Page 14 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2022

Then & Now
4602 Fort Street, Pascagoula www.lapointekrebs.org
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday:
12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Fun Facts:
• It is the oldest home in Mississippi
• It is the oldest scientifically dated structure in the Mississippi Valley
• It is the only existing tabby concrete structure on the Gulf Coast
• In recent years, it has
been visited by the French Consulate General in Atlanta, the Canadian Consulate in Atlanta, and the Honorary Consulate to Germany in Mississippi
La Pointe-Krebs House Museum
COAST NOTE
MISSISSIPPI’S
Oldest Structure
story by Victoria Snyder
photos courtesy of La Pointe-Krebs House and Museum
La Pointe-Krebs House and Museum has gone through a lot in its 265+ years. Deterioration, Formosan termites, dry rot, and, of course, Mississippi’s extreme weather, including hurricanes such as Hurricane Katrina. Even after all of that, it’s still standing.
Between 1713-1715, the land in what is currently Pascagoula was deeded to Joseph Simon De La Pointe by the Louisiana Governor, Cadillac. La Pointe then established a prosperous plantation that cultivated crops like indigo, a plant used to make blue dye.
In 1730, Hugo Krebs immigrated here from Germany and, in 1741, married La Pointe’s eldest daughter, Marie Josephine La Pointe. Soon after this, Joseph La Pointe retired and left Hugo and Marie in charge of the plantation.
The couple was married for ten years and had seven children before her death in 1751. Krebs then inherited the remainder of his father-in-law’s estate in this area upon La Pointe’s death in 1955. Krebs then married widower Marie Ann Chauvin de Joyeuse, and during this time, what is currently known as the La Pointe-Krebs House was built.
Originally built in 1757 as a 400 square foot structure, it had a center room and a west room. Due to the fact that Krebs and Joyeuse had seven additional children, expansion was necessary. First, an east room in 1770; then, a larger west room around 1790. Hugo passed in 1776, so the 1790 addition was likely done by Joseph Krebs, the eldest son of Krebs and La Pointe.
Since 1820, the architectural footprint of the home has not changed and was, in fact, recently restored.
“The restoration was done to fully restore Mississippi’s oldest structure and return it
to its 1820 floor plan. We addressed deterioration, termites, dry rot, and damage from hurricanes, all of which were large projects,” explains the Executive Director/Curator
of La Pointe-Krebs House and Museum, Matthew Powell. “The results were beyond our expectations, as the home is fully restored to its prior grand state. It’s ready for visitors to discover its immense history and architectural importance!”
14 | January 2022 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living