Coffeeville Hotel, Illinois Central & Gulf Railroad vicinity, Coffeeville, Yalobusha County, MS

Significance: From 1906 until World War II, the Coffeeville Hotel played an important role in the business life of the town of Coffeeville. For over seventy-five years it has been a local landmark due to its prominent location and distinctive architectural design. From the turn of the century until World War II, Coffeeville was the "turn around" point for the engineers and crews of the Illinois Central Railroad. In addition, the town was the county seat of Yalobusha County and as such was a center of legal and commercial activity in this agricultural region. The Coffeeville Hotel, therefore, provided room and board for railroad men, passengers, salesmen, and visiting professionals. Its rooms were used by the local undertaker for the display of caskets arriving by train, and by traveling salesmen, or "drummers," for the display of their product samples. The dining room was frequently used by juries who were sent to the hotel by the judge for meals during court recesses. In addition, the hotel served as a social center for local businessmen, many of whom made it a temporary home while beginning their careers. Architecturally, the hotel is a local landmark, given its prominent site and distinctive front facade and massing. Located adjacent to the railroad and directly opposite the central business district, the building is clearly visible from the center of town and dominates the view to the southeast from the main street. The bold massing of the front facade, with its two-story columned portico framed by twin end bays, gives the building a simple yet striking dignity. While the detailing and finishes are not notable, the corner fireplaces are of interest. Taken as a whole, the hotel is a locally significant example of vernacular design executed with a certain charming naiveté which speaks of its origins in the rural traditions of turn of the century north Mississippi.
Survey number: HABS MS-215