See the Following Nomination Update for the Addition of Historic Smith Apartments to the National Register of Historic Properties by the National Park Service.

"Speaking from a property owner's point of view, Betty simplifies the complex maze of easement legalese while  sharing tips about how to maneuver the potential pitfalls, when necessary. "      -- An Anonymous Reviewer

​​​​​​​​Significance in Mississippi’s History: Located at 1047 Smith Drive, Raymond, Mississippi, 39154, Historic Smith Apartments (HSA) is believed to be the first or only surviving apartment property, of its size and age, built, owned and operated by an African American family in Mississippi, and likely the U.S. It was also the first apartment property built in the City of Raymond. Subsequently, the closest such facility, located in the inner city of Jackson, approximately thirty miles east of HSA, was owned or operated by Whites. The development of HSA, by Hubert Clinton Smith, Sr. and spouse, Barbara Marie Moses Smith, was not without hardships. However, despite the generational burden of Southern Black Codes which disenfranchised African American property ownership and especially their leasing of property, for income, HSA’s development commenced in 1964. It was completed in 1969, when fair housing, for minorities, was nearly nonexistent and long before the 1968 Fair Housing Civil Rights Acts ushered in a federally sponsored boom in low income housing development.  Working with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Betty found no other such developments in any surrounding towns so most, African Americans, had lived in small single family houses, tenant farm housing, duplexes and fourplexes.

​Significance in U.S. History: ​Commencing in New York, the development of apartments in the U.S. gained popularity in the 1960's for low-income tenants and immigrants as they transitioned into the mainstream of American society. Today, apartments are developed for every socioeconomic level across the U.S. However, many African American communities, built by African Americans have fallen prey to indifference, community re-development, and highway construction.


Significance in the American Civil War:  More….


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Come! Be a part of this history. Apply at www.cpmcweb.net

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  • The property's nomination for historic preservation was approved for "state" level historic designation by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and submitted to the National Park Service (NPS).
  • It was the first nomination received by the MDAH, in October of 2018, for a multi-family property. 
  • It was the first multi-family property, developed by Black Americans, to be recognized as a state level historicially significant property. 
  • The NPS returned the nomination requesting additional information. It was updated and returned. The final review is currently underway, and it is hoped that the NPS will finalize its approval by 7/31/2020.

Betty L. Smith/aka/Betty L. Hearn (please just call me "LOU" )

Curator and Leasing Manager..For Speaking Engagements Call 813-451-2337.