| Site of the killing of Herbert Lee in on September 25, 1961 by E. H. Hurst. The Westbrook Cotton Gin is a rare local example of a once common resource in many Mississippi communities. The corrugated steel sided building housed ginning operations until the 1960s. A machine shop later occupied the large open space. The Westbrook Cotton Gin is also historically significant as the site of a Civil Rights-era slaying. Herbert Lee, a local dairy farmer and voting rights advocate, was shot and killed by a white man on September 25, 1961. A coroner’s jury, convened only hours after the shooting, issued a finding of self-defense. An eyewitness who later recanted his testimony was murdered. No charges were ever filed. This building was listed on the National Register on 11 November 2010. Nancy Bell, Executive Director of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation, wrote the nomination. |