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THE GOLFING'S GREAT (left) on an 18-hole course which winds through the residential community. The first nine holes of a second 18-hole course have been completed, with the second nine now under construction. Diamondhead’s yacht club and marina (above) are popular with residents. The waterway connects to the Jordan River, the Bay of St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico.
(diamondhead - a growing Coast community
Under the giant overhanging limbs of the Spanish oaks on its pine covered acres, a new and glamorous resort community has been constructed along the Mississippi Coast.
ricane Camille roared across the area in 1969. Then, with the rebirth of the Golden Gulf Coast, the largest planned community of the area began taking shape in 1970.
It began primarily as a resort area of fine weekend and summer homes, but now it has assumed more and more the look of a community as the number of permanent residents has steadily grown.
The Diamondhead Corporation is
C developer of the project, which encompasses approximately 6,700 acres lying both north and south of Interstate Highway 10 in Hancock County.
Diamondhead has been responsible for much economic growth by creating opportunities for builders, trademen and service industries related to the construction industry. It has also benefitted from other growth along the Coast as employees from the U.S. Navy Oceanographic office near Picayune, the Michoud plant near New Orleans, and other developments of the area have chosen to make their new homes in its pleasant environment.
According to Evelyn McPhail, director of community services at Diamondhead, 6,500 lots have already been sold out of a possible 10,000 homesites. All of the 375 condominium units in four complexes have been sold.
Readily accessible by land, air and water, Diamondhead is served by interstate and state highways. It also has its own landing strip and taxi strips to homesites, where residents may even commute by air to and from work.
For boating enthusiasts, there is a
marina and yacht club. There is access by water to the Jordan River and to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Bay of St. Louis. In addition, beautiful Benne Tchowa Bayou flows through a
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cards which make it desirable as a permanent or second home. Among these are its excellent recreation facilities.
An 18-hole golf course winds through the residential area. Nine holes of a second 18-hole course were recently finished. The second nine is scheduled to open next year.
There is a fine tennis complex consisting of eight clay courts. Two more courts are located near Diamondhead’s Country Club, which has a restaurant and is a center for social activities and community meetings.
There are riding stables with horses and also facilities for residents to board their horses. And 10 swimming pools serve residents — one each in the condominiums and four open to all members. One of these is a big olympic-size pool for swimming meets and related activities. And there’s even a day camp for children in the summertime.
Diamondhead, according to Mrs. McPhail, also has excellent community facilities. She feels that the fire department with its brand new truck and emergency vehicle is one of the best on the Coast.
“We’ve had a good record of response to fires and other emergencies,” she said. The department is mostly volunteer, but has a paid staff and reciprocates with the Hancock County fire department in responding to the needs of the area.
The security system, which is subcontracted to a private firm, is also very effective, said Mrs. McPhail. Homes and businesses are checked 24 hours a day and the record of effectiveness is better than most resort
BEAUTIFUL HOMES such as this are found throughout Diamondhead’s 6,701 acres. There are also condominiums and clusters of homes in this growing area served by Coast Electric Power Association.
areas.
The Diamondhead Sewer and Water system provides these very necessary services to the site. It complies with all applicable state and federal regulations, according to Mrs. McPhail.
Buses provide transportation for resident school children to and from the county’s public and private parochial schools.
The services such as fire and security, maintenance of roads and grounds, and upkeep of recreational facilities and buildings is provided for by a nominal monthly dues paid by residents.
As the community has grown, retail stores have come to serve the area. There’s also a doctor’s office and clinic. And, according to Mrs. McPhail, there is the possibility of additional shopping facilities and even a branch bank as the community continues to grow.
Dependable electric service to Diamondhead residents is provided
by Coast Electric Power Association.
In addition to its excellent community and resort facilities, the location of Diamondhead is also a dominant factor in favor of its growth. It is approximately a 45 minute drive from New Orleans-East, and only an hour’s drive from downtown.
A recent survey revealed that the largest percentage of the property owners came from around the New Orleans area. Their reason for coming to Diamondhead was to escape the overcrowded conditions.
There are also many property owners from all over Mississippi, from many of the states, and from several foreign countries.
Although Diamondhead was its first development, the Diamondhead Corporation has since developed a number of communities in the Southeast and Southwest.
With the continued growth of the Gulf Coast, Mississippi’s Diamondhead is becoming a virtual city within itself.
6 MISSISSIPPI EPA NEWS/APRIL, 1979