Page 139 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2024

Perhaps we have found one of the reasons our main streets continue to thrive. Preserving the residential structures in areas
of commerce has given new businesses opportunities to share
a common history with the deep-rooted businesses in town. A
new business appears to be better established by just inhabiting a residence that has been there for what seems like forever. There
is something very alluring about exploring older homes and discovering the unique ways businesses have created new purposes for the spaces that once cradled generations. It feels like you have stepped into the past when you enter an establishment that was once someone’s home.
Former residences here are often wooden shotgun houses or craftsman’s style dwellings, that immediately display character and offer warmth and hospitality. Many have the original wood floors, beaded or stucco walls, and you can see where families added much needed space decades ago. They really are charming.
After each of the major hurricanes that damaged our Coast,
each town evolved, picking up the pieces of their communities and moving forward. But each did so while respecting the past. There
is an active historical society in each town that documents lives and buildings lost, as well as each new beginning. They photograph
the old houses and businesses that may or may not return. But the families that lived in those downtown houses are not forgotten. Their names are still alive, you just have to pay attention to street names, building designations, and aging plaques on moss covered walls.
Storms and suburban growth have made it necessary to move
roads and highways over the last century, and with those changes
business have moved to be near major thoroughfares. There you will
find the services and stores that you recognize no matter where you
travel. But never doubt that the historical downtowns of Coastal Mississippi will continue to survive and flourish. Main Street is still the place to go when you want to browse an art gallery on Saturday afternoon or shop for a unique gift you will not find out by the highway.
Local shopping is one of the most stated reasons to visit a small town. So, shop your local favorite soon. And if that shop is in a quaint cottage, be sure you leave a little extra time to hear a story or two about the family that used to live there.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
August 2024 | 139
La Sauce Style.
Sassy Bird Interiors
122 Court St., Bay St. Louis 228.344.3181 | www.sassybirdinteriors.com
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy
Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.