National Register nomination
Detailed architectural description, alterations, and reference to 1895 interior photographs.
View nomination ↗Echoes of Vicksburg · Property 001
The Biedenharn Candy Company
A candy shop, a shoe store, a bottling milestone—and a historic building that changed with Vicksburg.
1107–1109 Washington Street · Vicksburg, Mississippi
The story
More than the birthplace of bottled Coca-Cola
Constructed in 1890, the two-story brick commercial building originally contained two distinct mercantile spaces: a confectionery business and a shoe store. In 1894, Joseph A. Biedenharn began bottling Coca-Cola here. The building's later modifications, and its preservation, reveal a second story: how Vicksburg's commercial architecture has evolved.
Based on the National Register of Historic Places nomination and local heritage documentation. Read the original nomination (PDF) ↗
Through the years
Documented changes to one address
1890 · A new commercial building
The building was constructed with two first-floor business spaces and separate storefront arrangements.
1894 · A bottling milestone
Joseph Biedenharn began bottling Coca-Cola in Vicksburg, expanding access beyond soda fountains.
1895 · A view inside
Photographs in an advertisement in Picturesque Vicksburg (page 141) document the confectionery and restaurant interior. We are seeking a reproduction and permission to display it.
1950 · Remodeling
The central first-floor partition was removed, a connection opened to the adjoining building, and the rear was extended.
1979 · Preservation
The Biedenharn family reacquired the property and restored it using historical photographs. A later district nomination identifies the front awning as a 1979 addition.
Today · A museum
The property houses the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, which interprets the building and bottling history.
Interactive prototype
Reveal a building's changing layout
This working reveal slider compares two illustrative diagrams, not historic photographs. It demonstrates how we will display aligned archival and present-day views once rights-cleared images are obtained.
1890 · Two commercial spaces
Later · Altered commercial layout
Schematic visualizations are not measured floor plans or accurate architectural reconstructions. They show the comparison interface only.
Explore the source record
1890: The building had two commercial spaces, according to its National Register nomination.
The year buttons change the historical explanation, not the diagram. A photographic timeline will be introduced only for years with verified images.
Primary sources
Inspect the evidence
MDAH archival collection
Biedenharn Candy Company Collection, Z/U/1996.005. The collection may contain research and publicity material useful to the exhibit.
View finding aid ↗Historic district nomination
Later architectural survey identifying the 1979 front awning and describing the storefront.
View district nomination ↗What comes next?
We're building an evidence-based virtual history of Vicksburg. The next milestone is a true historical-photo comparison: a dated archival view aligned with a modern photograph taken from the same position. Until then, we won't imply that a historical image or reconstruction is authentic when it isn't.