clay design build

FIELD TRIP FRIDAY – 03.13.2026
Felder Campground

We are continuing our exploration of the Pine Belt. Felder Campground, near Summit, is one of Mississippi’s oldest Methodist camp-meeting places (established in 1843). For many people, it will feel similar to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds with its cabins, porches, shared grounds, and a central gathering structure.

1) Central grounds
This is the main spatial condition at Felder: a central green held by cabins facing inward rather than separate buildings turned away from one another.

2) Tabernacle
The tabernacle is the organizing center of the place. The present open-sided structure dates to the 1881 revival of the camp meeting and was later expanded in 1898. Notice the sawdust floors.

3) Roof framing
Looking up at the beautiful roof structure, the tabernacle’s timber framing and pyramidal form funnel warm air up through the vented roof lantern to keep the space cool.

4) Structure and benches (open-air assembly)
Inside, the building is mostly structure, shade, and seating. Posts, braces, roof framing, and benches do the work, with little separation between inside and outside.

5) Porch life
The cabin porches are not just entry points. They extend living space outward and make the outdoor edge part of daily life.

6) Cabin fabric
This side of Felder shows the ordinary building fabric that accumulates over time—wood siding, patchwork additions, utility runs, and the marks of long use.

7) Connected porches
One thing that stood out most here was the interconnected porches. They make the raised exterior space feel shared rather than private.

8) Bridge between cabins
These above-grade connections keep movement outdoors and help tie cabin to cabin. Small elements like this make the campground feel communal.

9) Raised cabins and understory
The elevated cabins create shaded crawlspaces below, and the posts and diagonal bracing form a strong latticework underneath.

10) Cabin and cross-bracing
This final view brings several lessons together: raised floor, deep porch, simple gabled cabin, and the cross-braced understory that gives the whole place a clear structural character.

Here's a sneak peek at a project we are finishing up. Spaces overlap and intertwine. Details are driven by shadow.