A West Jackson resident, who did not want to go on record, has lived in West Jackson her entire life. As she moved into adulthood, she decided she wanted to buy a home in the neighborhood because she knew there were some really good houses in the area. So in 2001, she bought her home because of all the historical characteristics and she said the home really spoke to her. Her home features plaster walls, a wood burning fire place, custom built-ins and the original hardwood floors.

When she bought the house she knew she was going to do some upgrades, but she wanted to keep and restore the original features of the home. She recently put on a new roof, had the hardwood floors refurbished, and added an iron gate around her property. She kept all the original lights and door knobs on her solid wood doors, and she ended up keeping the original door bell and all the gas heaters, even though she has central air and heating.

Her home was built in 1949 and has features that tell the history of a once segregated community. In the kitchen, there was a latch that would lock out the African American domestic workers from entering in the dining room. There also is a room, off the kitchen, that was designated for African American workers. Lastly, an outhouse was built in the garage for the African American workers.

Although the current owner wanted to keep most of the original features of the home, she admits she immediately tore down the outhouse because it made her upset to see the discrimination against African Americans so vividly.

The owner wants people to know that the housing stock in West Jackson is plentiful and historic. “There are a lot of gems in the area that just need to be restored.” She says the homes were built to last and used good quality materials, and she believes that, if more people would preserve these historic homes, it would help beautify the community.

Below are a few pictures of the home and some of its historic features.