Louisville in Winston County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Community House

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

1. Community House Marker

Inscription. This historic structure was built in 1851, as the Masonic hall for Louisville Lodge No. 75.

Almost unchanged from its original design, it has served as a school, a theatre for plays and a concert hall. It now houses the Louisville Chamber of Commerce.

This marker placed by Woodmen of the World
Mississippi jurisdiction
June 6, 1979

Erected 1979 by Woodmen of the World, Mississippi jurisdiction.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.

Location. 33° 7.327′ N, 89° 3.375′ W. Marker is in Louisville, Mississippi, in Winston County. It is on West Park Street east of South Spring Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 311 W Park St, Louisville MS 39339, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Mississippi. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Grierson's Raid (within shouting distance of this marker); Carl Jackson (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Winston County War Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.2

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miles away); Winston County Soldiers Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); “Big Iron” and Camp Palila (approx. 2.2 miles away); Legion Lodge (approx. 2½ miles away); Bethsalem Presbyterian Church (approx. 8.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Regarding Community House. Excerpts from the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the building:

In 1851 Louisville Lodge No. 75, F&AM, contracted with Samuel Washington Smyth to build the Masonic Hall. Smyth was born in South Carolina in 1809 and moved with his family to Winston County about 1838. …

For the Masonic Hall, Smyth designed an austere two-story structure with simple Greek Revival detailing. …

The upper story of the building was originally used for lodge meetings and the lower story housed the Masonic Female Institute, but was later rented to a teacher to conduct a regular school. The lower floor remained a school until about 1910, when a new school was built. The first story was then used as a community center, housing such events as concerts and plays. In 1922 the building was sold to the City of Louisville and since 1958 has housed
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

2. Community House Marker
the Louisvi11e-Winston County Chamber of Commerce offices and serves as a meeting place for some clubs and organizations.

Also see . . . Old Masonic Hall (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 1994. (Prepared by Nora Gay Hendrix and Brenda R. Crook; via Mississippi Department of Archives and History) (Submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 191 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.