| Name: | Tupelo High School (III) [Milam Jr. High School] |
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| Address: | 720 Jefferson Street, West |
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| City/County: | Tupelo, Lee County |
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| Architectural Styles(s): | International |
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| NR District Name: | Tupelo Downtown Neighborhood Historic District () |
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Designed by architects N.W. Overstreet and A.H. Town, the Old Tupelo High School (later Milam Junior High School) was built in 1936-37.
This building is included in "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (p. 169, in the listing for the Church Street School, NE19). |
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| This 2-story brick school is comprised of the large U-shaped massing that features a combination of the International style and Streamlined Modern. This building features two rear projecting wings that create the U-shape. The gymnasium occupies the north end of the west rear wing. The north elevation of the gymnasium is three bays (D, D, D) where each is infilled with bricks. The school building is characterized by its rows of multi-light metal windows. The main façade (south) contains a principal entrance at its west end, occupying a projecting bay. The full-height bay has narrow, vertically- oriented courses of windows along the upper field, each separated by brick pilasters. The entrance is recessed and enhanced by massive Modernist pilasters, painted white and fluted and supporting a very wide stuccoed white caniopy with curved corners featuring horizontal black bands. The entrance is characteristic of Streamlined Modern. Centered on the frieze of the canopy are historic metal letters reading "Milam." At the west end of the school's principal massing is a square brick tower that extends beyond the roof. It has a flat roof with finial-type element topping the roof. A second entryway is on the south elevation. It is slightly recessed with a two-leaf door flanked by multi-light sidelights and transom. Each leaf of the door features a half-circle window. When the doors are closed, they form a full circle. A semi-circular stuccoed canopy is above the entry. It is white with two black bands and rounded corners. A two-story brick wing connects the school to the 1982 junior high school building to the west. It features a long ribbon of windows (single-light with lower hopper or awning). It is unclear when the annex at the southwest of the property was built. Its use of a large rounded corner with a ribbon of glass blocks, as well as entry doors matching those of the original building, suggest that it was erected in the 1950s. It is one-story and connected to the original building by a rectangular brick hyphen. |
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