Welcome to Old Town Bay St. Louis!
Mississippi Gulf Coast

 Our January 2018 Second Saturday
​"Hot Spots"
stay "Hot" all month!
Hot Spot Activities are 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
Saturday, January 13, 2018

HANCOCK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

108 Cue Street
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520
228.467.4090
Open House: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
Saturday, January 13, 2018 

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Like many Bay St. Louis residents, it was love at first sight for Charles Harry Gray, the director of the Hancock County Historical Society. The year was 1984. The event was the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge. Mr. Gray had driven in his Rolls Royce from New Orleans to the Bay to observe. Within a week, Charles Harry Gray had purchased his first home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Not long afterward, Mr. Gray attended a meeting of the Hancock County Historical Society, became a member, and was made vice president on the very day he joined.  This was before the Lobrano house was bestowed to the Historical Society at a time when Historical Society members held their meetings at local restaurants.  Charles Harry Gray knew all about restaurants, as he had operated Corinne Dunbar’s restaurant in the grand parlor of her home on St. Charles Avenue. At Corinne Dunbar’s, guests were treated as if they were dinner guests at a party in her home. I suspect that those who visit the Hancock County Historical Society experience a similar sense of welcome.

The Society is headquartered in the Kate Lobrano House, described on the Historical Society's website as “a delightful 1896 shotgun cottage that was donated to the society in 1988 by the grandchildren of Katherine Maynard Lobrano.” The original house (108 Cue Street) is used as a turn-of-the-century museum while an addition to the rear of the house provides office and storage space. Depending on the day of week, guests will find either Charles Gray or Eddie Coleman, newsletter editor and staff person, manning the operation along with one of the Society’s officers or a community volunteer.

Membership in the Hancock County Historical Society is 1,000 strong, and membership is nationwide. In fact, Gray marvels that a contingent of out-of-state members commit to months of volunteer service onsite while vacationing in the Bay area.

In the pre-Katrina years, visitors traveled to Hancock County regularly via tour bus often to visit the 728 Bay St. Louis houses on the National Registry. The tour buses are no longer running, and the Hancock County Historical Society functions in many ways as a guest or travel center for those who want to know what to see and do while in the area. At its heart, however, the Historical Society collects, preserves, and maintains a collection of documents, photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts designed to help future generations understand their heritage.

As a private institution with no state funding, the Hancock Historical Society relies entirely on charitable contributions and memberships and is only as strong as its community involvement. To that end, the Historical Society has a standing invitation to anyone who has lived in Hancock County to share their family histories. If you bring in photographs, Society volunteers will copy and file them in color-coded binders labeled Waveland, County, People, Tony Scafidi, Hurricanes, Cemeteries, Registered Trees, Bay St. Louis Houses, and so on. The photos will also be scanned and saved online to the Cloud. The Hancock County Historical Society is only as good as its community participation. ​​

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Call for Information 

As any survivor of a natural disaster can tell you, few things are as important as preserving personal artifacts, memorabilia, and stories. With that in mind, the Hancock County Historical Society invites those whose loved ones have lived in Hancock County to complete a one-page bio sketch of a deceased loved one or family member with roots in Hancock County.

It would be appreciated if you would follow the template suggested below. Label and attach a photograph, and include your contact information. All original photographs will be returned to you.
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A word to the wise: Don’t let the “Story/Anecdote” section intimidate you. Your story might be a paragraph long and focus on a family holiday, a childhood memory, a rite of passage, a military experience, an encounter with nature, a sports triumph, a religious awakening, or a professional accolade.

Carroll House
​Bed & Breakfast 

                          304 Carroll Avenue                             Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520    
1.866.300.2704 or 228.466.5210
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Open House: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
Saturday, January 13, 2018  ​
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For Jane Kulpeksa (formerly Alford), owning a bed & breakfast was a long-held dream. When the big house on Carroll Avenue, an historic seaside home in the heart of Old Town, became available after Katrina, Jane, who lived around the corner on Toulme at the time, bought the house. She also bought a camper trailer, which she lived in while making renovations on the Carroll House. It was a bed & breakfast in the making.

About a year and a half later, the house was livable, and Jane moved in. However, she continued making renovations, including the addition of two bathrooms. Then, in 2011, Carroll House Bed & Breakfast opened its doors. Jane notes that the house was one of only a few accommodations open in Old Town at the time, so she developed a loyal customer base from the beginning.

The house is a short stroll to the heart of Old Town and beaches. In addition to overnight or long-term stays, Carroll House is an elegant setting for an intimate wedding and/or baby and wedding showers, as well. Be sure to check out the Carroll House online for a gallery of photos.

​Guests can enjoy an early morning cup of coffee on the private porch as the birds serenade them, or join other guests in the parlor for friendly conversation. Most often, guests gather to eat breakfast together, a traditional bed & breakfast element that Jane holds dear. Sometimes guests even congregate in the kitchen to chat as breakfast is prepared. It’s that kind of place.
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​Jane cooks with the vegetables she grows in her garden, and she serves and sells lemon, satsuma, and kumquat marmalades made from the fruit trees grown around the house. “It’s a beautiful home with a comfortable atmosphere,” Kulpeksa explains, and “people tell us that they feel at home here.”

Originally from Louisiana, Jane has lived in Bay St. Louis for 21 years. She attributes the success of Carroll House to her capable, loyal, and trustworthy staff—a bit of a challenge to find in the early years but entrenched now—and to her involvement with the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

According to Jane, repeat customers turned friends have made her bed & breakfast a dream-come-true. In fact, Jane is gratified to report that many of her previous guests are now permanent residents of the Bay. “They come here and fall in love with the area,” she says. “I like to think we here at Carroll House had something to do with that.” 
Copy by Denise K. Jacobs 

To learn more about the Old Town Merchants Association, use the alphabetical list below. You can also search by category from the menu bar above. ​

OLD TOWN Trolley Service iS FREE
Thanks to the Silver Slipper Casino!

Old Town's Historic Tour
Goes Mobile!
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The Old Town Trolly is FREE thanks to the Silver Slipper Casino and now encompasses 
Waveland. ​The trolley route starts at Silver Slipper and cruises along the beautiful Waveland beaches to Old Town Bay St. Louis with scheduled stops in Waveland at Buccaneer State Park and Coleman Avenue.

Click here for route map, schedule and more details!
PictureClick on the cover to open the tour now!
The Bay's Walking/Biking Historic Tour is proof in print that history doesn't have to be boring!

And now it's available in a nifty PDF version, so it can go with you on your phone!  Click to open it up and get going right now! 

Look for an updated print version available free at various merchant locations throughout Old Town in the coming weeks! 

National Recognition

In the June 2017 issue of Vogue Magazine, Bay St. Louis is featured in the article "A Summer Road Trip Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast".  Share it with friends and business associates.  To read the article in Vogue Magazine, click here!
In March of 2017, Bay St. Louis was featured as one of Thrillist 13 Amazing American Beach Towns you can actually afford to live in.  Explore Old Town and find out why!

U.S. Solo Travel Destinations for women...

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In March of 2017, Glamour Magazine named Bay St. Louis as one of eight cool, unexpected American destinations for women to consider for a solo travel destination. So start bragging! 

​Share it with friends and business associates.  To read the article in Glamour Magazine, click here!

BSL Makes "Best Of!"

RECENTLY, BAY ST. LOUIS WAS ONE OF ONLY TWELVE MISSISSIPPI LOCATIONS TO BE SELECTED FOR THE "OFFICIAL BEST OF MISSISSIPPI" FEATURE.  NOMINEES UNDERWENT A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS.  SEE WHY WE WERE CHOSEN "BEST PLEASURE SEEKER'S PARADISE" BELOW!

The Second Saturday Artwalk is sponsored by Hancock Bank, People's Bank and The First Bank with support from the Seacoast Echo.