Nash Street National Register District
The Nash Street Historic District is locally significant to Starkville and Oktibbeha County because, as the earliest and most intact of the city’s twentieth-century suburban subdivisions, it represents and embodies the transformation of Starkville from a small, agriculturally-oriented trading center to a modern, university-oriented city in response to the substantial growth of Mississippi A&M; College in the 1930s. (The college was redesignated Mississippi State College in 1935, and became Mississippi State University in 1958).
The district is also locally significant as the largest and most intact concentration of substantial 1930s residential architecture in the county. The period of significant extends from 1932, the year the first new house was built, until 1940, the year the last pre-war house was erected. (Although the house at 101 N. Nash [#2] predates the district, it was moved to its present location in 1935 and probably assumed its present appearance about the time.)
The historic district is Starkville’s first subdivision, the first of 61 subdivisions registered at the Courthouse from 1934-1974 (The Historical Development of Land Use in Starkville, Mississippi, A Small University City, August, 1975, by Luceille Liston Mitlin, Figure 7, pp 22, 223).
The Nash Street Historic District began the shift to suburban living and development in Starkville. Starkville’s first housing was previously clustered around the businesses and industry in the central business district.
The Greensboro neighborhood is adjacent to the west side of the CBD and the Overstreet neighborhood is adjacent to the south side of the CBD. The Nash Street Subdivision is located halfway between the university and the CBD. Designed by surveyor John H. Wellborne in 1913 and known as the “College Addition,” the land development was originally the Yeager Property and included 11 lots east of Nash Street along College Drive. It wasn’t until the early 1930s, when the Nash Street lots were property of the East End Land and Improvement Company (Mr. R.K. Weir-President, and Mr. H.A. Beatie- Secretary), that lots were purchased , and houses built.
This coincided with growth of the College brought about by Public Works Administration stimulus. Being the city’s first subdivision, the neighborhood became the local model for developing suburban subdivisions which included large lots, paved streets with curbs and gutters, and sidewalks with a planting space between the sidewalk and the curb. Those who developed this first Starkville subdivision created the local model for community residential site planning by developing their lots whereby significant trees were retained as part of the beauty of the site, and utility, providing shade in the hot Mississippi summers.
The fashionable Nash Street subdivision became known as the “Garden District” of Starkville (Frank Blakeney, “College View: A Neighborhood in Search of Itself.” History 3383, Historiography and Historical Method, 1985).
The Nash Street Historic District is also locally significant for its architecture with Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman styles contributing to its identifiable character. The building styles in the district reflect the architectural tastes of the university administrators, professors, and successful business owners who built in the historic district. The district is significant because it is the only architecturally significant concentration of 1930s domestic housing remaining in Starkville.
Located along the street are some of Starkville’s best examples of 1930s domestic architecture, reflecting Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman style architectural details. Local a with architect Thomas S. Johnston who also worked with renovating university buildings as a result of PWA funds, designed six of the houses along North Nash Street within the Historic District.
The district is distinguished architecturally through Tudor Revival. Colonial Revival and Craftsman architectural styles from the period between 1932-1940. Among the more notable houses are:
The E.H Bailey House, 113 North Nash
Built in 1937, this one story brick house has many Tudor Revival details. False half-timbering is on gabled ends and the front door is round-arched set within a brick and concrete detailed round-arched opening. Inside the house there is a wooden mantle of Federal derivation, and built in corner cupboards and telephone stand. Architect Thomas Johnston designed this house.
The Benton Fatheree House, 104 North Nash
This is one and a half story frame house with later Federal details. Built in 1938, the house has an entry with a six-panel door recessed in a reeded, flat-arched surrounded with Federal style carving details. Original interior woodwork includes corner cupboards in the dining room and a neo-Federal mantle in the living room. Thomas Johnston was the architect for this house.
The Soloman House, 115 North Nash
Built and designed by Emery Otho McIlwain, this is a one-story bungalow type house with narrow weatherboard exterior. This is the first house constructed in the neighborhood, built in 1932.
The William Portlock home, 107 North Nash
This house is one-story with a steeply-pitched, shingled roof and a gabled-roofed projecting entry. Interior woodwork includes natural and painted hardwood door and window surrounds with decorative brick details, a tile hearth and a round-arched opening is the focal point of the living room. This house was built in 1933. Emery Otho McIlwain was the building designer and contractor.
Nash Street Neighborhood
The Nash Street Historic District was an upper middle-class neighborhood in early to mid-twentieth century Starkville. The residential neighborhood is comprised of 1930s Great Depression Era homes and is located halfway between, and within a 15 minute walking distance, from the central business district and the gates of Mississippi State University. The district is located within the College View Neighborhood, an association of 55 homes that generally serve as nearby residences for university staff and professors.
The district is a one block long and is composed of 17 buildings, of which 13 are contributing, and 4 are noncontributing. Buildings to the north and east of the district are within the College View Neighborhood and are newer, generally from the 1940s and 1950s. The College View Neighborhood and the Nash Street Historic District contain many old trees in the 50-80 year old range with over 40 of the old trees within the Nash Street District. The terrain of the block long district begins at ridgelines along University Drive, drops 20 feet in elevation to a swale midway along the block, and rises 25 feet in elevation to the end of the district at the intersection with College View Street.
All houses contributing to the historic district except one were built as single family residences. Only three of the contributing buildings are divided into multi-family residences. The buildings are generally one and two-storied single gamily residences mostly of brick construction, with several of wood-frame construction. Lots are medium to large in size for suburban lots and range from 11,250-30,000 square feet.
The most significant houses relate to Tudor Revival, Craftsman and Colonial Revival Architectural styles. Few of the homes have been altered and over half are still in the same family of the original owners. The most impressive of the Tudor Revival houses is the E. H. Bailey home at 113 North Nash Street, which is an L-shaped, asymmetrical balanced brick home. The W. O. Spencer home at 114 North Nash Street is an example of the Colonial Revival. The symmetrically balanced brick homes has two identical wings on either side of the house and a central pedimented entry door flanked by pilasters and surmounted by a narrow, multi-light transom. The William Portlock house at 107 North nash is exemplary in its reflections of Craftsman Style building details.
There are four buildings within the district which have been rated as non-contributing. These buildings were built in the late 1940s and the 1950s. The house built in 1947 is well constructed, attractive in its design, and is generally in visual harmony with the varied historical character of the district. The 1950s houses are visually subordinate and do not serious detract form the district character. The porch on one of the 1950s houses has an arched opening, reflecting many of the arches existing on the contributing homes in the district.
Houses within the district are described and evaluated as either contributing (C) or noncontributing (N). Contributing buildings are those that date from the period of significance of the district (1932-1940). Contributing buildings create the “tour ensemble” or identifiable character of the historic district. Noncontributing buildings are those which post-date the period of significance of the historic district or that don’t reflect the period of significance of the historic district or that don’t reflect the identifiable character of the period of significance.
525 University Drive-Garage
The one story, frame, three bay garage behind the house, though stylistically unrelated, is believed to have been constructed with the house. The flat-roofed structure faces east on North Nash. A shallow, pen hipped roof is attached about a foot below the roof top on the façade and the northern elevation. There are no doors over the garage openings. At the left (S) end of the garage, a greenhouse with a concrete block skirting wall and shed-roofed frame top has been added (c. 1947). The greenhouse is closed in with plywood, has a cent4ral, hollow core door and no other details. A wide swath of concrete drive for the garage runs between it and North Nash. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
525 University Drive
Built in 1935, for Mr. and Mrs. Bob Brannin, who owned and operated a local insurance agency, this residence serves as the southeastern corner of the district. Its steep-pitched, multi-gabled roof, half-timbering, and brick construction with cast concrete details serve notice that the neighborhood is a collection of 1930s domestic styles. 525 is a one-story, essentially T-shaped home with many Tudor Revival details. Its façade features such Tudoresque references as casement windows, decorative patterns in burned and red brick (round-arched entry and porch details and round-arched design work on the chimney breast), cast concrete keystones, corner blocks, railings, and sills and decorative half-timbering and gable ends. Most windows not on the façade are 6/6 double-hung. Doors are single-leaf, multi-lights in wood frames. French doors open from the house onto the gabled front porch. Designed by Tom Johnston.
117 North Nash
Is a multi-storied, frame house with a composition roof and faux block skirting covering the foundation. The house is one-story at street level, but two-stories on the rear elevation. It was built as apartments. Details of the house include 6/6 double-hung windows, drop siding, doors with lights over paneled bottoms, and a combination of shed and gabled porches. It was built in 1947.
116 North Nash
Is a one-story, asymmetrical-massed frame house with a one-story addition on the north elevation. The house was built in 1937 and the brick addition was made in 1977. A composition shingled, multi-gabled roof and a brick foundation are used. The entry, in a gable-roofed projection, has recently been given neo-Federal detailing, including a broken pedimented door surround. Windows are 4/4 or 6/6 double hung. Despite major alternations it still retains enough of its original character to contribute to the district. The house was built for Mr. Sid Lundy, a Math Professor at Mississippi. Mrs. Lundy was the Secretary for the President at Mississippi State. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
115 North Nash
Is the oldest house in the neighborhood in its original location. It was built in 1932, using only redwood in construction. It is a simple, one-story bungalow type house with narrow weatherboard exterior. It has an asymmetrical façade with the entry under a gable-roofed porch supported by square wooden columns with molded capitals and bases. Windows are predominantly 6/1 double-hung. The roof is composition shingle, the foundation is brick. The first owner was Mr. Bo Solomon, a Professor of Chemistry at Mississippi State. Designed by Emery Otho McIlwain.
114 North Nash
Is a one-story, brick, Colonial Revival house built in 1940. It has a three-bay façade (w, d, w) with a central pedimented entry door flanked by plasters and surmounted by a narrow multi-light transom. Windows are 12/12 double-hung. There is an exterior chimney on the southern elevation. Frame “wings” on the northern and southern elevations are original to the house. The house was built for W.O. Spencer, Mathematics Instructor and Track Coach at Mississippi State. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
113 North Nash
Built in 1937 this is a one-story brick house with many Tudor Revival details. Its asymmetrical façade has three steeply pitched gables, a hip-roofed dormer, and a street-facing chimney. False half-timbering and attenuated rectangular louvered vents punctuate the main gable ends. The entry is through a third steeply pitched gable. A round-arched door is set within a brick and concrete detailed round-arched opening. Cast concrete, exaggerated keystone and corner block details, similar to those on 525 University, are the focal points of the entry. Windows are casements with multiple lights on the façade and 6/6 double-hung on other elevations. Inside, the house has a wooden mantle of Federal derivation, door and window surrounds with mitered corners, and typical built in corner cupboards and telephone stand. The house was built by E.H. Bailey. Mr. Bailey was a Professor of Agronomy at Mississippi State. Mrs. Bailey owned and operated the Starkville Tea Room (a restaurant, 1946-1960) on University Drive. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
111 North Nash
This one-story, frame house was built in 1937 and has a steeply-pitched roof, apparently designed in keeping with the Tudor elements in the neighborhood. The house is now covered with aluminum siding. Windows are 6/6 double hung, with an unusual casement/jalousie window at the southern end, in the sun room area. The façade is four-bay (w, w, d, w) with the entry through a round-arched door under the end of a flared eave. The house was built for the family of Edmund Cooper who operated a dry cleaning shop in Starkville from 1935-1970.
110 & 112 North Nash
Built in 1934 by Dr. J. V. Bowen, Dean of the College of Business and Industry at Mississippi State, this two-story, side-gabled roof brick apartment building, is now a single family residence. The façade is five-bay on the first level (w, w, d, w, w) and three-bay on the second (w, w, w). Windows, often paired, are 6/6 double-hung in wooden frames within brick surrounds. Decorative shutters are attached. The entry is s gable-roofed “stoop” with heavy decorative brackets and simple moldings. The door is multi-light, single-leafed, and flanked by multi-light sidelights. The entry to the former upper apartment is via stairs on the southern elevation. Woodwork in the house is simple, but original. Door and window surrounds, of pine stained like dark oak, have lap joints. Baseboards are single boards with shoe molding. The living room, directly behind the entry door, is distinguished by the multi-light door and sidelight surround, a paneled and plastered mantelpiece, and a flat-arched, columned screen between the living and dining areas. The dividing screens has battered half length wooden columns with molded caps and bases set on low, framed bead board walls. Other original woodwork includes paneled kitchen cupboards, hardwood floors, and a set of paneled wooden bases flanking the basket-handled arch between the dining room and kitchen
109 North Nash
Built in 1937, this one-story brick house has a side-gable, asbestos-shingled roof and projecting entry gable. The façade is four bays across, (w, d, w, w) it has paired or tripled 6/6 double-hung windows in wooden frames with brick surrounds. The front door has a round-arched top and is set within a round-arched brick frame in the projecting gable. A flat-roofed metal canopy on metal supports now covers the front of the structure. A metal, flat-roofed carport has been added at the rear. Built for S.H. Cooper, (who founded New Process Cleaners with his son Edmund Cooper, who owned the house at 111 North Nash). The house was also the Episcopal Rectory for many years. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
108 North Nash
Built in 1932 this two-story, brick and frame house has a mixture of stylistic influences. Its first owner, was L.M. Joyner who was a pharmaceutical salesman and member of the College Board of Trustees from 1940-1944. A mid-westerner, he reportedly built the house as a copy of one he had owned in St. Louis, Missouri. Its asymmetrical façade is focused on the two and a half story chimney, with twin stacks and cast concrete shoulder and necking details. Its windows, formerly diamond-paned, are now multi-light casements on the façade and 6/6 double hung elsewhere. The carport and cast-iron porch supports were added in the late 1950’s. Interior features include a wood molding edged, basket-handle arched fireplace opening in a stoccoed wall with a deep, wooden shelf at the base of a demi-lune recessed “over-mantle.” Archways in the living room and hallway and major interior door openings have curvilinear corner detailing.
107 North Nash
This is a one-story brick house built in 1933. It has a steeply-pitched asbestos-shingled roof and a gable-roofed projecting entry. Originally the façade was four bay (sun porch, w, d, w) but the early sun porch was taken into the house and a new sun porch and carport were added on the southern elevation. Windows in the house are predominately 6/1 double-hung. Interior woodwork includes natural and painted hardwood door and window surrounds with mitered corners and raised edges. A Craftsman-style mantle with decorative brick details, a tile hearth, and a round-arched op opening is the focal point of the living room. The house was built for Mr. and Mrs. William Portlock. Designed by Emery Otho McIlwain.
105 North Nash Street
This brick building is a one and a half story former house, now made into apartments, facing east. The façade is four bay (w, d, d, w). Windows are 6/6 double hung, in wooden frames. Doors are four light over horizontal paneled bottoms. House appears to have been a late vernacular Craftsman before it was altered on the south roof plane to add rooms Remaining Craftsman details are flat-arched hoods with slanted ends on doors and windows (including the bricked-up window in the front-facing gable). There is also a centered, gable-front, attached porch supported on rectangular brick pillars. It has a concrete floor and steps. Metal awnings have been placed over the façade windows. The yard has been filled in with concrete for parking. Windows on the south and north sides are various – – 6/6 aluminum upstairs and wooden 4/4 and 6/6 downstairs.
104 North Nash
Is a one and a half story frame house with Colonial Revival details, built in 1938. Slightly raised on a brick wall foundation, the symmetrically-designed façade has three bays on both the first (w, d, w) and second (w, w, w) levels. The entry is a six-panel door recessed in a reeded, flat-arched surround with Federal style carving details. The gabled dormers have molded cornices, 6/6 double hung windows in plain surrounds. Dormer windows intersect the wide, plain “frieze” detail above the first floor. Downstairs windows are paired 6/6 double-hung with decorative shutters. The exterior of the house is covered with asbestos shingles – a new, low-maintenance product in vogue when the house was built. A lower-level, one-story garage is attached to the house at the southern end. Original interior woodwork includes corner cupboards in the dining room and a neo-Federal mantle in the living room. Built for Benton Fatheree, Secretary of the YMCA at Mississippi State. Designed by Thomas Johnston.
103 Nash Street
This one story, rectangular, brick building- – possibly originally in vernacular Craftsman style – – has been altered by the addition of a deep, wood-shingled, mansard roof which provides a second story. The façade is four bay (w, d, w, d). Windows are modern bay assemblies. Doors are wood with panels and cyma curve, molded lights. The roofs of the bays and the main roof are wood shingled. Entry steps at the right (N) of the façade are concrete. Wooden 4/4 double hung windows on a side elevation may be originals.
102 Nash Street
This is a one-story, Tudor-related house built in 1950 by Mr. L.E. Harris (who owned L.E. Harris Construction Co.-Levee Builders), as a late complement to the neighborhood. It is the first residential property between University Drive and the older neighborhood.
101 North Nash
This is a one-story, early 20th century residence of frame construction built about 1915 which originally faced University Avenue (#525). When the present 525 was built in 1935, it was moved back and was probably remodeled. The house is asymmetrically massed, with a hipped projection at the left of the façade and a wrap-around porch extending across 2/3 of the front and down north elevation. The roof has composition shingles and a combination exposed rafters and simple fascias. The entry door has a single large light over a paneled bottom, and is set under a single-light transom in a plain surround. Windows, in similar surrounds, are 1/1 double-hung. Porch details include square posts seated on brick half-pillars and a plain balustrade. Designed by Emery Otho McIlwain.
This content was provided the Starkville Central Neighborhood Foundation
