Heritage Trust looks to renovate Walter Anderson Home from 1845

The Mississippi Heritage Trust recently announced its acquisition of a former home of one of the most prominent artists on the Gulf Coast.

- the mississippi heritage trust- recently announced its- acquisition of a former home of- one of the most prominent - artists here in the gulf coast.- news 25's grace boyles has more- from gautier about the- history and significance of the- oldfields property.

- - atop a bluff in gautier,- overlooking the mississippi - sound, sits oldfields -- a home- in which- gulf coast artist walter- anderson resided in when- creating his famous large- scal- block prints.

- by way of an anonymous donor, - the mississippi - heritage trust has now acquired- oldfields - property with plans to restore- it.

Lolly rash, mississippi - heritage trust executive- director: "people who care- about historic places in- mississippi have been just- lamenting this potential loss - for - years, worrying about this- building."

/ "and we had a dono step forward, a long time - - - supporter of our organization - who said this one's just too- important to lose.- - - - those were his words."- julian rankin, walter anderson- museum executive director: "and- it's there where- that he made some of his most - well-known work and entered int- his most prolific period- as an artist and so for that- way--for that reason it's - critical to walter anderson's - story.

It's actually the place- he left to visit horn island- several times."

- following the significant damag- oldfields - sustained during hurricane- katrina, the property was - named to mississippi heritage - trust's 10 most - endangered historic places in - the state in 2011.

Lolly rash,- mississippi heritage trust- executive director: "it still - has that storm- damage.

So, the first thing you- do with a property that is in - need of restoration is- you look at the roof.

Is water- getting in?

And water is gettin- in.

So we need to stop that."

- - - grace boyles, news 25: "rash- says she hopes to hold a virtua- meeting in the new- year to hear from the community- about their hopes and ideas for- - - the oldfields property once it'- restored."- julian rankin, walter anderson- museum executive director: "we- are just excited to - be a part of this process, whic- is a long one to bring it back- and restore it.

- the future and the promise for- doing that is to continue to- educate, to expose- people-- not only to the- architectural importance, but t- the cultural importance."

- for now though, rash says the - next step in securing the - property is finding immediate - funding for restoration of- the exterior of the building.

- in gautier, grace boyles, news- 25.

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