MDAH and MSU sign agreement to transform Historic Jefferson College into regional field school for historic preservation trades
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi State University have signed an agreement that establishes a framework to create a regional hub for education, research, and workforce development at Historic Jefferson College near Natchez.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum, MDAH Director Katie Blount, and MDAH Board of Trustees President Spence Flatgard signed the memorandum of understanding on Friday, Oct. 17, forming a partnership that leverages HJC’s unique historical resources and MSU’s academic expertise to benefit students, faculty, and local communities.
Through the MOU, the 19th century college will be the site of year-round programming that includes field schools, workshops, and other experiential learning opportunities.
"Today, we are embarking on an innovative educational and economic development model that will benefit both students and communities,” Blount said. “MDAH is building on the legacy of Jefferson College to open new educational pathways for students across the state.
“As a key partner, MSU brings the expertise we need to develop a first-rate curriculum that prepares students for careers in historic preservation trades. We look forward to working with MSU and other partners to bring students back to Mississippi’s first institution of higher learning.”
“As the state’s leading research university and land-grant institution, Mississippi State is called to serve the entire state, and we are honored to work together with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for this innovative partnership at Historic Jefferson College,” Keenum said. “Students will develop real-world skills working with faculty, employers, and professionals in a unique hands-on environment, and we will be able to help our state address a critical shortage of skilled labor in construction and historic preservation.”
The official agreement comes after years of collaboration. In June 2024, MDAH held a pilot preservation field school for students from MSU’s Master of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation program. The pilot demonstrated the feasibility and the potential success of continued field schools at the site.
Entergy Mississippi was an early supporter of the work at HJC, providing a $250,000 grant in 2023. MDAH also has secured state and federal funding for the project.
The MOU agreement formalizes a workforce development initiative in the trades, with emphasis on preservation trades and construction technology. MSU will serve as a lead academic partner, working in collaboration with other institutions as appropriate to expand statewide impact.
Students will receive hands-on training in historic preservation and archaeology. The training will support engagement from other disciplines, including architecture, building arts, and history. The work at HJC will also establish a collaborative model for preservation trades workforce development to help address Mississippi's labor shortages, which is aligned with national workforce demand projections.
This unique opportunity will expose students to the cultural and geographic diversity of Mississippi through immersive, field-based experiences in the southwestern region of the state, using a local-global learning approach to examine how local preservation, labor, and heritage issues are influenced by, and contribute to, broader global contexts.
The project will move forward as MDAH continues rehabilitation of the buildings on the campus where Mississippi’s first constitution was signed Aug. 15, 1817.
“In partnering with MSU, we are helping extend unique opportunities and provide hands-on learning for students while advancing our agency’s mission to preserve and enrich Mississippi’s cultural resources,” MDAH Historic Preservation Division Director Barry White said. “Historic Jefferson College holds a special place in the history of education in Mississippi, dating back to 1802.”