A historic Vicksburg property is about to be on the market for perspective buyers.

The historic Seargent Prentiss Building, 1010 Monroe St., will be up for an onsite auction at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9. A preview and inspection is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, April 2.

Sterling A. McCool of Marketplace Real Estate in Madison said the auction for the two story, 2,468 square foot building located across the street from the Old Court House Museum would start at $60,000.

“For it’s age, it’s been very well maintained,” McCool said. “It’s beautiful on the inside.”

McCool is the realtor and auctioneer for this important piece of Vicksburg history built before 1837.

“It is estimated to be the oldest building in Vicksburg,” McCool said. “That’s what I’ve been told.”

He said he was told the building originally housed militia. Later, he said, it became the office of Seargent Smith Prentiss, governor of an area that is now Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. Jefferson Davis then used the building as his office to direct troops during the Mexican-American War, he said. The building suffered damaged during the Civil War Siege of Vicksburg, he said, but the Partee family purchased the building for $25 and restored it after the war.

Most recently the building was used as law offices and as an architecture firm.

“I believe it was one of the leading architecture firms in the southeast,” McCool said. “He did architectural restoration.”

The building boasts a tin roof, two balconies, a brick courtyard, and it is zoned as office space. McCool said it could possibly be converted into a residential building, but he thinks its best use would be as an office.

“It would be perfect for an attorney, a psychiatrist. Just great office space,” McCool said.

The seller, who has chosen to remain private, wanted to sell the property because he or she cannot use it, he said.

“The owner was gifted the property, and they live in another state and they’re not here to maintain it or keep up with it, so they want to sell it,” McCool said.

He said the owner chose Marketplace Real Estate to sell the property because of his family’s history selling historical properties. For more information, visit sterlingmccool.com or call 601-624-3227.