Jackson in Hinds County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
WJDX Radio Transmitter
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026
1. WJDX Radio Transmitter Marker
This building housed the transmission facilities for WJDX, which began broadcasting in 1929.
It was Mississippi's second and Jackson's first radio station. The station was sponsored by the Lamar Life Insurance Company. The studio was downtown in the Lamar Life Insurance building, but the signal originated here.
The architect for the station was nationally renowned Noah Webster Overstreet, a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright. N.W. Overstreet's design reflected the cathedral-style radios of the era when completed in 1929. The upstairs window on the front was a decorative leaded-glass window, which simulated the grill of the radio's speakers. The bas-relief sculpture is hand carved sandstone from either Alabama or Mississippi. It is a wonderful example of Art Deco architecture.
At the time of its inception, WJDX was the first ultra modern radio broadcasting station in Mississippi, because it utilized the 5-D transmitter. The RCA 5-D transmitter was the first ever commercial broadcasting equipment with a 5,000 watts rating that provided for complete air cooling of all tubes.
Percy Root was hired from WMC in Memphis
this page online
In the 1970s a studio facility was added to the front of the transmitter building, but it was demolished in 2022 to reveal the original building facade.
As of 2024, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Communications. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 32° 23.023′ N, 90° 9.442′ W. Marker is in Jackson, Mississippi, in Hinds County. It is on North State Street (U.S. 51) north of Fernwood Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5826 N State St, Jackson MS 39206, United
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026
2. WJDX Radio Transmitter Marker
Regionally, this marker is in Natchez Trace Corridor. 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tougaloo College (approx. 1.2 miles away); a different marker also named Tougaloo College (approx. 1.4 miles away); Bombings in Jewish Community (approx. 1.8 miles away); G.I. Subdivision (approx. 2 miles away); Northpark Mall (approx. 2.1 miles away); Highways And Byways (approx. 2.4 miles away); Ridgeland’s Native American Heritage (approx. 2.6 miles away); The Pecan – Our City Tree (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jackson.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026
3. WJDX Radio Transmitter Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 28, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
