Causeyville Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Causeyville Historic District
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Bostick's Store (known locally as the Causeyville Store), a contributing property
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Meridian-Causeyville Rd, Causeyville, Mississippi |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Vernacular Cottage |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000058 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1986 |
Causeyville, Mississippi (also known as Increase) is a small community in southeastern Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is about twelve miles southeast of the city of Meridian. The Causeyville Historic District includes four important buildings at the center of the community. These are two general stores and two homes. They show how much small towns like Causeyville helped Lauderdale County grow. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it is recognized as a historically important place.
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History of Causeyville: A Look Back
Lauderdale County was founded in 1833. It has always been one of the richest counties in Mississippi. Meridian, the main city, was a big transportation center. This was because many major railroads met there. Farmers and loggers in the county sent their goods to Meridian. From there, products were loaded onto trains and shipped to other cities.
Most of Lauderdale County is still rural today. It looks much like it did around 1900 or even earlier. Before cars were common, people lived in small groups. Each community relied on its own local resources. They were often quite separate from each other. Some places like Causeyville had a store. Others had post offices or other important buildings. Many communities had none of these.
Causeyville got its name from a local family. They settled in the area in the 1820s. The community grew a lot before the American Civil War. It became a business hub in southeastern Lauderdale County. People there also produced lumber and farm goods. Most of the old buildings that supported the economy are gone now. But there are pictures of an old store, a cotton gin, and a sawmill. These were used by a local logging company.
The four buildings in the Causeyville Historic District were built between 1860 and 1930. They show how the community grew during that time. All four buildings are on Causeyville Road. The two general stores are on the north side. The two homes face them on the south side. These four buildings are all that remain of Causeyville's early economy.
Exploring Causeyville's Historic Buildings
The Causeyville Historic District has four main buildings. Each one tells a part of the community's story. Let's learn about them.
Raynor's Store: A Building of Many Uses
The R.S. Raynor store is the oldest building in the district. It was built around 1860. It still has most of its original wooden siding. The porch on the south and east sides was rebuilt later. But it keeps its original design. People say the wood for the inside walls came from a sawmill behind the store.
This building started as a trading post. Here, European settlers and Choctaw Indians traded goods. In 1894, it became a community post office. There was already a "Causeyville" post office in Mississippi. So, this one was called "Edbony" since 1887. When the post office moved to Raynor's store, its name changed to "Increase." Many maps still use "Increase" for the community. The Increase post office closed in 1929. After that, the community was officially called "Causeyville."
After T.J. Bostick's store was built in 1895, Raynor's store changed again. It became a warehouse for Bostick's lumber mill. It also stored goods for his turpentine business. In the 1920s, the old wooden roof was replaced with a tin one. This roof is still there today. In the 1930s, the building was a cotton warehouse. In the 1940s, it was an auto repair garage.
In 1943, the wooden floor was replaced with cement. Garage doors were added on the east side. These doors were later removed. The building then became the Lauderdale County Equipment Maintenance Shop. This was during the 1950s and 1960s. It was a warehouse again from 1976 to 1983. After 1983, it became a commercial building once more.
Other changes were made too. An inside wall was added to protect customers from dust. This dust came from the grist mill at the back. Two small rooms were also added. One was for grist mill equipment. The other was for storing feed. These additions used materials similar to the original building. The International Harvester grist mill usually runs only on Saturdays.
T.J. Bostick's Store: Always Open for Business
The T.J. Bostick Store has been selling things since it was built in 1895. It has grown to more than three times its original size. Over the years, it has been many things. It was a post office, a barbershop, and a doctor's office. It also served as a drug store, the town hall, and a voting place. At different times, it was a Ford dealership, a home, and a storage area. It even had a theater.
The post office moved here from Raynor's store in 1895. It stayed at Bostick's store until 1929. In the 1930s, the building was split into two parts. It was put back together in 1983.
The original front of the store is now covered. A false front was added. Many business signs have hung on it over the years. A room was added to the southeast corner for the doctor's office. A covered patio used to hold the grist mill. That mill is now in Raynor's store. Today, the back of the store has a mechanical music museum. It has old music boxes, player pianos, and movie posters.
The store started as a general store. But it has slowly changed into a convenient store. This happened as people started using cars more. The Hagwood family bought the store in 1942. Their son Leslie remembered people buying a whole month's worth of supplies. But by the 1980s, that no longer happened. In 1988, Hagwood said the store was no longer a true country store. His main competitors were convenient stores.
James E. Smith House: Home of a Pioneer
The James E. Smith house was built in 1895. It was built in the Queen Anne Cottage style. James E. Smith was the first owner of the house. He was also a business partner with Bostick in his store. Smith's son, Grady W. Smith, was very important. He was the first president of the East Mississippi Electric Power Association (EMEPA). He helped bring electricity to Causeyville. This was thanks to the Rural Electrification Act. Will Bostick, one of T.J.'s sons, rented a room in this house for a few years. He was managing the lumbermill nearby.
J.W. Grantham House: A New Owner for the Store
Around 1905, the Bostick family moved to Meridian. J.W. Grantham then bought the Bostick store. He also bought this house, which is across the street from Raynor's store. Grantham continued to run the store until the 1930s.
