Preservation
Downtown Tupelo is a historic district, which is why we are committed to MAINTAINING its historic integrity while adapting it to usher in the modern age.
Downtown Tupelo on the National Register of Historic Places
North Broadway and Lawyers' Row
Lee County Courthouse
Goodlett Manor
First United Methodist Church
The People's Bank and Trust (now Gumtree Museum of Art)
Historic Mill Village
The Early Days of Downtown
Tupelo Tornado of 1936
Unlike many other downtowns with long histories, Tupelo’s downtown was devastated by a horrific tornado on April 15, 1936. Gone were 48 city blocks, 216 dead and 700+ injured. Hundreds of homes and buildings were destroyed. Today, downtown is the embodiment of post-war optimism rooted in commerce. It is a dynamic place unencumbered by stereotypes shackling some southern cities.
Today…
Today, downtown is the embodiment of post-war optimism rooted in commerce. It is a dynamic place unencumbered by stereotypes shackling some southern cities.