Pigford Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pigford Building
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Pigford Building in 2008
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | 818 22nd Ave., Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1915 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003401 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
The Pigford Building, also known as Pythian Castle Hall, is a three-story building made of red bricks. You can find it in downtown Meridian, Mississippi. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979, which means it's recognized as an important part of history.
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A Look Back: The Pigford Building's Story
The Pigford Building was built in 1914. It was first known as the Pythian Castle Hall. A group called the Knights of Pythias Mount Barton Lodge No. 13 built it. They used the building for their weekly meetings.
In the 1920s, a company called Pigford Realty bought the building. They started renting out spaces to different small businesses. The second floor had offices, and the third floor even had a ballroom!
For many years, from 1933 to 1976, a post office and a drug store were on the first floor. Other businesses have also been inside the building. These include restaurants, beauty salons, and dress shops.
What's Inside Now?
In the 1990s, a graphic design business and a tanning salon were in the building. After they closed, the whole building was updated. A new dress shop called Alexander's opened in 1999. Its owner was Debbie Moorehead. The top two floors were closed to the public in 2000.
Today, a dress shop named Dream It is on the first floor. Theresa Long owns this shop.
Spooky Stories: Are There Ghosts?
Some people believe the Pigford Building is haunted! The owner of the graphic design business in the 1990s often worked very late. She even had a small sleeping area there. She said she heard footsteps from the second floor.
Strange Things Happening
Other strange things were reported. Voices came from the building's intercom system. A three-year-old cousin of the owner saw a lady in a long white dress. The owner later saw this lady too. She said the lady did not like men. Objects would move across the room. Doors would slam if men were in the building.
Employees and customers at Alexander's dress shop also heard things. They reported hearing "a woman's ghostly laughter." Jewelry and clothes were often found on the floor in the mornings. They had been hung up the night before.
On October 15, 1999, an employee named J.T. Mohammed saw the lady in white. She was on the balcony. Another employee, who was alone, got a phone call from an inside line. Someone else heard voices from an empty dressing room.
Ghost Investigations
Alan Brown is an author who writes about haunted places. He investigated the building in the early 2000s. He recorded several strange experiences. A door to the roof was nailed shut, but clothes still moved. Earrings appeared next to his assistant's bed the next morning.
Theresa Long, the current owner of Dream It, and her daughter have also seen odd things. They reported vacuum cleaners turning on even when unplugged. Many electronic devices in the building sometimes do not work correctly. Alan Brown visited the building again in 2008. After his visit, he said the building was haunted.
