Donation of Historic Paint Colors Makes for a “Good Neighbor” on the Gulf Coast
by Guest Writer on September 11th, 2009Written by Lolly Barnes
On August 14, a typically hot and humid summer day in Mississippi, 10 volunteers from the 334th Military Training Wing stationed at Keesler Air Force Base began work on the home of Harold and Jittaun Payne in Pascagoula. Working with project coordinators from Hands On Gulf Coast, the “Gators” scraped, prepped and primed this turn-of-the-century Queen Anne cottage. The volunteers returned on August 28 to start the painting.
After looking at the cover of the brochure for the Valspar – National Trust for Historic Preservation’s historic paint palette – Jittaun said, “That is what I want!” The house is now coming to life with colors such as Cliveden Pasture, Belle Grove Moss and Fairmont Penthouse Garnet.
The Mississippi Heritage Trust’s “Good Neighbor” house painting program, aimed at helping homeowners complete the restoration of historic buildings that had been damaged in Hurricane Katrina, kicked off in March 2009 with the influx of hundreds of volunteers for Alternative Spring Break. Working with Hands On Gulf Coast project coordinators, these enthusiastic young people painted four houses in Gulfport.
To help the Mississippi Heritage Trust continue this much needed program, Valspar has generously donated 192 gallons of paint for the Payne’s house in Pascagoula, one in Ocean Springs and two more in Bay Saint Louis. (Check back for additional stories as the rest of the work unfolds.)
A special thanks to the volunteers, Valspar, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Hands On Gulf Coast and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for being such “Good Neighbors” and helping to restore these homes and make this project a success!
Lolly Barnes is the immediate past president of the Mississippi Heritage Trust Board of Trustees and a lifelong resident of Biloxi. The Mississippi Heritage Trust is a statewide organization dedicated to the preservation of the prehistoric and historic cultural resources of Mississippi.
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation has worked with Valspar to develop an exclusive collection of historic colors documented from historic sites across the country. The resulting palette, sold exclusively at Lowe’s, features over 250 historic colors which generate much needed revenue to support the National Trust’s efforts to help people protect the places that matter to them. Learn more »
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September 17th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Thank you for this article highlighting Hands On Gulf Coast’s work with MDAH. Cathy and Johnny have been doing an exceptional job on the different houses. Thanks again.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:09 am
[...] the vast wide world of the internet (always living out there on the edge). A post called “Donation of Historic Paint Colors Makes for a ‘Good Neighbor’ on the Gulf Coast,” written by former MHT president Lolly Barnes on the National Trust’s blog, caught my [...]
November 13th, 2009 at 9:31 am
[...] to secure a grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to address storm damage. Thanks to donations from Valspar and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the hard work …, Harold and Jittaun Payne’s house is now painted a vivid kaleidoscope of greens and reds (from [...]
January 26th, 2010 at 4:12 am
Personally I don’t think that Mr. Handsome has received enough accolades for his humanitarian efforts. In my opinion a lot of celebrity do-gooders are totally phony and engage in so called good deeds merely for positive publicity. I have to say that I don’t think that George is one of the phonies out there in the world of celbrity do-gooders. I admire what he is doing for the Haitian people. I wish more celebrities were as real as he is when it comes to helping out those less fortunate in the world. So kudos to George and his desire to make this world a better place.