Page 176 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

OCEAN SPRINGS
story and photos courtesy of Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau Once a sleepy fishing village, now known for art
As a Great American Main Street community filled with art, culture and history, Ocean Springs has grown tremendously over the past two hundred years. What once was a sleepy fishing town is now a vibrant tourism destination that welcomes nearly half a million visitors each year.
The historic L&N train depot, which sits at the entrance
of downtown, has always been a source of commerce for
the community. Built in 1907, the green and white structure welcomed travelers and residents who caught a ride from Ocean Springs to New Orleans for work or leisure. Today, the building houses the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce- Main Street-Tourism Bureau which serves as the town’s
official welcome center along with the Anderson family shop, Realizations.
“Travelers come from all over the world to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” says Cynthia Sutton, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau. “We see on average 500 visitors through our doors each month. A favorite for them are the walkable downtown streets and small shops and restaurants.”
The town has come a long way from its cobble stone streets to its two lanes covered with hundreds-of-years old oak trees and surrounded by more than 150 businesses in downtown. You can walk and shop for art, jewelry, shoes, clothing, home décor and more.
The downtown extends from the L&N Depot to the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center and Walter Anderson Museum of Art, as its artsy flared bookends. “People tell me the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, built in 1927, used to be the end of town,” Sutton said. Now it serves as a staple of downtown featuring an art gallery, culinary café, history museum and performing arts center.
Take a venture onto Bienville Boulevard, commonly known as Highway 90, to shop and dine at numerous more locations, including our friendly chain restaurants, local Tractor Supply store and many other one-of-a-kind shops.
Home to the Anderson family, an inspiration to this day, they are credited in part with the growth of the arts community and economic development. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the works
of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965). It strives to preserve and educate the public on the work of Walter’s brothers: Peter Anderson (1901-1984), and James McConnell Anderson
(1907-1998).
Shearwater Pottery, established in 1928 by Peter Anderson,
has produced art pottery, utilitarian ware, figurines, decorative tiles and other pottery pieces. In honor of this master potter, the community created the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival in 1978. What started out as card tables
in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot has turned into a nationally known arts & crafts festival with nearly 500 vendors from all over the nation.
Festivals such as this, along with the beauty of the town, have helped Ocean Springs win such awards as the Great American Main Street Award in 2013. The Ocean Springs Main Street was the recipient of this award in part for its organization and implementation of exceptional accomplishments in revitalizing the historic Main Street commercial district. Some have said this award is the Oscars of downtown development.
OCEAN SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MAIN STREET-TOURISM BUREAU
1000 WASHINGTON AVE., OCEAN SPRINGS, MS 228.875.4424 OCEANSPRINGSCHAMBER.COM
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SHEARWATER POTTERY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1928 BY PETER ANDERSON.
THE L&N TRAIN DEPOT IN DOWNTOWN OCEAN SPRINGS.