DU QUOIN - The Du Quoin Historic Preservation Commission wants to maintain a historical presence in the city, but its latest project appears to be vanishing.

But that's actually a good thing.

The commission, which formed about three years ago, released in December a pictorial history book called "Historic Du Quoin: Images From the Past," and more than 500 copies have been sold so far, said Main Street Director Pam Pereira.

"We can't keep it on the shelves," said City Attorney Aaron Atkins, who serves as the organization's legal counsel.

Atkins said the book focuses on almost every aspect of Du Quoin's history, including the influence of blacks in the city, coal mining, schools and the founding, among other topics.

The book covers more than 150 years of history but does not provide a comprehensive story, he said.

With the success of the book, the commission has been talking about creating a sequel to document other parts of history, Atkins and Pereira said. Sales from the book will be used to hire a consultant to work on having some of the city's buildings placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Debbie Oxford, owner of Faith Photography and member of both Main Street and the preservation committee, has been in the process of converting a historic downtown building into a new photography studio. The building had once been used as a bar that had earned a bad reputation, she said.

"The history of things and the stories these buildings can tell should not be lost in history," Oxford said.

While emphasis has been placed on business buildings in the downtown district to this point, Atkins said the committee has talked about forming a sub-committee to look into historic preservation opportunities for residential buildings and homes.

"They have character, beauty and charm that can't be replicated these days," he said as he talked about encouraging home seekers to consider buying a historic home rather than building a new one. This method of house shopping can also contribute to recent focus on "going green" by recycling a home. Rather than destroying trees and farmland to build a home, people can use one already there, he said.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com

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