Charley Pride Museum and Hotel plan anchors Marks downtown revitalization

Quitman County is advancing a community-driven plan to create the Charley Pride Museum & Hotel in Marks, posting a Phase III Scope of Work on the county website as part of its planning and grant documentation. The project is presented as a cultural-heritage and tourism development intended to honor the late country music star and serve as a regional anchor to draw visitors into downtown Marks and the surrounding towns of Lambert, Crowder, and Falcon.

The Scope of Work (Phase III) document outlines project deliverables and phasing and includes attachments such as a tourism zone file and a project spreadsheet. Those materials sit alongside a broader suite of publicly posted tourism and development documents that highlight annual events like Mules & Blues Fest and September Song, Civil Rights-related sites, Music Legends features, Amtrak access, and hunting and fishing opportunities. The county website functions as the central repository for calendars, contact information, and these planning files.

For local officials and residents, the Phase III filing signals a move from conceptual planning toward actionable steps that can support grant applications and coordinated implementation. Including a tourism zone reference and a project spreadsheet in the attachments indicates county planners are documenting land-use parameters and financial or scheduling projections needed to seek outside funding and to manage phased construction or programming. Those pieces matter for downtown property owners and Main Street businesses that could see more overnight stays, event foot traffic, and demand for restaurants and retail if the museum-hotel succeeds as a regional draw.

Economically, cultural-heritage anchors like the proposed Charley Pride site fit a broader rural development trend: leveraging local history and signature events to raise visitor spending and extend stays. For Quitman County, the combination of music heritage, Civil Rights sites, and existing festivals creates a diversified visitor offer—one that can make promotions more resilient to seasonal swings and support year-round services in Marks and nearby towns.

Practical details are posted on the county page; county contact information is available for residents who want to review documents or ask questions: Quitman County Courthouse, 220 Chestnut Street, Marks, MS 38646; phone 662-326-2661. The Phase III Scope of Work and its attachments remain part of the county’s public planning record and serve as the roadmap county leaders will use as they pursue funding, coordinate zoning and infrastructure, and sequence construction and programming.

What this means for readers is straightforward: plans are in place that could bring new visitors and economic activity to downtown Marks while preserving local culture. Next steps will include funding decisions, permit and zoning work guided by the tourism zone file, and phased implementation outlined in the Scope of Work—developments residents and business owners should follow through the county’s posted documents or by contacting the courthouse.