Gulfport Veterans Administration Medical Center Historic District facts for kids

Gulfport Veterans Administration Medical Center Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Gulfport Veterans Administration Medical Center Historic District in 2005
Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	200 Beach Blvd, Gulfport, Mississippi
Area	48 acres (19 ha)
Built	1920 to 1950
Architectural style	Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	13001080
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 15, 2014

The Gulfport Veterans Administration Medical Center Historic District, also known as Centennial Plaza, is a large area of land covering 48-acre (19 ha) in Gulfport, Mississippi. This place used to be a hospital for military veterans. It was run by the Veterans Administration from the 1920s until 2005. It closed then because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. In 2010, it was named a Mississippi Landmark. Later, in 2014, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical places in the United States.

History of the Centennial Plaza

Work on this property started in 1916. It was chosen as the spot for Mississippi's 100th birthday celebration as a state. This big party was supposed to happen in the fall of 1917. However, World War I began, so the event never took place.

To help with the war, Mississippi let the U.S. Navy use the property. This included the temporary buildings built for the celebration. The Navy used it as a training center for its sailors. After the war ended, the U.S. Public Health Service took over the lease. In 1921, they opened a hospital there. This hospital helped military servicemen who needed care for their mental health.

In 1922, the hospital was given to the U.S. Veterans' Bureau. That same year, the Bureau bought the property from the State of Mississippi. They started building several new buildings, which were finished in 1923. Over time, more medical services were offered. More buildings were also built to help even more veterans.

The medical center kept running until the 21st century. But it closed after Hurricane Katrina hit. The storm's strong waves caused one building to fall down. Other buildings were flooded with water up to 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. After the big cleanup, the Veterans Administration gave the property to the City of Gulfport in 2009.

Important Historic Buildings

This historic area has twelve important features. Ten of these are old buildings. They were built between 1920 and 1950. Their style is called Spanish Colonial Revival. This means they look like old Spanish buildings. These historic buildings were made using poured concrete and special bricks called terra cotta. They also had stucco finishes and roofs made of terra cotta tiles. After Hurricane Katrina, the insides of all ten buildings were removed. This was done to get them ready for future repairs and updates.

The two important features that are not buildings are the main entry gates and the landscape. The landscape includes southern live oak trees planted around each building.

Here are the ten historic buildings:

Location of historic buildings within the Medical Center campus

What's Next for Centennial Plaza?

There are plans to turn the property into a community oriented marketplace. This means it will be a place where people can shop, eat, and stay. The plan is to use the existing buildings for shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Mississippi's 200th Birthday Party

A big celebration for south Mississippi's 200th birthday was held at Centennial Plaza. This event took place on March 31 and April 1, 2017. During the celebration, the U. S. Postal Service released a special forever stamp. This stamp honored Mississippi becoming a state 200 years ago. About 25,000 people came to the two-day party.

New Resort Opens

In August 2019, the Centennial Plaza Resort opened to the public. This project cost about US$100 million. It included fixing up 10 historical buildings within the 48-acre (19 ha) area. When the new resort opened, it had two hotels with over 200 rooms. It also had two full-service restaurants. There was a 3-acre (1.2 ha) water park with splash pads, slides, and a pool. A wedding chapel was also built. This resort was designed for both people on business trips and families on vacation.

Images for kids

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  Chapel Event Center, Centennial Plaza