| Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel | |||||||||
| Address: | 401 North Lamar Street | ||||||||
| Location Town: | Jackson, Mississippi | ||||||||
| Location Country: | United States | ||||||||
| Coordinates: | 32.3042°N -90.1853°W | ||||||||
| Status: | Partially demolished | ||||||||
| Opened Date: | 1960 | ||||||||
| Demolition Date: | 2021 | ||||||||
| Embedded: |
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| Building Type: | Motel | ||||||||
| Architectural Style: | International Style Mid-century modern Googie (sign) | ||||||||
The Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel was a motel in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. The motel was opened in 1960 and partially demolished in 2021.
The motel was opened by Mississippi businessman Dumas Milner and was designed in either the International or mid-century modern style. Due to its close proximity to the Mississippi State Capitol, the motel served as the temporary lodging for many politicians and elected officials while the Mississippi Legislature was in session. Additionally, during the 1960s, it became a prominent lodging location for activists in the civil rights movement, such as Robert L. Carter of the NAACP and several members of the Council of Federated Organizations during the Freedom Summer project.
In either 2001 or 2002, the motel closed. Following this, the government of Mississippi began to lease the property as a parking lot for government employees. In 2019, the government purchased the property and announced plans to demolish the building and convert the lot into additional parking spaces. This prompted outcry from many state historians and led to the motel being declared a Mississippi Landmark by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and being added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's Most Endangered Places in 2020. Despite this, much of the structure was demolished by February 2021, with only the sign and some of the commons areas preserved, with the intent of converting the latter into office and meeting spaces.
Sources differ slightly on the architectural style of the motel. In a 2019 article in the Jackson Free Press, the motel is described as "a rare example of International-style modernism in Jackson", though a 2021 analysis of the building by the National Trust for Historic Preservation describes it as an example of mid-century modern architecture, with distinctive elements including large plate glass windows and metal screens. The motel had a ballroom, a swimming pool, and a sign that was constructed in either the mid-century modern or Googie style. The total floor area of the building, including the commons areas, was at least 60000square feet.
The Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel, located at 401 North Lamar Street, was opened in 1960 by Dumas Milner, a Mississippi businessman, who named the motel after another one that he owned in Biloxi, Mississippi. In addition to the Sun-n-Sand properties, Milner also owned and operated the King Edward Hotel in Jackson. In 1965, the motel opened one of the first bars in Jackson after prohibition was repealed in the city. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the motel was "a fixture of downtown Jackson", and it is referenced in several works of literature that are set in the city, including Willie Morris's My Cat, Spit McGee and Kathryn Stockett's The Help. Additionally, Morris wrote his book New York Days while staying at the motel, and John Grisham, who was at the time a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, wrote A Time to Kill while living in the motel.
Located near the Mississippi State Capitol, the new motel became notable for housing several members of the Mississippi Legislature during legislative sessions. Legislators could rent rooms at the motel on a monthly basis, and, according to journalist Keisha Rowe of The Clarion-Ledger, it served as an "informal meeting site" where elected officials could discuss political matters. Concerning a 1984 meeting at the hotel with politicians William J. McCoy and Michael P. Mills, journalist Sid Salter of the Clarion-Ledger said that the living arrangements at the motel were similar to those of the freshman dormitories at Mississippi State University and that the politicians who stayed there operated under the Chatham House Rule. In 2001, McCoy said concerning the political activities at the motel, "We have passed many important measures because of our conversations after hours in the Sun-n-Sand". Representative Steve Holland similarly noted the significance of the motel in Mississippi politics during a 2009 interview with the Associated Press, saying, "Everything you ever needed to know about what's going on, you could find out at the breakfast table. ... Hell, if you didn't know it, you could start a rumor at 5:30 in the morning. It'd be around the Capitol later that day".
In addition to legislators, many activists in the civil rights movement used the motel while staying in Jackson, such as Robert L. Carter of the NAACP, who stayed at the hotel in 1964. In July of that year, following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the motel became one of several in Jackson to desegregate and accept African American patrons. On August 15 of that year, Ku Klux Klan members held a cross burning outside of the motel after they became aware that activists associated with the Council of Federated Organizations were staying there as part of the Freedom Summer project. The motel also served as the meeting place for activists involved in the Wednesdays in Mississippi program. During his time as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, Aaron Henry, a civil rights activist who served as the head of the state branch of the NAACP, stayed at the motel. While staying at the motel, Henry was involved in a long-term homosexual relationship that was common knowledge to other residents and workers at the motel, including other politicians. Partially concerning this relationship and the motel in general, historian John Howard wrote in a 1999 history book,
In either 2001 or 2002, the motel closed and many of its physical assets were liquidated via auction. Afterwards, the building became boarded up and entered into a state of dilapidation. Following its closure, the government of Mississippi began to lease the site for use as a parking lot by state legislators. In 2005, the property was purchased by Lamar Properties, under whose ownership the state government continued to lease the site. That same year, due to concerns regarding the historic preservation of the building, the nonprofit organization Mississippi Heritage Trust added the Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel to its list of the "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi".
In July 2019, the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (MDFA) purchased the property for the state government for approximately $1.1 million. With the purchase, the MDFA announced plans to demolish the motel building and add additional parking spaces for state government employees. According to a 2021 report from WLBT, the NBC affiliate in Jackson, the purchase and conversion would save money for the state government compared to continued leasing of the site.
The MDFA's plans to demolish the building were decried by many historians and historic preservation organizations in the state. In late October 2019, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) initiated the process of reviewing the site for designation as a Mississippi Landmark, which, according to reporting from the Clarion-Ledger, could potentially save the building from demolition. On November 5, the MDAH started a 30-day public comment period to collect opinions on the site, and by November 19, a petition to preserve the site posted by Mississippi Heritage Trust on Change.org had garnered over 1,300 signatures. By January 2020, the petition had garnered roughly 2,600 signatures. That same month, the MDAH declared the motel a Mississippi Landmark, but still gave authorization to the state government to demolish the building. In their decision, the MDAH granted the MDFA permission to begin demolition work on the building starting in June 2020, but expressed hope that the department could develop a new plan that would preserve the building. The MDFA stated that their plans for redevelopment of the site would see the sign and certain parts of the building, such as the ballroom and commons areas, preserved. Additionally, the sign would be restored and re-electrified. Other additional items, such as historical light fixtures, were also expected to be saved from demolition.
In September 2020, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the site to its list of America's Most Endangered Places. The National Trust estimated that the demolition work on the building would cost approximately $2.095 million. Concerning the site, the group's Chief Preservation Officer Katherine Malone-France said, "The (Sun-N-Sand) has a history that is as vibrant and distinctive as its architecture, and the National Trust believes it can have an even brighter future. ... Reusing and revitalizing the Sun-N-Sand would help the state of Mississippi celebrate its rich history — including the story of ongoing racial reconciliation represented by 'Wednesdays in Mississippi' — while putting the building back into use in a way that could create jobs and stimulate economic growth".
In October 2020, local television station WJTV reported that preliminary demolition work had begun on the motel, though later reporting from WLBT stated that the structure was not being demolished at the time and that the work being performed was asbestos removal. Structural demolition on the building began in 2021, with the first round of demolition being completed by February of that year. Following this initial demolition work, MDFA Project Director Paula Young said that "select demolition" would take place inside of the remaining structure to prepare it for later renovations. According to Young, the remaining part of the building would be converted into office and meeting spaces. In January 2022, WJTV reported that the MDFA had approved a $4.375 million contract for this work. As of July 2022, renovation work was ongoing for the remaining sections of the building and was planned to be completed by 2023. That same month, the sign was removed for restoration work, later being reinstalled in January 2024.