Hattiesburg, MS / Forest Management Office
The old Tatum Lumber Company headquarters was once a thriving company town in South Mississippi. Built in 1915, the town was complete with not only sawmills, planer mills and dry kilns, but also with a headquarters building, company store (commissary), church, school, doctor, and workers’ houses.
Molpus acquired the property in 2001 and began renovations of the buildings for use as the operational headquarters of Molpus Timberlands Management, LLC. The old office building, commissary and one worker’s house were still standing at the time of purchase. After vast renovations to restore the buildings to their original glory, Molpus moved to the old company town (also known as Bonhomie) in May 2002. The company also had an opportunity to later purchase the old church which it did and has now also restored. Panels have been placed around the property explaining the history and former use of the various buildings. Molpus enjoys many visitors each year as they walk the property and take a self-guided tour in studying the historical significance of this property.
To oversee the multiple phases of this project, Molpus engaged Tom Howorth of Howorth & Associates Architects out of Oxford, Mississippi to preserve the character of the buildings while making a fully functional office environment for a technology-driven, Twenty-First Century management operation. To learn more about Howorth & Associates Architects, please visit their web site by clicking here.
To honor its significance in history and the efforts to restore the property to its original splendor, the Hattiesburg offices of Molpus Timberlands Management are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Heritage Award for the Tatum Lumber Company Project Announced >
- American Institute of Architects 2004 Award for Tatum Restoration (PDF) >
© 2004 The Clarion-Ledger. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. - Preservationists study restoration of Tatum Lumber (PDF)>
© 2004 Hattiesburg American. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Tatum Sawmill Signage
Tatum Sawmill
