Main Street Biloxi moved the 1904 Bond House across the street after a casino donated the structure to the group. (Main Street Biloxi)

When Hurricane Katrina struck Biloxi, Miss., it destroyed 5,000 buildings in the city, even its historic visitors center.

The 1895 Brielmaier House and adjacent shotgun-style Foretich House were leveled, leaving Main Street Biloxi without its office.

"One day we were there, and one day it was all gone," says Kay Miller, Main Street Biloxi spokeswoman. "You just feel lost. It was so beautiful."

Last week, the group came one step closer to its new office when it moved a 1904 Queen Anne to a new downtown location just across the street. The Beau Rivage Casino, which bought the two-story Bond House and five acres of downtown property in 1999, donated the structure to Main Street Biloxi in January.

"If we didn't get it moved, they were [going to demolish the house]," Miller says.

The Bond House wasn't damaged during the Aug. 29 hurricane, but its leaded-glass front doors were stolen in 2001. The casino has offered to pay for replicas of the doors, which were "one of the most outstanding features of the house," Miller says.

Main Street Biloxi, which set up temporary offices at City Hall, moved into a c.1837 cottage in January, where it will stay until the Bond House is completed. The Mar. 6 move, foundation, and a new roof cost $85,000, and the group's next step is to update the electrical systems. Despite a shortage of funds, the group hopes to complete the restoration project by Mardi Gras next year.

Read more about the Bond House at http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arc_news/120601.htm

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