Union Station is a historic train depot built in 1906 by the Meridian Terminal Company, whose members were representatives of the five railroads that operated in Meridian. Today, the depot is also known as the Meridian Multi-Modal Transportation Center, serving as a bus and an Amtrak train stop. Much of the building is not original; the only original portion is the eastern wing. Nevertheless, the depot has been rebuilt to match the original Mission Revival architecture and configuration. It is also a contributing property of the Meridian Downtown Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Next to depot is another building, the former Railway Express Agency building, that once housed the Meridian Railroad Museum, which appears to have closed in 2018.
The Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum was founded in 2002 after Soule Steam Feed Works closed after 110 years of being open. The museum offers exhibits that share the history of the company and George Wilberforce Soule who held over 25 patents for machines related to the lumber industry. It also includes exhibits that share the history of industry and labor in Mississippi.
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The Riley Center is a historic performance venue and conference and educational center in downtown Meridian. The building consists of two parts: the former Grand Opera House and Marks-Rothenberg Department Store. The building was constructed in 1890 by Israel Marks and his half-brothers Sam, Marx, and Levi Rothenberg, who owned a prosperous grocery and dry-goods business. The Opera House hosted a variety of shows including vaudeville acts, operas and operettas, Shakespearean plays, minstrel shows, and early silent movies. Architect Gustavus M. Tergenson designed the building in the Late Victorian Second Empire and Romanesque styles. Today the Riley Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is owned and operated by Mississippi State University.
Reaching a height of 188.5 feet, the Threefoot Building is Meridian's tallest building and a fine example of Art Deco architecture. The 16-story building was constructed in 1929 by the Threefoot family, who operated a successful grocery store business. In terms of design, the building features a granite base, a brick exterior, and colorful terra cotta patterns. It was used as an office building for many years but as of early 2021 it is in the final stages of being converted into a Marriott Hotel. The building is included in the Meridian Multiple Resource Area, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lauderdale County Civil War Monument, located at 500 Constitution Avenue, Meridian, Mississippi, was erected and dedicated in 1902. This monument commemorates the lives of soldiers lost in the battles and skirmishes in the city and surrounding areas of Meridian. While the actual city of Meridian did not see much war, on February 14, 1864 the city was destroyed by Union General William T. Sherman. Gen. Sherman and his 10,000 Union troops destroyed depots, storehouses, weapons arsenals, rail routes hospitals, offices, and hotels in the logistical city of Meridian. While the Confederate army took many logistical losses that day, the city of Meridian and its citizens struggled for many years to come to regain their losses.
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Built in 1933, the United States Post Office building in downtown Meridian is considered one of the state's finest examples of the Art Deco architecture. However, the building is more significant for its association with two seminal civil rights court cases: Meredith vs. Fair and United States vs. Price (from 1933 until 2012 the building housed the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi). In 1961, a Black man named James Meredith filed a lawsuit against the University of Mississippi, which barred him from enrollment. The initial hearing of his case was held here in the U.S. Post Office building. In 1967, 19 white men were charged with violating the civil rights of three activists, two white men and one Black man, whom they murdered in 1964 (the white men were not charged with murder). The trial was also conducted in the building. Seven of the men were convicted. This decision was the first time that an all-white jury convicted a white person for civil rights violations. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The First Presbyterian Church of Meridian is home to a congregation established in 1856. It is primarily significant for its Gothic Revival architecture. Built with rusticated (rough) stone with ashlar stone trim, the church features buttresses, lancet-arched entryways and windows, a tower, and battlements. The church is included in the Meridian Multiple Resource Area, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
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When it opened in 1927, the Temple Theater was one of the largest and finest movie "palaces" in the country. The four-story theater was designed in the Moorish Revival style and built by the Hamasa Shriners (a Masonic organization). The theater features an ornately decorated horseshoe-arch above the main entrance, a scalloped cornice, and decorative terra cotta. The interior features Byzantine motif decorations and has remained largely unchanged, aside from the carpeting and main floor seats. Another highlight is the theater's Robert Morton pipe organ, which is one of only two such organs in the state still housed in their original locations. Temple Theater continues to be a popular entertainment venue today.
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Designed by Mississippi architect P.J. Krouse in the Beaux-Arts style, Meridian City Hall was built 1915. It is situated prominently on a public square in downtown Meridian and is a few steps away from the Meridian Museum of Art. The building includes a large staircase, fluted Ionic columns, and decorative terra cotta palm leaves. It is part of the Meridian Multiple Resource Area, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Housed in the historic former Carnegie Library, the Meridian Museum of Art promotes Mississippi and regional art through its numerous public and education programs, exhibitions, and permanent collections. Artwork displayed in its exhibitions include Native American art, paintings, photography, decorative arts, and crafts. It is operated by the Meridian Art Association. The building itself was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
One of two Catholic churches in Meridian (the other is St. Joseph's), St. Patrick's Church is historically significant for its Gothic Revival architecture. It was built in 1886 and designed by German immigrant Alfred. J.R.E. Zucker, who was living in Vicksburg at the time. The brick church features a four-story square tower with a round-arched balustrade at the top, lancet windows with stained glass, and corner buttresses. The church is a contributing property of the Meridian Multiple Resource Area, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walk through Meridian begins at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and the Meridian Museum of Art before stops at several historic downtown buildings. The tour concludes at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum and Union Station.
