by Hunter Dawkins, Publisher/Owner – thegazebogazette@gmail.com
Following a year of negotiations and receiving funds from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, the contract was approved by the Long Beach Board of Aldermen during their first meeting of the new year at city hall on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The board signed an agreement with J.O. Collins Contractor, Inc. for the renovations of the historic landmark.
The Quarles House was constructed in 1892 as a two-story residence with clap-board outer walls that had two rooms deep and sat on a foundation of brick piers with one interior chimney. The house was the residence of W.J. Quarles until 1924.
The property was severely damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 along with previous storms which left the house vacant and sealed.
Because the house was located on property that was highly prized for commercial development in Long Beach, the owner sought permission from the keeper of the National Register of Historic Places to move north and was approved in 2012.
Additionally Tuesday evening, the Board of Alderman authorized a Mississippi Landmark Permit, which was issued by the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. Adoption of this permit eliminates the possibility of insulation in exterior facing walls of the historic property due to susceptibility to moisture inflation.
The Quarles House, commonly known as the Greenvale house; named after the original owner Jim Quarles and his family, will have a community garden, a location for the Long Beach Historical Society, and be open to the public once completed.
