- City:
- Columbus, MS
- Site Type:
- Military and Public Safety, Armories
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1940
- Completed:
- 1942
- Designer:
- R. T. Smith
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The city of Columbus approved a bond issue to construct the city’s portion of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) financed armory. The architect was R. T. Smith. Columbus purchased a site for the new armory and civic center in the business district. By summer of 1941, the armory was under construction. The Works Progress Administration supplied $45,000 toward the $65,000 building. The armory was a 4-story Art Deco building completed 1041-1942. It has been in use as a convention center since 1987.
Source notes
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Historic Resources Inventory, (former) National Guard Armory (Columbus City Auditorium). Retrieved July 16 from:
https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=publicPropSearch&Name=&StreetNo=&StreetName=&City=Columbus&County=Any
Columbus Votes Bonds for Armory. (Dec 7, 1939). The Delta Democrat-Times, p. 1.
Columbus Hires Armory Architect. ( Feb 9, 1940). The Delta Democrat-Times, p. 1.
Site Bought for Armory. (Mar 25, 1940). Clarion-Ledger, p. 6.
Passing Troops Enjoy Mississippi Hospitality. (Aug 9, 1941). Hattiesburg American, p. 8.
Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on July 16, 2020.
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