Rescuing Clarksdale's historic Cutrer Mansion from demolition has become a statewide emergency alert and priority among preservation leaders throughout Mississippi. The structure, which was built as a private home in 1916 and has been part of St. Elizabeth Catholic School since 1947, will be razed to make room for school expansion unless preservationists can raise $2 million to buy the property and relocate the school. The deadline for raising the funds is July 1, 1998.

Joining Clarksdale residents in the effort to save the Cutrer Mansion are Stella Gray Bryant, director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, and Elbert R. Hilliard, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and State Historic Preservation Officer. Hilliard's letter, in this issue of the Register, describes the structure's architectural and literary significance.

The Italian Renaissance villa was built by attorney J. W. Cutrer and his wife, Blanche Clark Cutrer, daughter of Clarksdale's founding father, John Clark. The Cutrer and Clark families and their homes captured the imagination of Tennessee Williams, who lived in Clarksdale as a child and found inspiration there for many of his plays. As in the past four years, participants in the 1997 Tennessee Williams Festival, held October 16-18, visited the Cutrer Mansion and learned about its history and literary associations.

Clarksdale Heritage Foundation, led by president Judith Flowers, is making plans for grant applications, fundraising events, and future use of the Cutrer Mansion. Suggestions for the structure, if it is not razed, include converting it into a welcome center, a museum, or a social hall. Mississippi Heritage Trust trustee and preservation architect Thomas S. Howorth of Oxford, after a recent inspection, said the structure, which has over 8,000 square feet of interior space, is in "remarkably good condition." He estimates that restoration would not be astronomical in cost and could be designed to serve the community and its visitors well.

But first, the Cutrer Mansion must be saved. Register readers are asked to help with the effort by sending tax-deductible contributions to Clarksdale Heritage Foundation, c/o Judith C. Flowers, P.O. Box 26, Dublin, MS 38739. Help save the Cutrer Mansion! Send tax-deductible contributions to Clarksdale Heritage Foundation c/o Judith C. Flowers P.O. Box 26 ¥ Dublin, MS 38739.

For additional information telephone the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce at 601-627-7337.

Letter of Appeal from Elbert R. Hilliard, State Historic Preservation Officer:

September 18, 1997

Dear Editor:

At the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, we have been following with careful attention the discussions about the future of the Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale. St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, which has owned the Cutrer Mansion since the mid-1940s, has recently announced plans to demolish it to make room for the expansion of the church's school. As your readers share our interest in Southern history and literature, we thought they might also share our concern about the fate of this landmark building.

Built in 1916, the Cutrer Mansion is one of Mississippi's most notable historic houses. One of the finest examples of the Italian Renaissance style in the state, the house is significant also for its place in the works of Tennessee Williams, who is widely regarded as the greatest American playwright of the twentieth century. To Williams, the Cutrer Mansion embodied the lavish lifestyle of the social elite of the Mississippi Delta; he set several of his most important works in the house.

The literary importance of the Cutrer Mansion has become more evident as literary scholars and historians such as Lyle Leverich of San Francisco and Professor Kenneth Holdich of New Orleans have stepped forward to protest plans for its demolition. Mr. Leverich has tangibly demonstrated his appreciation of the importance of the house by proposing to shoot a portion of his film biography of Williams there.

Mississippi has produced some of the most talented and influential writers of the twentieth century, among them William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams. Literary scholars and serious readers have long recognized the importance of a sense of place in their writing. It is important, therefore, that the places that are symbolically immortalized in their works be physically preserved as well, for they imbue the literature with a reality and immediacy that enhance its meaning. If the link with the real places is lost, then the reader's appreciation of the richness of the literature is diminished.

Since the church announced its plans to demolish the Cutrer Mansion, members of the community have expressed their strong desire to see the landmark preserved. Recently, interested citizens have also shown a willingness to provide financial support for its preservation. The church has been presented with a variety of options that could save the mansion, including innovative partnerships for funding and use. On behalf of the Department of Archives and History, I have written to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson respectfully urging that these options be given careful consideration.

We recognize the desire of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church to provide the best possible facilities for its school, but we also recognize the exceptional importance of the Cutrer Mansion and the benefits of its preservation. We hope that a solution can be found that will spare the Cutrer Mansion from destruction or irreversible damage. This house is too important to lose.

With every good wish and appreciation of your interest in Mississippi history, I am,

Sincerely,

Elbert R. Hilliard, State Historic Preservation Officer