Walking Tour of Historic District in Vicksburg -- Part 3

This continues my walking photo tour of the South Cherry Street Historic District of Vicksburg. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, you can read them first by clicking on the following links:

Walking Tour of Historic District in Vicksburg, Part 1

Walking Tour of Historic District of Vicksburg, Part 2

We begin this part of the tour with this beautiful old house at 2119 Cherry Street, ca 1875 – One of my favorite houses in the South Cherry Historic District.  A two-story clapboard Italianate house facing east, with an asphalt-covered gable roof with a cross gable over a projecting room. The cornice has paired scroll brackets and is denticulated. There are two brick chimneys: an offset chimney and a flush gable brick chimney. The one-story porch to the left of the projecting bay has a flat roof supported with square posts enhanced by applied molding and jigsawn brackets. There are scroll brackets and dentils at the cornice. A jigsawn balustrade completes the porch. There are five bays: two floor-length two-over-two double-hung wood sash with shaped heads; two double-hung two-over-two wood sash; and a center entrance comprised of glazed double-leaf doors with an arched transom. The entrance is further enhanced with fluted pilasters and an arched entablature.

 

This carriage step is in front of the house. I've come across two or three of these in Vicksburg. They were used by the ladies (and gentlemen, too, I suppose) to step up on the trolleys.

2111 Cherry Street, ca 1920 -- A one-story stucco Mission Revival house, facing east, with an asbestos-covered hip roof. There are two stuccoed end chimneys. The full-width front porch is recessed under the main roof which is supported with stuccoed columns. The porch is screened on the right side. A stuccoed Mission-gabled arch is centered in front of the porch. There are three bays: two pair of nine-over-one double-hung wood sash and a glazed single-leaf door.

The Old Feld House, ca 1913
2108 Cherry Street
The Old Feld House is one of the most architecturally significant residences of early twentieth century Mississippi. It is a significant example of Neo-Classical Revival style, with a rarely-seen degree of finish. In Mississippi, the Neo-Classical Revival style was most often expressed in domestic architecture in terms of a lingering Colonial Revival taste. The Old Feld House is a unique rejection of the lingering Colonial Revival style. By its use of Palladian arches, piazzas, wide bracketed eaves, and a prominent blue-tile roof, a Mediterranean connotation is successfully evoked.

Situated on the west side of Cherry Street, the Old Feld House is a one-story brick structure covered with scored stucco. Projecting wings of the facade and rear form courtyards in an H-shaped plan.

On the facade, each wing has a piazza with Palladian openings. The three-bay, central block is composed of an arched doorway flanked by arched windows. The arched fenestration is framed by an Ionic screen with coupled columns flanking the entrance to support a well-proportioned entablature and balustrade.

The entablature is carried around the wings in the form of a wide bracketed cornice. On the wings the Palladian openings of the piazzas have molded trim and a keystone. There is an elaborate terrace of varying levels in the courtyard and a cast iron fence and gate on the front elevation.

According to a National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form dated 1982, the Old Feld House was constructed in 1913 by Hannah B. Fishell, widow of Alfred Fishell, a Vicksburg businessman. In 1929, the house was sold by Hannah Fishell to Maurice and Juliet Feld, owners of a local furniture store. The Felds and their descendants retained the property until 1974. Since 1974, the house passed through three subsequent owners, being bought in 1976 by Robert S. and Jean W. Parker. During the 1980s, Mr. Russell V. Puckett purchased the home.

Description source: https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/27787.pdf

Notice the carriage step shown in the picture below. The name “B. W. Griffith” is stamped in the concrete. Benjamin W. Griffith (1853-1931), was mayor of Vicksburg from 1905 to 1909. He was also a prominent lawyer and banker.

2027 Cherry Street, ca 1890 – A two-story aluminum-sided Victorian vernacular house facing west, with a pressed-metal hip roof and a cross gable over a projecting bay with jigsawn brackets at the cornice. There is a corbelled brick end chimney, and a gable stoop supported by non-historic brick piers.

 

2025 Cherry Street, ca 1890 – A two-story, clapboard Victorian vernacular house facing west, with an asphalt-covered hip roof with cross gables. There is an offset brick chimney. There is a knee brace and eaves drops in the gable end, and there is a gabled stoop supported by turned posts with jigsawn brackets.  

This house was hidden from the street, and it was too early in the day to knock on a stranger's door to ask permission to take pictures of his house, so I "kinda/sorta trespassed" to get these pictures.

2022 Cherry Street, ca 1905 – A one-story asbestos-covered Craftsman bungalow facing east, with an asbestos-covered gable roof with a cross gable to the front over a porch that is supported by square stuccoed piers. There is a stuccoed end chimney and a gabled vent. There are three bays: two sets of double-hung nine-over-nine sash and a single-leaf glazed door. This house is currently home to Community Action Services.

2011 Cherry Street
The Craig-Flowers Home, also known as “Great Hope Manor,” ca 1906

This house is so interesting, I decided to share the complete description and history, as included on the South Cherry Street Historic District Registration Form for the National Register of Historic Places.

Description:

The Craig/Flowers House is an impressive three-story, 12,000 square-foot Tudor Style residence, situated on its original three-acre site. The building is in excellent condition, with no known alterations to the original plans. Roughly U-shaped in plan, this asymmetrical building faces West on Cherry Street. The multiple-gabled slate roofs are pierced by large and small dormers and five brick chimneys.

A large one-story gallery surrounds the house on the South and West sides, and has a flat roof (original drawings called for a second-floor terrace, which was never used as such).

The front gallery and entrance area are articulated by brick pilasters and columns decorated with plaster inserts at the capital. A lesser shed roof porch extends along the southeast side of the building.

Situated on a sloping site, the first floor level is approximately three feet above grade, with a full basement below. Exposed basement walls and first floor, as well as chimneys, are executed in red brick. The first floor also features a plaster decorative band all around at the height of the window heads.

The second floor and exposed attic walls are stucco panels between chestnut wood members running horizontally and vertically, with trim. The slate roof has carved and decorated wood fascias and sloped soffits with exposed, decorated framing. All flashing is copper.

Most windows on the rear and sides are double hung, one-over-one,with decorated wood frames. Windows are placed in sets of three, individually (as in dormers or other walls), or symmetrically flanking an exterior wall chimney, as in the east elevation of the master bedroom wing. Front elevation, second floor windows feature diagonal-cross panes on upper half of double hung windows. Three large bays on the first floor,
one with curved glazing and door frames, all feature operable double fully-glazed doors with operable transoms and sidelights. Even the curved end bay doors are hinged.

Double solid-paneled wood doors set in an ornate wood frame with inset decorated panels, symmetrical leaded glass sidelights and original copper screen doors make up the front entrance, which leads from the front entrance gallery to the formal interior vestibule. Over the stairs inside is found three stained glass windows with the Craig family Crest. All interior ceilings are coved, and many first floor rooms feature expansive detailed plaster castings on the walls and ceilings. All interior floors are wood.

Interior details include ironwork registers in the formal rooms, brass stand-up radiators in the bedrooms, and all-copper electrical wiring. For a house built in 1906, it contained many state-of-the-art details and conveniences, such as a three-door refrigerator, built-in silver safe, plate warmer, servants' bells, wall sconce light fixtures, and crystal chandelier. It even has an interior fire hydrant equipped with 100 feet of hose!

Over the stair at the main hall, the stained glass window depicts a man on horseback with the family's mottos: "J'ai bonne esperance" …"I have good hope.” He carries in his hand a broken spear.

History:

Completed in 1906, the Craig/Flowers House is a highly individual architectural composition that can be classified as Tudor style, and is a practically intact example of a wealthy family's dream house in Vicksburg at the turn of the century.

In 1901, the Craig family purchased this parcel of land, which was the former Vick Estate, the settlement of one of the founding families of Vicksburg. The original building was torn down and the lumber used to construct three outbuildings on the site, two of which remain today -- the Carriage House and the Servants’ Quarters.

The main house was built from architectural plans of W.W. Knowles, an architect from New York, dated June 5, 1905. It was built at a cost of $60,000, a huge sum at that time. It was as unusual then as it is today.

The house is significant for the high quality evident throughout the construction, the attention to detail, and the high level of craftsmanship exemplified by every view. This is one of the finest Tudor homes in the South. Both exterior and interior, this structure exemplifies the height of the arts and crafts approach to building construction.

Everywhere the materials are carefully fitted together and detailed to provide ornament . The highly articulated framing on the front entrance gallery is carried throughout the building. In addition to its architectural significance, the house enjoys a rare degree of landscape integrity …its walks, parterres, and outbuildings have survived intact.

In 1928, the property was deeded to Ms. Flowers, daughter of Mr. Craig, who owned it until 1984. The present owners are Dr. and Mrs. Bob Clingan.

Descriptions source:http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/03001140.pdf

“The Columns – Beaulieu”

2002 Cherry Street, ca 1906

A two-story brick four-bay Neoclassical house facing east, with an asphalt-covered hip roof with a cross gable facing front. The two-story porch has a gable roof supported by four Ionic, fluted columns with a projecting gable at the center supported by two fluted Ionic columns. The gable end, cornice, and the cornice of the projection are denticulated.

There are four bays: two one-over-one, double-hung aluminum windows; a glazed single-leaf door with transom; and a glazed single-leaf door with sidelights and elliptical transom. Pilasters separate the door from the sidelights and a heavy stuccoed elliptical lintel caps the entry.

There is a balcony supported by heavy brackets and featuring a turned balustrade over the entry. Entrance onto the balcony is gained through leaded French doors with leaded sidelights. All but one of the mantels in this house date to an earlier time. The mantels may have come from the house that previously occupied this lot.

Description source:http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/03001140.pdf

History: I found the following information on a real estate website and, while I find it very interesting, I can’t attest to its accuracy.

The mansion was built at the turn of the century by Samuel and Helen Ragan, on what was then called “Millionaires Row.” The Ragans purchased the property in 1885, and lived in a house on this lot, facing Belmont, as early as 1886.

Sometime between 1899 and 1902, their residence was demolished and this grand Neoclassical building was constructed. It is an unusual Neoclassical because the facade is asymmetrical instead of symmetrical.

Samuel Ragan owned S.C. Ragan and Company, a wholesale grocery and produce company, in 1906. By 1911, the city directory listed S.C. Ragan and Company as cotton factors, located at 610 Crawford Street.

In 1926, the house was sold to Mary E. Marion. Others who owned the house are W.T. Williams (with the Biedenharn Candy Company), Ray & Elie Lum (who hosted General Eisenhower at the Mansion), M.M. & R.J. Farris, Tom and Mildred Kirkland, and Marguerita & Bill Davis (who turned the mansion into a Bed and Breakfast inn).

The present owners purchased the house in Feb 2000, and, after a one-year complete renovation, turned the mansion back into the beautiful home it was in its glory days. It is the only mansion of its architectural style in Vicksburg, patterned after the old plantation homes of pre-civil war era with its six huge wooden Ionic columns gracing the large front portico.

The house features five fireplaces. In the foyer, there is a beautiful wooden mantel piece that dates to the original construction of the house. It is Neoclassical in style. The other mantel pieces are from the 1860s (three are carved Italian marble and one is carved slate). These appear to have been originally placed in the house, and may have come from an earlier house on this lot.

In 1947, General Eisenhower gave a speech from the balcony of Beaulieu when he was invited to help Vicksburg celebrate its first 4th of July since the surrender to Grant in 1863. A party was thrown in the mansion, in the General’s honor, as he danced the night away and then slept in the balcony room/study which has carried his name since the mansion's bed and breakfast years. General Eisenhower first spoke of running for the presidency while at the Columns-Beaulieu.

History source: http://www.digitalmantra.com/columns/new_page_1.htm

  

 

If only the walls of these old houses could talk.  Can you imagine how exciting that would have been for the ladies at that party ... to "dance the night away" with none other than General Dwight D. Eisenhower himself!  I wonder if Mamie accompanied him?