Threefoot Building facts for kids
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Threefoot Building
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Threefoot Building in 2009
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Claude H. Lindsley, principal architect; Frank Fort, associate architect; Threefoot Realty Co. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003408 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
The Threefoot Building is a very old and important office building in downtown Meridian, Mississippi. It is sometimes just called "The Threefoot." The building got its name from the Threefoot family. This family owned a business in Meridian in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The building was designed by Claude H. Lindsley. It was finished in 1929. It is built in the Art Deco style, which was popular then. At 16 stories tall, it is still the tallest building in Meridian.
The Threefoot Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979. This means it is a special historic place. In 2008, the state of Mississippi also called it a Mississippi Landmark.
Even though the building was finished just before the Great Depression started, it was used by many businesses. The Threefoot family went bankrupt because of the Depression. But other companies rented offices there until the 1990s. By then, many businesses moved to new areas outside the city.
To bring people back downtown, the city started the Threefoot Arts Festival in 2002. It was named after the building. In 2010, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the building as one of "America's Most Endangered Places." This meant it was at risk of being lost.
But good news came in 2015! After a lot of hard work, the building was sold to a private company. They plan to turn it into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. This project is expected to be finished soon.
Contents
Building History: From Family Business to City Landmark
The Threefoot Building is a 16-story building made of brick. It was built by and named after the Threefoot family. This family were German-Jewish immigrants. They came to America in the mid-1800s. They changed their name from Dreyfuss to Threefoot. "Dreyfuss" means "three foot" in German.
Abraham Threefoot started the family's business in the late 1860s. He owned a grocery store in the 1870s. His sons, H. Marshall, Kutcher, and Lewis, took over the grocery after he died. They were known as the "Threefoot Brothers."
By 1910, the Threefoot and Sons company was very successful. They sold over $100,000 worth of goods each year. The Threefoot Brothers even donated $35,000 to help build the YMCA building.
Just before the Great Depression, the company built the Threefoot Building. It was in downtown Meridian, next to the Marks-Rothenberg Department Store and the Grand Opera House. It was the tallest building in the city. People saw it as a sign of Meridian's growth.
The building was finished in 1929. This was just before the stock market crash. The family's business stopped because of money problems and the start of the Great Depression.
The building then became an office building under new owners. For many years, it was a busy place. But over time, people started moving to the suburbs. New shopping malls and highways made it easier to live and work outside the city. By the 1990s, most of the Threefoot Building was empty.
Threefoot Festival: Celebrating Art and Community
The city of Meridian wanted to find someone to fix up the Threefoot Building. To help get attention, they started an art festival in 2002. They called it the "Threefoot Arts Festival." It honored the historic building and the Threefoot family.
The festival showed art from local and regional artists. It also had live music and other fun entertainment. Local companies sold food and drinks. Stores in the city offered special deals to people attending the festival.
The festival was held every October at Dumont Plaza. This plaza is two blocks from the Threefoot Building. It also took place on 4th and 5th streets. Admission was free for everyone. Thousands of people came to the festival each year.
In 2009, the Threefoot Festival joined with another event. It combined with the Arts in the Park Festival. This new, bigger festival became the "Threefoot Festival."
Since 2011, the festival has been held in April. It takes place on 7th Street and in front of Meridian City Hall. Kids can enter art contests at the Meridian Museum of Art. They can also try out musical instruments with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Local bands play music, and restaurants set up food stands.
Saving the Threefoot Building: A Community Effort
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Early Plans to Restore the Building
In August 2006, the city bought the Threefoot Building for $1.2 million. They hoped a developer would fix it up. Historic Restoration Inc. (HRI), a company from New Orleans, became interested in 2008. They had restored the King Edward Hotel in Jackson.
HRI suggested turning the Threefoot Building into a 120-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel. This project would cost $55 million. The city would help with $14 million. After many talks, HRI and the city council agreed in January 2009.
However, a new mayor, Cheri Barry, took office in July 2009. She did not like the plan. She even asked if the building could be removed from the National Register of Historic Places. This would make it easier to tear down. But experts advised her not to do this.
HRI asked the city for help getting money from the state. But Mayor Barry refused. She said the economy was too bad to ask for non-essential money. Because of this lack of support, the agreement with HRI ended in late 2009. The city had to pay HRI back $1 million for the work they had already done.
More Efforts to Save the Building
After the deal with HRI ended, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the Threefoot Building to its "America's Most Endangered Historic Places" list in June 2010. This brought more attention to the building's problems.
In October 2010, the city received money from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). This money was for a study of the building. The study would figure out what needed to be done to fix it. The city also hired Watkins Development to help develop downtown Meridian.
The study was finished in 2012. It found that the building's foundation was strong. But the upper floors were damaged by weather. Windows were broken, and bricks were crumbling.
Since developers were not showing much interest, a local group of citizens formed. They called themselves the Threefoot Preservation Society. They started in June 2013 to discuss the building's future.
Since 2013, this group has held weekly cleanups at the building. Even descendants of the Threefoot family have come to help! In April 2014, they celebrated the building's 84th birthday. For the first time in years, the city opened the first floor to the public. Dr. Henry Threefoot and his family, who are descendants of the original Threefoot family, joined the celebration. Another party was held in April 2015 for the 85th anniversary. Mayor Percy Bland was there to show his support.
New Plans for a Hotel
In September 2015, the Meridian City Council approved a new deal. They sold the building to Ascent Hospitality Management. This company is based in Georgia and manages hotels. They bought the building "as-is" for $10,000.
Ascent agreed to start building a Courtyard by Marriott hotel within 12 months. The hotel will have 120 rooms. The construction is expected to take about 14 to 18 months. The company promised to spend at least $14 million on the project.
John Tampa, the head of Ascent Hospitality Management, hoped the hotel would open around November 2017. This would be at the same time as the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center. While there have been some delays, the chief architect, John Campo, said in June 2020 that the building could open as early as November 2020. He believes Meridian is a great place to reuse old, historic buildings.
See also
In Spanish: Threefoot Building para niños
