P.J. Krouse

Beth Israel temple, 1906

First Presbyterian Church of Meridian, 1913

Meridian City Hall, 1914

Penn Jeffries Krouse, usually known as P.J. Krouse was a prolific architect in the state of Mississippi. Many of his buildings were located in the Meridian area.

Buildings he designed that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:^[1]

• Bobo Senior High School Building, 131 School St. Clarksdale MS (Krouse, P.J.)
• Clarke County Courthouse and Confederate Monument, Archusa St. at head of Main St. Quitman MS (Krouse, Penn J.)
• First Presbyterian Church of Meridian (1913), 911 23rd Ave. Meridian MS (Krouse,P.J.)
• Jones County Courthouse and Confederate Monument at Ellisville, Bounded by Court, Holly, Calhoun and Ivy Sts. Ellisville MS (Krouse, Penn Jeffries)
• One or more buildings in Laurel Central Historic District, Roughly bounded by Tenth and Thirteenth Sts., First Ave., Seventh and Fifth Sts., and Eighth Ave. Laurel MS (Krouse,P.J.)
• Alex Loeb Building, 2115 5th St. Meridian MS (Krouse,P.J.)
• Masonic Temple (Meridian, Mississippi), 1220 26th Ave. Meridian MS (Krouse & Hutchisson)
• One or more buildings in Meridian Downtown Historic District, Roughly bounded by twenty-sixth Ave., Eighteenth Ave., Sixth St., and Front St. Meridian MS (Krouse, P.J.)
• Meridian City Hall, 601 24th Ave. Meridian, MS^[2]
• Stevenson Primary School, 1015 25th Ave. Meridian MS (Krouse,P.J.)
• U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Meridian, Mississippi), 2100 9th St. Meridian MS (Krouse & Fort), an Art Deco building

He also designed the Scottish Rite Cathedral (1914), which was listed on the National Register until it was destroyed by fire in 1985.^[3]

Other buildings, not ever NRHP-listed, designed by Krouse include:

• A Greek Revival octagonal synagogue for Congregation Beth Israel of Meridian, which was built in 1906. It was used until 1964 and subsequently demolished.^[4]

Krouse was a member of the Scottish Rite subgroup of Freemasonry^[5]

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ W. White (May 27, 2010). "An Alabama–Mississippi Architectural Partnership". Preservation in Mississippi. http://misspreservation.com/2010/05/27/an-alabama-mississippi-architectural-partnership/. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
3. ^ Letter from Kenneth H. P'Pool, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, to Carol D. Shull, Chief of Registration for the National Register. May 11, 1987. "The properties listed below no longer exist and have been recommended by the Mississippi State Professional Review Board for delisting from the National Register of Historic Places: [...] Scottish Rite Cathedral. 1101 23rd Avenue, Meridian, Lauderdale County. Listed 12/18/1979. Destroyed by fire 3/20/1985"  Attached is the original National Register of Historic Places nomination form for Scottish Rite Cathedral (#79003404), including one image (January 1979)
4. ^ "History of Congregations Beth Israel & Ohel Jacob, Meridian, Mississippi". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Institute of Southern Jewish Life. http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/ms/HistoryofMeridianCongregations.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-26. 
5. ^ Jody Cook (February 1979). State of Mississippi Historic Sites Survey: Scottish Rite Cathedral.