Nostalgia, Economic Revitalization, and Community Relationships in Hattiesburg's Recent Historic Preservation Efforts

This paper examines the reasons behind the modern interest in historic preservation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and argues that its supporters are driven primarily by nostalgia towards what they envision as “Old Hattiesburg” and its aesthetics, interest in economic opportunities, and the strengthened sense of community made possible through historic preservation. From the foundation of Hattiesburg to today, there have been shifts in interest in Downtown and its historic districts, and they fluctuate based on changing political, economic, and social trends. In order to contextualize Hattiesburg’s historic preservation, this thesis draws upon secondary scholarship on historic preservation, economic revitalization, and historical memory and upon oral history interviews with key stakeholders in Hattiesburg—a city historic preservationist, organizational leaders, investors, business owners, and homeowners, and others. These interviewees were able to identify key qualities that not only motivated them to support historic preservation but also their reflections on the city’s period of decline and reasons why individuals have returned to Hattiesburg’s historic districts. This study determines the key factors for Hattiesburg’s cultural resurgence of historic preservation within the last 20 years—nostalgia, economic revitalization, and community reinvigoration—but it also highlights larger themes of how historic preservation impacts the people and places that it touches.