With the recent restoration and grand re-opening of the King Edward Hotel came something historically new and more valuable than its grandeur, expressed members of one local church group. That new value is it is now available to ‘everyone.’
Historically, the original King Edward Hotel did not permit African Americans as guests. “I was told that a member of my husband’s family tried to start a shoeshine business there and they turned him away,” said Dorothy Jasper, a member of the College Hill Missionary Baptist Church Deaconess Ministry.
The ministry held its Annual Christmas Fellowship in the King’s Walnut Room, which according to Catering Manager Leigh Ainsworth, was the first event since the grand opening to be held at the newly renovated hotel.
The trustees were also invited.
While Jasper marveled and appreciated how well the developers recaptured the “elegance” of the towering structure, she reflected on her days during the Civil Rights era when blacks were not allowed near the area. “As a member of the Youth Council Group, I used to participate in marches and when we would go downtown, they would not allow us to pass the viaduct where the train station is,” she said. She said the police, armed with tear gas and patty wagons would lock them up in the coliseum when they crossed that line.
Longtime Jackson Public Schools retired Principal Emmit Hayes said his grandmother was a maid at the King Edward. “She used to refer to it as the ‘Edward House,” he said. “That was more than 60 years ago. My grandmother would walk from the Washington Addition neighborhood to the King Edward. We never thought of going there. It was just natural for us not to.” His grandmother as an employee had to enter the back door.
Jasper said the opportunity to go inside King Edward once was the “farthest thing” from her mind during the Movement. However, this past weekend, that opportunity came, and she and fellow church members experienced a different King Edward. “It was a very exhilarating occasion,” said Jasper.
Deacon Board President Jacob McEwen welcomed the historical change in the hotel’s reputation. “It’s a sign of growth for the City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi as well,” McEwen said.
Members of the group stated their fellowship there will be fondly remembered.
“It was beautiful,” said Sandra McEwen.
C. Denise Wright said, “We were happy to be there, especially knowing the history of the hotel.” She said she was particularly proud to know that one of her fellow deaconesses Barbara Ousby, an environmental scientist, was the only black and only female on the team to determine the soundness and safety of restoring the facility. “She [Ousby] presented an amazing slide show of before and after pictures,” Wright said.
The hotel was originally built in 1861 and later destroyed during the Civil War. The current structure has been in existence since 1923. It was viewed as a place for the “high echelon.”
Today, the $90 million revitalization project includes a 186-room luxury hotel and 64 high-end apartments. As a result of the combined efforts of HRI Properties, Jackson Developer David Watkins, and NFL star and former New Orleans Saints player Deuce McAllister, the facility now has a new name – Hilton Garden Inn-Jackson Downtown.
Deaconess Ministry President Joyce Collins gave an account of her Saturday night experience there. “From the moment we drove up to the King Edward, we were greeted and treated wonderfully, escorted to our dining area, and later given a tour of the hotel. The lobby was beautifully decorated. The view from the dining area, overlooking Union Station and the reconstruction on Capital Street, is definitely an indication of Jackson’s growth.”
(See highlights of the College Hill Deacons, Deaconesses and Trustees fellowship on page 4.)
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