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Agencies turn attention to historic landmarks

With the winding down of rescue missions, Mississippi government agencies are now turning their focus to the economic restructuring of the coast, including the restoration of some of Mississippi’s oldest buildings. The wake of destruction left by Katrina affects both the state’s economic future and its efforts to preserve historic landmarks. State and federal agencies, as well as countless volunteers, are meeting to assess damages to historical buildings and coastal businesses.

According to Bob Wilson, director of program services for Mississippi Main Street Association, historical preservation and the business industry, specifically tourism, go hand in hand. This collaboration is especially important to the city of Biloxi, which attracts many people who visit the casinos and also enjoy the historical sites on the coast. But historical preservation provides more than economic incentive for the state. These structures are important to Mississippi history and are part of the heritage of the South.

Read entire article at The Daily Missippian