A state agency has entered the controversy surrounding the proposed demolition of two buildings on Adams Street owned by Warren County.

A letter from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History received Thursday by Mayor George Flaggs Jr. urged the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to uphold the Board of Architectural Review’s Oct. 14 decision that denied the county’s request to raze the buildings at 1015 and 1019 Adams St.

An appeal hearing on the decision will be Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m.

“As you know, these two houses are located within both the Grove Street-Jackson Street National Register District and Vicksburg’s local Historic District,” wrote Barry White, a local government coordinator for MDAH. “I am writing to respectfully request that the Vicksburg Board of (Mayor and) Aldermen uphold the Architectural Review Board’s denial of a certificate of appropriateness for demolition of the structures.

“MDAH would especially hate to see the Adams Street houses lost to a parking lot. As the appeal approaches, MDAH hopes that the Board will not overturn the Architectural Review Board’s decision.”

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said he sent a copy of the letter to Board of Supervisors President Bill Lauderdale, adding, “they (the county) went to Archives and History for its advice. I hope it will help them decide to sell those buildings.”

He said Lauderdale is expected to meet Monday with City Attorney Nancy Thomas and Board of Architectural Review chairman Toni Langford Ferguson to discuss the buildings. On Nov. 3, Flaggs appointed Thomas and Ferguson to meet with county officials and try and work out a compromise to save the buildings.

“I’m going to see what they have,” Lauderdale said. “Maybe they have a solution.” He said, however, the supervisors have already told County Administrator John Smith to raze the buildings.

The fate of both buildings has been debated by city and county officials since 2002. Because they are in the city’s Grove Street-Jackson Street National Register Historic District both buildings are protected under the city’s historic preservation ordinance, but have been allowed to deteriorate.

Known as the “old Verhine building,” the house at 1015 Adams St. was built in the 1890s and was home to Verhine & Verhine law firm from 1991 to 2002, according to city directories.

The county’s former justice court building at 1019 Adams St. was completed in the 1870s as a house and was once the law office of John Prewitt before he became a circuit judge.

According to a letter earlier this year from the MDAH, the Verhine building is a contributing resource to the National Historic Register District and eligible for designation as a Mississippi Landmark. Archives and History lists the old justice court building as a non-contributing resource to the same national district. Because the old justice court building is in the city’s historic district, however, it is protected under the city’s regulations.

The board’s decision in October marked the fourth time in 10 years that it debated a county request to raze the buildings. In 2004 and 2005, the county sought to raze the buildings. The board put a 150-day stay on each request, but the county took no action.

After the board’s decision in April, the county appealed to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, which granted a 60-day extension in August. When the board granted the extension, Flaggs indicated he would fight the demolition, adding, “If they get the blessings to demolish the buildings, they’re going to have to go through a court of law.”

The county bought the old justice court building in 1984, to be home to its three justice court judges. The judges were moved to 921 Farmer St. in 2002, and the building essentially became a storage bin.

County buildings and grounds director Chuck Thornton said the county bought the Verhine building about 2002 for about $46,000, adding it was in a dilapidated state when the county bought it, but did not know how much the county paid for the old justice court building.

If the Board of Mayor and Aldermen uphold the decision prohibiting razing the buildings, the county’s next resort is to appeal it to circuit court.