June 1984: A Taste of Hawaii in Mississippi at Diamondhead

While Discovery Bay floundered and ended in bankruptcy, another similar development north of Pass Christian fared far better, a community known as Diamondhead. Even though both developments got under way around the same time, and both were affected by Hurricane Camille, the main reason that Diamondhead may have succeeded was also the reason for its name- that it sat on the highest point of the coast between New Orleans and Mobile. Set on land bought from the Gex family, prominent Hancock Countians, Diamondhead was developed by the Diamondhead Corporation with a Hawaiian theme. Buildings had tall, angled roofs that suggested thatched Polynesian lodges, palm trees were everywhere, and the company logo was used in architecture and even in the design of the swimming pools! Streets had nearly unpronounceable names such as Kaumakapili and Kaleapohuku, and the little shopping center was given the grandiose name of Bali Hai Mall, although it was really just a shopping center. Presumably, the higher ground made landowners more confident in building, and the better-financed Diamondhead Corporation went ahead and built the necessary infrastructure so that homes could actually be built. Also, unlike other similar developments, the developers envisioned a commercial area along the I-10 interchange where motels and restaurants could be built.

When I first visited Diamondhead in 1984, only the business area could be accessed without going through a guard gate. Those who wanted to visit the Administration Building and Sales Office or the Country Club, or who wanted to visit any of the residents, had to be allowed in by the security guards at the gate. That only changed at some point in the late 1990's or early 2000's when Diamondhead decided to incorporate as a city. The Diamondhead Corporation by then had been renamed the Purcell Corporation, and had attempted to develop many more such developments: Lake Forest in Alabama, Newport and Mile High in Texas, Falconhead in Oklahoma and Lake Arrowhead in Georgia. They also had acquired the legendary Pinehurst resort and golf course in North Carolina. All of this largesse, and particularly the spectacular failure of the Mile High development near Sierra Blanca, Texas led to the collapse of the Purcell Corporation, and despite Diamondhead's success as a town, an end not much different than that of the Wendell-West Corporation that developed Discovery Bay nearby.

Despite being the highest point on the Gulf Coast between Louisiana and Alabama, Diamondhead was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with nearly everything south of I-10 being destroyed, including the Yacht Club. There have been several restaurants to open and close where the yacht Club was since the hurricane, but nothing has managed to stay open. That being said, Diamondhead has become a destination of choice for many whose houses were destroyed in Waveland or Bay St. Louis during Katrina. At one point, Diamondhead was the most populous town in Hancock County.