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By Jennifer Burt | MFA Historic Preservation Student

Mississippi State University had a strong presence at the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s announcement of the 2025 list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi, held October 23 at The Heights by Urban Foxes in Jackson’s Belhaven neighborhood. Located directly behind the café, the venue occupies a repurposed 1890s-era house that has been thoughtfully adapted for community events and was an especially fitting setting for an evening dedicated to preservation.

The event, presented by Belinda Stewart Architects, celebrated its fifteenth list of sites since the program began in 1999. MSU alumna Belinda Stewart, founder of the firm and a leader in historic preservation and rural revitalization across the South, served as the event’s honorary chair. Her ongoing commitment to preservation reflects the values instilled through her education at Mississippi State and her decades of work breathing new life into small-town landmarks.

Guests from across the state gathered for the announcement, which also featured an art auction showcasing original works inspired by this year’s endangered sites.

Mississippi Heritage Trust Executive Director Lolly Rash emphasized the university’s significant role in this year’s program. “MSU students were a big part of this year’s 10 Most—nominating sites, helping with outreach, and volunteering at the event. I know that students will be a part of finding preservation-minded solutions to the threats that face these historic places,” said Rash, who also teaches Preservation Economics in MSU’s Master of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation program.

Mississippi State University's School of 91���� and the Historic Preservation Student Alliance were event sponsors. Department Head and Professor of Interior Design Dr. Beth

Miller, who also serves on the board of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, attended along with current students and alumni of the MSU MFA in Historic Preservation program.

Faculty and students in the College of 91����, Art, and Design were directly involved in this year’s list. Assistant Professor Cyndi Parker nominated the Fred Gandy Barbershop in Starkville, which she studied for her final practicum in the MFA in Historic Preservation program. Current graduate student Jennifer Burt nominated the Lambert Coal Tower in the Mississippi Delta. Both sites were selected for inclusion on the 2025 list.

The evening also recognized winners of the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s essay competition. MSU School of 91���� student Jo Aguilar received the Judge’s Choice Award, selected by writer and scholar W. Ralph Eubanks, for “It’s Not the Gas Station.” The essay reflects on the significance of the store in Money, Mississippi, where Emmett Till’s murder in 1955 became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

The 10 Most program highlights Mississippi’s most endangered historic places and encourages creative, community-based solutions to preserve them. For more information about this year’s sites, visit .

To learn more about Mississippi State University’s Historic Preservation program and stay connected with upcoming opportunities, visit caad.msstate.edu/form/stay-connected-msu-historic-preservation.