The Alex Loeb Building is a historic structure in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

located at 2115 5th Street. Built in 1926, it was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979. It is also a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

to the Meridian Downtown Historic District, listed in 2007. The building was long home to a business owned by Alexander M. Loeb, an immigrant from Germany and a prominent figure in Meridian's history. The company was established in 1887 and was originally located on 25th Avenue. The company moved to the Rosenbaum Building, another iconic structure in downtown Meridian, in 1898 and remained there until 1926, when the current structure was built. The site of the building was previously home to J.H. O'Neill Marble Works, established in 1869 as one of the oldest businesses in the city.Legendary Locals of Meridian
page 8, 62 The three-story building is one of many in Meridian designed by architect

P.J. Krouse Penn Jeffries Krouse (September 23, 1877–April 1944), usually known as P. J. Krouse was a prolific architect in the state of Mississippi. Many of his buildings were located in the Meridian area. Personal life Penn Jeffries Krouse was born on ...

. Its most notable features include a

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

decoration in the top bays as well as a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

above each bay trimmed by terracota. The building also features a first floor canopy supported by heavy chains which emanate from the heads of lions attached under the second floor windows. Loeb is a habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a lion.

References

{{commonscat, Alex Loeb Building (Meridian) Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Buildings and structures in Meridian, Mississippi National Register of Historic Places in Lauderdale County, Mississippi Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Mississippi