The original 1401-1403 Washington St. was most likely built in 1860 for Dr. George K. Birchett.  1401 housed a number of offices and businesses early on, including Edmund McGarr, an attorney; Southern Life Insurance; Laz Lindsey, a commissioner of deeds; A. Burwell, justice of the peace and notary public; and boarding rooms.  

In 1867, the Vicksburg branch of the Freedman’s Bureau Bank was located in 1401 prior to moving to 1100 Washington St. in 1868. The third floor was used for community club meetings. In 1872, the Wolfe Tone Club Irish Confederation Society met there. Other businesses that occupied space in 1401 over the early years were Feld and Silverberg Wholesale Groceries (1888) and American Building Loan and Tontine Savings Association (1889).

In April 1889, it was announced that architect William Stanton was making plans for a “complete overhaul” of the building, which included a new iron front and raised ceilings. There was also to be a new store built at the rear that would front Crawford Street. In August, the paper reported the west and north walls would have to be taken down and rebuilt. By the end of the month, the paper reported Bonelli “having found it impracticable to raise his brick building at the corner of Washington and Crawford streets, as he first intended, will have them rebuilt, a most excellent idea.”  

As the roof was being removed, the following was reported in the Daily Commercial Herald: “Every tile taken from the Bonelli building at the corner of Washington and Crawford streets, now being taken down to be rebuilt, is stamped ‘Hawarda,’ which is the name of Gladstone’s castle and estates in Flintshire, Wales. Great quantities of tiles and slate are made on the Hawarda estates of Lord Gladstone, in Wales, much of which used to be exported to the United States before the war, and it is the opinion of Mr. John Curphey, who is familiar with the Welsh tiles and slate that that which was taken from the Bonelli buildings originally came from the Gladstone quarries in Wales.”

While the paper states it is a complete rebuild, it is most likely that the east and south walls remained, the new addition at the rear being attached to the old east wall. The new metal cornice was installed by Mr. Bruser in November and the building was opened in December with Switzer, Newwitter and Company and Tucker Brothers Furniture Store taking spaces. 

In September of 1890, The Vicksburg Post reported that offices were being fitted out in the building and when finished, Western Union Telegraph Company would have a “neat office” in the building. They moved into 1401 in October of 1890.  Others in the building were Julius Gotthelf (1893), Queen and Crescent Train Ticket Office (1892), and Dr. A.T. Mitchell, who was an ear, nose and throat doctor, in 1896. Western Union was still located there in 1906, along with American Telephone Company, Rector Commission Company, N. Vick Robbins (attorney), brokers R. Weil, Julius Fox, and S. Kaiser, Dr. George Crock, attorney E. F. Mulligan, attorney Marshall Dabney, Mutual Benefit Life of Newark, T. M. Searles Insurance, and architect M. J. Donovan. In 1911, they were joined by Smith News Company, Oliver Typewriter Company, and the owner, Dr. Vincent Bonelli.

In 1918, there were 26 rooms listed in the city directory, a number of them being boarding rooms. In 1935, the building housed A and P Tea Company Grocers, Edgar Manuel Meats, Dr. Bonelli, Laurence Gilbert (dentist), Albert Bonelli (attorney), New York Life Insurance, Marine Engineer Lodge, and Sam James Pecan Orchard.  

Since then, it has been occupied by many businesses and, despite the fact that it lost its third floor in the Dec. 5, 1953, tornado, it continues to be a contributing building in downtown.  

– Nancy Bell, Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation