More than two dozen students gathered at Merrehope Tuesday afternoon to take part in the second ever “Build and Learn at Merrehope” program.

The students listened to guest architects and preservationists with Meridian Architectural Trust who shared interesting facts and insights about several of Meridian’s historic buildings, including the Threefoot building, the old Merchants and Farmers Bank building, Union Station, Meridian City Hall, the Marks Rothenberg & Co. building, Soulé Steam Feed Works, the Newberry and Kress buildings, the Grand Opera House and the Melton Hardware Building. The speakers talked with the students about the efforts to preserve these buildings to give them a new life, as well as the history that is lost when historic structures are not preserved, but are demolished or fall down, like the old E.F. Young Hotel.

The students also heard a recap from cyclist Ed Abdella on his recent Bike Around Mississippi tour to bring awareness to historic preservation.

Afterwards, the students moved onto Merrehope’s veranda, where they designed and built their own mini-cardboard houses and structures. A very hands-on activity, the students in grades six through 12 had fun choosing the design of their own building as well as selecting the materials needed to construct it. Many were students who participated in the first Build and Learn at Merrehope last summer.

Partially funded by an Allie Cat Festival grant, the workshop was free for the teens and preteens.

The houses and businesses they constructed will be combined in interesting ways to form multiple mini-communities that will be on display at various locations around the city. The public is invited to view these communities between July 26 through Aug. 11. They will be on display at Merrehope, the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, Meridian Museum of Art and the Meridian Railroad Museum.