Address
- 601 Leontyne Price Blvd
Laurel, MS 39440
Hours
- Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Closed Sundays
Amenities
- Tourist information & maps
- Restrooms
- Wi-fi
- RV parking and hookups
- Enclosed dog park
- Wheelchair accessible
- Beverage vending machine and water fountain
- Electrical Vehicle Charging station coming soon!
History & Community Collaboration
Established on August 8, 1938, the Housing Authority of the City of Laurel completed two apartment sites, Triangle Homes and Beacon Homes, as some of the first public housing built in the State of Mississippi. In 2021, HUD funds became available to demolish and replace those original units, and construction on new apartments began. Under the guidance of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, this particular apartment building (which originally had six apartments) was deemed historically significant. Instead of renovating the building to be saved for housing amongst the new developed building, a group of local leaders began thinking there was an opportunity to save the building and meet a need within the community. And that is where the idea to create a new Laurel-Jones County Visitor Center was born.
A group of stakeholders was assembled to oversee the entire process, and these partners include:
- Laurel Housing Authority
- City of Laurel and Mayor Magee
- Jones County Board of Supervisors
- Economic Development Authority of Jones County
- Laurel Garden Club
- Laurel Main Street
- Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
- RTR Media
- The architect for the project was Michael McKinnon Architects
The Laurel-Jones County Visitor Center officially opened in 2023 and includes one apartment unit interpreted for a typical 1940 family, the era that the building was originally constructed. Most items and furnishings in the apartment were donated by former residents and the general public. The overall design of the apartment was coordinated and executed by Amanda Connelly of Shotgun Design Group and by RTR Media.
As Seen on TV – The Visitor Center Featured on HGTV’s “Home Town
RTR Media is the producer of the HGTV’s “Home Town” that is filmed predominantly in Laurel. The production followed the demolition and renovation of the original apartment building into the finished Visitor Center. Video taken by RTR Media through these various stages is featured in an April 2024 episode of “Home Town.” Specific projects that were completed for the show include:
- the design and building of the reception desk in the Visitor Center lobby
- the design and building of a kitchen work table in the apartment
- the design and fabrication of interpretive panels in the Visitor Center lobby highlighting Laurel natives Leontyne Price, Ralph Boston, Erin and Ben Napier, and Lance Bass
- the complete 1940s design and staging of the apartment unit.
Artwork on Display
Mosaic artist Carolyn Elaine of Chicago was commissioned to design and execute the outdoor tile mosaic at the Visitor Center entrance. She worked with residents of all ages of the Laurel Housing Authority to design and execute the mural. This mural project was facilitated by the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and funded by the museum and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The outdoor sculpture Shape Shifter by Earl Dismuke of Oxford is on loan to the Visitor Center from a private collection.
Photographs of local landmarks on the interior of the windows in the Visitor Center are by Laurel photographer Chad Edwards.
