Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation
The Cultural Center, formerly the St. Francis Xavier Convent and Academy, is one of the most architecturally and historically significant city blocks in downtown Vicksburg. It is composed of five buildings representing a chronology of American architectural history between 1830 and 1955: the Cobb House (circa 1830), the Sisters of Mercy Convent (1868), the Auditorium (1885), the Academy Building (1937, and the O’Beirne Gymnasium (1955).
The Cultural Center has been designated a Mississippi Landmark and the buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sisters of Mercy taught in these buildings from 1860 until 1991 when the few remaining nuns moved to a new convent and the school relocated to more modern facilities. In 1992, participants at seven community meetings, part of the Vicksburg Riverfront and Cultural Landscape Study, identified the pressing need for a multi-use cultural center. In 1994, the City bought the block and formed the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation to answer that need and manage the Cultural Center.
Perpetuating the Sisters’ educational mission, emphasizing the humanities and the arts, the Cultural Center offers a space in which residents and tourists of all ages, races, and religions may explore and celebrate the uniqueness of Vicksburg and the lower Mississippi Delta.
In 2001, the City of Vicksburg signed over the deed for the Cultural Center to the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation. Since that time, the SCHF provides services through funding from corporate and private gifts, membership fees, and national, state, and local grants. The auditorium, classrooms, and gym are available to rent for receptions, performances, and diverse community educational and recreational activities.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History granted SCHF funds to repair interior damage and to restore the Cobb House (circa 1830), the oldest building on the property. Work was completed in 2005. The Cobb House has been named an affiliate of the Mississippi Museum of Art. It is also available for tours.
1302 Adams Street
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
Phone: (601) 631-2997