History Is Lunch: Jim Underwood, “La-Pointe Krebs House: Mississippi’s Oldest Residential Structure"

On Wednesday, May 1, Jim Underwood presented “La-Pointe Krebs House: Mississippi’s Oldest Residential Structure" as part of our History is Lunch series.
Located in Pascagoula, the LaPointe-Krebs House (formerly known as the Old Spanish Fort) was built during the French Colonial period.  In 2016 staff of the University of Southern Mississippi tested its original wooden rafters and determined it was constructed in 1757, which would make it the oldest scientifically dated building in Mississippi and likely the oldest house between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains.
“Based on remaining evidence, the house started out with two rooms and a fireplace,” said Underwood, a former member of the LaPointe-Krebs Foundation board of directors. “But over time the original fireplace was relocated, a second one was added, a room was added onto each end of the original house, and small rooms or ‘cabinets’ were built onto each end of the house under the existing gallery.”
The house was occupied by descendants of its builder, Hugo Krebs, until the early twentieth century. In 1939 the building was deeded to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors. Hurricane Katrina inflicted moderate damage to the house and it was closed to the public until funding could be found for repairs. While shuttered, the house sustained severe damage due to decay and a Formosan termite infestation.
“In 2012, the LaPointe-Krebs Foundation was created to be stewards of the property, and with funding supplied by the Mississippi legislature, through MDAH, the construction of the historic house was painstakingly researched, then beautifully and accurately restored,” said Underwood. “The LaPointe-Krebs House was reopened to the public in 2021.”
Jim Underwood has lived in Pascagoula for 47 years. He retired after a 37-year career with Chevron Corp. From 2012 to 2023 Underwood served on the board of directors for the LaPointe-Krebs Foundation during the development and opening of the museum and the extensive restoration of the historic LaPointe-Krebs House. He is currently involved in the historic house’s maintenance and the development of a planned interpretive center.
History Is Lunch is a weekly lecture series of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History that explores all aspects of the state’s past. The hour-long programs are held in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum building at 222 North Street in Jackson and livestreamed on UA-cam and Facebook.