A newly formed preservation organization made up of Columbus Pilgrimage Tour homeowners has notified the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation of its intention to assume control of all Pilgrimage operations in 2021.
The Preservation Society of Columbus sent a letter to the CVB and the CCHF last week asking to be allowed to help stage the 2020 Pilgrimage, then assume full responsibility for the event in 2021. The letter also asked that the CVB turn over $117,000 annually — the amount the CVB provided to the CCHF for the 2016 Pilgrimage, based on the CCHF’s 2016 tax documents, the most recent available for inspection.
Nancy Carpenter, executive director for both CVB and CCHF, responded by text to a request for comment on the letter this morning.
“We are in the middle of hosting our very important convention, the Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism. We went from 6:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. last night. Starting again early this morning. Sorry, I can’t talk,” it reads.
Board president Steve Wallace said he would be available to talk “in a few days.”
The Columbus Pilgrimage, which Carpenter said generated $600,000 in economic impact during its 2019 event, is funded through the CCHF — a private, nonprofit organization. CVB is funded primarily through proceeds from a 2-percent restaurant sales tax collected from customers at restaurants in the Columbus city limits.
CVB provides more than $200,000 annually to the CCHF, which stages the Pilgrimage, along with Fireworks on the Water as well as operating costs for the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center. Last year, it provided $247,840 for the CCHF.
The Columbus Pilgrimage, which began in 1940, is an annual tour of pre-Civil War homes and churches held over several days in late March. Last year, the Pilgrimage featured tours of 12 antebellum homes, but no churches.
Restoring homeowner control
Dick Leike, president for the Preservation Society of Columbus, said restoring homeowner control of the Pilgrimage returns the event to its origins.
“We just felt like we could maybe get the homeowners better representation in the actual Pilgrimage,” said Leike, one of 13 Preservation board members who signed the letter. “We’ve done a lot of research. We wanted to know the history. What we saw was that originally the Pilgrimage was put together and operated by the homeowners, and we believe getting back to that idea would be good.
“It’s all on us, the responsibility of opening our homes, taking care of them and making sure they are staffed for the Pilgrimage,” he added. “The homeowners ought to be the ones who organize it.”
Leike said the Preservation Society of Columbus has been incorporated and is currently in the application stage for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
In July 2018, as the CVB was cutting expenses in the wake of the expiration of the 2-percent restaurant tax (which was restored in March), CVB attorney Chris Hemphill declined to provide details on the CCHF’s financials citing its status as a private, nonprofit entity.
In its letter, the Preservation Society of Columbus promised to make its information available to the public by sending an annual report from an independent auditor to both the city and the county governments.
“We want to be above-board in what we do,” Leike said.
The 13 members of the Preservation board own eight of the 10 privately-owned homes that participated in the 2019 Pilgrimage. Another member of the group who is not a board member owns another of the 2019 Pilgrimage homes. Leike said other homeowners who have participated in the tour are among the group’s members, but do not serve on the board.
Although Leike was careful not to direct criticism toward the CCHF’s operations of the Pilgrimage, some homeowners have expressed dissatisfaction, citing poor communication and insufficient financial support for homeowners — they receive a $2,800 stipend from the CCHF, which homeowners said does not cover the costs of preparing their homes for the event. Members also said the current Pilgrimage does not provide revenue to broaden the scope of the Pilgrimage to be more inclusive of the community at large.
Wanting to be a partner with CVB
Leike said he hopes the CVB and CCHF will agree to the terms outlined in the letter.
“The homeowners are on board with this,” Leike said. “I would hope we would have a good relationship with the CVB. I think if they look at it, they will realize this will make things easier on them. I know the CVB does a lot of different things. We could be a good partner with them if they realize that they don’t have to go to the trouble of putting on the Pilgrimage every year.”
Leike said the Preservation members are prepared to stage their own Pilgrimage should the CVB/CCHF decline the request made in the letter.
“We have the homes and we want to see the Pilgrimage continue,” Leike said. “We’re hopeful that the CVB will work with us.”
Leike said he believes returning the Pilgrimage to the homeowners could grow the event and broaden its impact on the community.
“The idea behind what we are doing is preserving all kinds of history and raise funds for preservation,” Leike said. “We have a good inventory of historic places and we’re trying to make sure we can keep them up and preserve them. We want to preserve all our historic culture, not just what I guess you would call the antebellum culture.
“That’s our vision for this, and it starts with bringing back the Pilgrimage to the homeowners’ control,” he added.
The Preservation Society of Columbus hopes to build its membership not only among historic homeowners but throughout the community, Leike said.
The group plans to kick off a membership drive on Oct. 1 followed by a Founding Membership Gala on Nov. 2 at Riverview, one of two historic Columbus homes Leike owns.
Preservation Society board members
■ Dick and Jo Anne Leike — White Arches, Riverview
■ Burnette Avakian — Shadowlawn
■ Gene and Leigh Imes — Rosedale
■ Mark and Kathy Novotny — Temple Heights
■ Sid Carradine — Amzi Love House
■ Keith and Gaines Gaskin — Errolton
■ Rachel George — Baskerville Manor
■ Pete and Lee Tortorici — Ole Magnolia
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
READER FAVORITES
Related Photos
Dick Leike
Nancy Carpenter
Steve Wallace
