Empty Hotel Faces Wrecking Ball
Historic ad for the King Edward Hotel
Aug. 10, 2001
Dear Preservation 911,
The city of Jackson, Miss., is proceeding today with the seizure of the King Edward Hotel, a 1923 Beaux-Arts building once known as the Edwards Hotel, a successor to the Edwards House, which dated from the 1860s.
The hotel has been vacant since 1967, and all efforts to restore it have been fruitless so far. It would be a splendid new hotel for Jackson, which lacks many good ones. The building is solid and could be renovated without much difficulty. A renovation almost happened a couple of years ago in a joint effort between the city and the Alexander Co. of Madison, Wis. In the end, a disagreement over the parking garage consigned the deal to the dustbin.
The King Edward Hotel is a very handsome building and a landmark in the state. Something needs to be done soon.
Sincerely,
Tom Barnes
Washington, D.C.
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