JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — The Granly Danish Historic Foundation opened its doors Sunday to mark the 90th anniversary of its historic meeting house, first dedicated in 1936.
The building, located just north of Hurley, served Danish immigrant families as a church, school and gathering place. Descendants of those families gathered to honor the structure and the community it represents.
A building built by hand
Foundation member Lee Hedegaard said his father helped construct the building after his family came to Mississippi in the 1930s.
“They paid him a dollar a day to take and drive nails out of the boards as they were tearing the buildings down,” Hedegaard said. “Then they stacked them on the trunk, and they brought them down here, and they built this building dedicated in 1936.”
Hedegaard said his reason for attending was personal.
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“It’s the reason I’m here to pay tribute to him,” he said.
Preserving Danish traditions
Jerold Shepherd, president of the foundation, said the building retains its original craftsmanship and that Danish traditions, including dancing around the Christmas tree, remain part of the community’s identity.
“We’ve preserved it enough that we feel like it’s going to be here for a while,” Shepherd said. “It is just part of this history of this area. And you can’t get away from it. I mean, it’s here.”
For visitor John Jensen, whose mother and paternal grandparents emigrated from Denmark, the building held personal significance.
“Oh, I was surprised. Oh, this is wonderful. I have to check out and see what they have,” Jensen said. “I have a lot of Danish heritage.”
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The Granly Danish Historic Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to Lutheran World Relief, crediting the 25 families who first built the heritage community.
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