11 Most Endangered Historic Places

Historic Communities and Landmarks of the Mississippi Coast

Year Listed: 2006
Location: Gulf Port, Mississippi
Threat: Development, Natural Forces

A home in the Mississippi coast. Historic Communities and Landmarks of the Mississippi Coast was named as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Places in 2006.

Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation

Significance

When Hurricane Katrina's 145-mile per hour winds and 30-foot storm surge hit the Gulf Coast in August 2006, the damage to Mississippi's historic communities was enormous. Unique and charming cities and towns such as Gulfport, Pass Christian and Ocean Springs suffered unfathomable damage which their residents are still working to repair. Over 1,000 historic buildings were completely destroyed and thousands more were damaged. Historic landmarks with significant damage from the hurricane include Beauvoir, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote his memoirs and spent his final years in Biloxi; Pascagoula's LaPointe-Krebs House, the "Old Spanish Fort,"; and Bay St. Louis's Hancock County Courthouse. The stories are heartbreaking and numerous.