I woke up this morning and had to sit down and write about my day yesterday as I think that Columbus Mississippi has to have been the highlight of my trip so far. Was Columbus so much more special than anywhere else we visited? I would have to say no. But have you ever had one of those days where everything just fit together perfect. The people, the experiences, the sights, the sounds? The 19th of October 2013 in Columbus Mississippi was just one of those days.
As I have said in my blog before Miss Bobbie Perkins pointed out some stops that we just had to make. The Waverley Plantation Mansion was number one. So off we go to this 1852 Antebellum Mansion. I expected to find a pristine tourist spot. Shiny and cordoned off to the public. Young staff reciting by rote stories generated from shiny desks. What I got was this lovely Plantation Mansion where the gracious, lovely owner had to take a moment to tidy up before coming to welcome us to her lovely home.
A house is a house is a house. Not so with The Waverley Mansion. The Waverley Plantation Mansion is about two families the original owners who built it in 1852 and the Snows who restored it some 100 years later. The fact that it is claimed to be haunted is an extra bonus. But what makes this house a truly unique experience is Miss Melanie Snow. Melanie spent two hours of her time with us telling the history and stories of the mansion with the softest southern accent and a passion that no one could deny. The Waverley Plantation Mansion has been featured in numerous magazines and articles (architecture digest, national geographic and the list goes on), people stop in constantly, but Melanie shared with us as if she hadn’t been able to share her passion for the mansion in eons. Seeing the mansion with her was a unique experience.
So on with telling you about The Waverley Plantation Mansion. I just hope I do it justice. The mansion was built by Colonel George Hampton Young, a successful lawyer from Georgia. When he moved to Mississippi his wealth increased and he decided to build a elegant mansion for his family. Construction went on for many years but Waverley was at its full magnificences in 1852. The main Mansion was 8,000 square feet situated on 50,000 acres. Totally self sustaining it had its own cotton gin, tannery, shoemakers shop, saw mill, stables, slave quarters, family graveyard, swimming pool, guest houses, gardens, live stock, ice house and post office.
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| Front of The Waverley Plantation Mansion (Named for the Novels of Sir Walter Scott) |
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| Central Octagon looking up |
Waverley’s architectural style is Greek Revival and even to an untrained eye is quite extraordinary. It is built in a rectangle with a central octagon opening rising 65’ think H shaped. Four stories high. Each corner of the mansion had a room that had windows on two sides and every room had an opening to a balcony. The fourth floor dome shaped had 16 large windows. It is designed so amazing. Natural light and natural ventilation as warm air rises. Can’t you just imagine the southern bells dancing with the dashing confederate soldiers, lavish parties, mint juleps on the balcony in hot Mississippi summers. “Why Colonel this mint julep must just be going to my head, what did you ask me to do?”
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| I pilfered this photo on line as I saw the original and was amazed at the transition |
The plantation began to decline in 1913 when the last surviving son of Colonel Young passed. For the next 50 years Waverley sat empty enduring sumer sun, winter rains, occasional vandalism, hunters and fishermen. Pledges from Mississippi State Universities spent haunted nights in the house and young lovers courted. There were briars, vines, weeds. The front porch was rotted. Bats, birds, squirrels, possums inhabited the house. Bird droppings were every where. Graffiti covered the walls.
In 1962 Robert and Donna snow discovered the mansion by chance. They owned an antique shop. A salesman came into their shop and told them of seeing a massive house abandoned near the Tombigbee River. Mr Snow packed his kids in their station wagon and went on an adventure. No plumbing, no electricity, no water, disrepair of all kinds but somehow the Snows saw the beauty. Miss Donna Snow called it a magnificent mess. They bought the house and began restoration.
The Snows were not of money and did much of the work themselves. Renovating the space became a family project that took years. They slept on mattresses in the dining room because they couldn’t get up the stairs. Surprisingly though many people tramped through the old vacant house there was relatively very little malicious damage. Eight Marble fire places were still intact, the original french gasoliers and large gold leaf mirrors still hung. There were 1000’s of cigaret butts found in the house. How it didn’t burn they don’t know.
Melanie shared that when they went to the attic they found the original family journals and record books. People began returning artifacts that were removed from the dwelling when it was vacant. In one room there was a 27 pigeon hole mail system. When the Snow’s moved in they found notes from the original Waverley’s were still there. Stories after stories, how two irishmen were courted to do the original plaster work, the hours the young Snow’s spent repairing it. Knowledge on each antique piece that was lovingly placed into the mansion. How young men with a little to much alcohol still like to visit late at night. How the house is haunted.
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| Off upstairs balcony |
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| The haunted room |
When the Snow’s first arrived at Waverley there was unexplained noises and crashes in the night suggesting the presence of spirits. One day Miss Donna was sweeping an upstairs balcony when she felt a presence and an angelic voice called mama? Mama? No one was there. Periodically the snows would see an indent in the shape of a small child on an up stairs canopy bed. Later in the day it would be straightened. It seemed the child liked afternoon naps. Family, friends and visitors have reported seeing the small girl. Melanie says she is about three, petite, blond, very timid with folded hands wears a bluish dress with high top buttoned shoes. It is said that during the civil war a family from a visiting plantations young daughter got hung in the banisters on the second floor and passed.
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| Miss Melanie Snow (Named after the character in Gone with The Wind) |
Now as I look this over my ramblings I could never do justice to the warmth that surounds this Plantation, and Miss Melanie. She, the plantation, not the red haired blue eyed Miss Melanie still needs a little TLC. My idea of a perfect way to pass time would be to spend spring days there puttering in the gardens, smelling the magnolias. Helping repaint the blistered face of this amazing old home. Sipping mint juleps in the evening. Miss Melanie with her soft southern bell accent bid us farewell with “ it was so nice of you coming to visit our home. I sure do hope you come back and visit us again” The pleasure was all ours.
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| One of the oldest Magnolia Trees in Mississippi. It is guessed to be between 200 & 250 years old & Found at the Waverley Plantation Mansion |
I wish I could have shown you each room and beautiful furnishings but inside pictures were not allowed. And, I have to admit I feel horrible as I snapped a couple while left alone after Miss Melanie had been so gracious. Please forgive me.
We left the Waverley plantain mansion, untied the boat and went a whole four miles to the Town of Columbus. Originally known as the possum town. In the1800’s it was one of the richest cities in the old black prairie cotton belt. If one antebellum home was great, well... What we did discover was the birth place of Tennessee Williams famous pulitzer prize winning playwright. Street car named desire, Cat on a hot tin roof. Both stories set in the south. While touring his birth place we had the opportunity to meet Barbara Stillery story teller, historian and author of The Haunting of Mississippi and received an autographed copy.
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| Tennessee Williams Birth Place home of his Grandfather. Williams was raised in this house the first three years of his life. |
So on we wandered. We stopped at a small bar for a cold drink and tried our first alligator. A little chewy but not bad. Have I told you that we are now in alligator country! Plus snakes galore. Ew! Rattlers, cotton mouths, you name it. The alligators prefer the back waters and grow to eight to ten feet. A 14 foot monster was found last month. Look for red eyes at night. The locals told us that as with any wildlife if you don’t bother them they wont bother you. But that doesn’t stop me from shaking out my sheets or checking the deck in the morning. I also want to point out that I am a big wussy about going swimming because of all the creepy crawly’s that are new to me but we see where the locals swim, have swings into the water for hot days.
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| Alligator |
Next we stopped at Huck’s a popular local restaurant. We shared crawfish nacho’s and they were excellent! Home made potato chips with crawfish, cajun sauce, tomatoes, onion. sour cream, jalopeneos, and tons of cheese. As you can see from the pictures I am growing with each passing day. We ordered hamburgs that I have to admit I never even bit as I was so stuffed (todays lunch for two) but I did eat the bourbon sweet potatoes. Marc is boating through the US. I on the other hand have been eating my way through.
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| Crawfish Nacho’s |
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| Just a little hamburg |
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