beverage samplings from Mississippi vendors, artist and baker meet-and-greet opportunities, light music, and complimentary gift packaging.  

The Mississippi Museum Store offers one of the state’s finest collections of folk art, local handmade crafts, pottery, jewelry, and books by and about Mississippians. Find unique holiday gifts for everyone on your list this year at the Mississippi Museum Store.

Admission to the museums is not required. The Mississippi Museum Store at the Two Mississippi Museums is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museums are  free of charge on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. are located at 222 North Street in Jackson. For more information, email info@mdah.ms.gov or call 601-576-6850 for more information. 

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will host Native American Influence on Modern Design at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 2. This program will feature Indigenous textile artist and fashion designer Tina Benavente. 

“Tina’s presentation will be a fascinating look at the intersection of Native American heritage and fashion,” said Lance Harris, director of the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.  

Not only will Tina Benavente discuss how her heritage influences her work, she will also share design examples at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. 

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians was the main ceremonial mound center of the Natchez people from 1682 until 1730. The 128-acre National Historic Landmark features three mounds, a plaza, nature trail, museum, and store. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Grand Village is located at 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard and is open free of charge to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sundays 1:30 to 5 p.m.    

For more information, visit info@natchezgrandvillage.com, or call 601-446-6502. 

-XXX- 

1 Mississippi. 2 Museums. 5 Years.

Since opening on December 9, 2017, more than half a million people have visited the Two Mississippi Museums – Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Join us December 9–11 for a free, fun party weekend to celebrate our fifth anniversary. 

“In celebrating this fifth anniversary, we acknowledge the wealth of opportunity and wisdom these museums give us,” said Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “More than 500,000 people have come together to listen, investigate, learn, and reflect on our Mississippi history. We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you, for many more years to come!"  

The celebration begins on Friday, December 9, with free admission and continues Saturday, December 10, with free admission, trackless train rides for children, live music, food trucks, and guided tours. Admission will also be free on Sunday, December 11, with a showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol.

The Mississippi Legislature funded construction of the $100 million Two Mississippi Museums along with generous support from private donors. A significant early contribution from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation was critical to attracting additional support from others.

“The Two Mississippi Museums preserve the painful stories and truths of our ancestors and are a testament to the deep resolve we have to healing our communities,” said Rhea Williams-Bishop, director of Mississippi and New Orleans programming for the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are excited to celebrate the museums’ anniversary and help ensure everyone can learn our rich and complex history.”

The anniversary celebration also will give visitors an opportunity to see the special exhibit The World of Marty Stuart before it closes on December 31. This exhibit includes hundreds of items never shown before in the state, including Marty's first guitar, original handwritten manuscripts by Hank Williams, guitars from Merle Haggard and Pops Staples, costumes from Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, personal items from Johnny Cash, including his first black performance suit, and much more.

The free weekend is sponsored by the Community Foundation for Mississippi through funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

MDAH offices and archives library will be closed Friday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

Visit www.mdah.ms.gov/explore-mississippi for more information about our one-of-a-kind museums, historical sites and cultural attractions throughout the state. Explore our wide ranging Digital Archives herehttps://da.mdah.ms.gov/.