Historic cottages could be torn down in north Mississippi

TUPELO, Miss. – The National Park Service is considering dismantling some historic buildings in Mississippi because nobody has been willing to lease or restore them.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the nine cottages and two outbuildings are in the Tupelo Homestead Historic District. They were built in 1936 by the Resettlement Administration and transferred to the National Park Service in 1940. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Four years ago, Natchez Trace Parkway officials tried to gauge public and private interest in preserving some of the cottages that sit near its headquarters. Last year, the parkway sought proposals but received none.

A news release says the parkway cannot afford to maintain the buildings. The colony of cottages originally had 35 homesteads.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com