McComb’s States neighborhood could be on the National Register of Historic Places by this summer if a four-year project is successful.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History survey manager Eric Reisman and Southeast Preservation consultant Laura Ewen Blokker discussed the progress of a Certified Local Government grant McComb received for the 2013 fiscal year to promote historic preservation.
Since 2010, multiple surveys gathering historical data have been done on 420 properties in the States neighborhood with the hope that years of work will culminate in a historic registry nomination for the area.
To receive a nomination, a property or area must show an area of historic integrity, and Blokker said the States neighborhood easily qualifies under architectural requirements.
The grant evenly splits the $6,982 project between city monies and grant funding, with approximately $3,200 going toward the register nomination and $3,800 for the survey work.
Beginning today, Blokker will survey the remainder of the neighborhood, including approximately 75 properties in four non-contiguous areas west of Peach Avenue, south of Pennsylvania Avenue, south of Hollywood Cemetery and east of Edgar Street.
Blokker said she would complete the survey by the end of February before moving on to preparing the nomination for a July 17 Department of Archives and History review board meeting.
Blokker’s next step in the process is obtaining historic background information on residential and commercial properties in the area and some information on the larger monuments and mausoleums in Hollywood Cemetery. Blokker will use the information to back up her argument that the architecture contributes to the area’s historic nature.
Beyond the accolades that come with being recognized as a historic registry placement, the honors also come with financial incentives for those in the area.
“Some of it is honorific, but there’s definitely a need for it from a financial perspective,” Reisman said. “Not only does it bestow a certain honor on areas that are designated to the national register, but there are tax incentives.”
Incentives for businesses and residential properties are available for all within the boundaries of the district, with a 20 percent federal tax credit on rehabilitation projects for commercial properties and a 25 percent state tax credit for homeowners.
Reisman said those with a home office also could obtain both credits, depending how much of the home is used for business purposes.
