Last updated: September 6, 2023
Place
McCoy Administration Building
Photograph by Todd Sanders, courtesy of the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
150 E. Rust Ave., Holly Springs, Mississippi
Significance:
Architecture, Black, Commerce
Designation:
Listed in the National Register - Reference number 98000254
MANAGED BY:
The McCoy Administration Building on the campus of Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The property is significant as an example of the historical development of Rust College, the oldest HBCU in Mississippi.
In 1866, what later became Rust College was established by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a group of Northern missionaries. The school's first classes were held in the newly-formed Asbury Methodist Church, which was founded for newly-freed Black worshippers. The school was met with split-reception by the area's white residents - while some were supportive, like a former slaveholder who took it upon himself to raise money for the school, others were deeply suspicious of the college and it's entirely Northern faculty. Despite some opposition, the school was officially chartered as Shaw University in 1870.
From 1870 to 1910, the school, which was renamed Rust University and later Rust College, taught courses that spanned from elementary- to college-level. Some of the most influential courses of study included teacher's training and ministerial studies. In the early 20th century, the school's operations and identity began to shift as the faculty and administration transitioned from white missionaries to Black educators, and as they began to focus on higher education.
In 1940, the campus's original central building, Rust Hall, was destroyed in a fire. Due to lingering financial pressures from the Great Depression, administrators considered either moving the school to Tennessee or closing it altogether. However, the school's president, Dr. L.M. McCoy, insisted that the school remain open in Holly Springs. In 1947, a replacement for Rust Hall was finally built, and named the McCoy Administration Building. Today, the building continues to serve as the physical and administrative center of the campus.
In 1866, what later became Rust College was established by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a group of Northern missionaries. The school's first classes were held in the newly-formed Asbury Methodist Church, which was founded for newly-freed Black worshippers. The school was met with split-reception by the area's white residents - while some were supportive, like a former slaveholder who took it upon himself to raise money for the school, others were deeply suspicious of the college and it's entirely Northern faculty. Despite some opposition, the school was officially chartered as Shaw University in 1870.
From 1870 to 1910, the school, which was renamed Rust University and later Rust College, taught courses that spanned from elementary- to college-level. Some of the most influential courses of study included teacher's training and ministerial studies. In the early 20th century, the school's operations and identity began to shift as the faculty and administration transitioned from white missionaries to Black educators, and as they began to focus on higher education.
In 1940, the campus's original central building, Rust Hall, was destroyed in a fire. Due to lingering financial pressures from the Great Depression, administrators considered either moving the school to Tennessee or closing it altogether. However, the school's president, Dr. L.M. McCoy, insisted that the school remain open in Holly Springs. In 1947, a replacement for Rust Hall was finally built, and named the McCoy Administration Building. Today, the building continues to serve as the physical and administrative center of the campus.