The current debate on designating a historical area in thedowntown reminds me of a similar discussion not that many years agoregarding the then abandoned Whitworth College campus.

A group of civic-minded individuals gathered to form theBrookhaven Trust with the goal to save the historic campus. Thecampus had been abandoned for many years, with each of thebuildings in different levels of decay. The grass was rarely cut,varmints had taken over the buildings and all in all the campus wasa historic eyesore.

Today the Mississippi School of the Arts occupies the campus,buildings have been restored and an eight-story dormitoryconstructed. Once again, young people are scurrying across thehistoric campus with their hopes and dreams leading their path.

Not everyone in Brookhaven was in favor of the Trust’s effortsin those early days. Many did not see the vision of saving thebuildings for future generations.

Many a comment was thrown our way of how the area was aneyesore, which cast a negative impression on our community. Thesolution for many was razing the buildings, selling any usablematerials and building a downtown parking lot!

During those turbulent times, I wrote many editorial columns andspoke up at Trust meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings andanywhere else someone would listen on the importance of the visionof what the campus could be and the importance of the campus to thefuture of Brookhaven and Lincoln County.

The Whitworth campus, I wrote in a column at one point, was likea hub of a wheel – with the spokes being the architectural beautyof the Post Office, the Methodist church, Lampton Auditorium,downtown Brookhaven and the historic residential areas along SouthJackson Street and Natchez Avenue.

Without the Whitworth campus hub, the architectural significancedwindles and a very important part of our community’s past justbecomes a memory of what this community used to be.

Trust members chose to fight on and ignore the naysayers. Theypreferred to hold on to their belief that once others grasp theTrust’s vision, they too will see the architectural gem we have inBrookhaven.

The current effort by the Save the Haven committee is a similarvision, one that is an extension of what was accomplished on theWhitworth campus.

Part of that effort involves establishing a historic area in thecenter of downtown. However, historic areas do come with someissues that could impact downtown property owners, issues such asregulations concerning new construction affecting the look and feelof building facades.

The city board has been struggling with the idea of establishingthe district, for doing so qualifies the area for certain grantmonies. The strings attached to those monies concern some of theboard, as they should.

But looking back on those days of the Whitworth College campusdebate, one can see the positive results that effort brought to ourcommunity.

Protecting the downtown area is also a worthy cause and onewhich may step on some toes. But in the long run, futuregenerations will be able to look back and say how thankful they arethat the look and character of the downtown area was saved.

It is also one that adds to the investment this community madetoward saving the Whitworth College campus.

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602,or send e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.