Cool, Clear Water

I think I have collections of photos that would cover just about any subject — and today my subject is WATER. It's been so hot and humid recently here in Vicksburg (and probably where you live, too!), and I thought I would share a few refreshing-looking pictures to cool things off a bit.

From the cool, clear waters of the beautiful Ocoee River, near Copperhill, Tennessee ...

Kayakers love the Ocoee — doesn't he look like he's having fun!

Hmmm ... this is getting a little trickier now!

And then we move on to the swift and rocky Toccoa River near Blue Ridge, Georgia ...

And to really cool us off, how about a fountain in a shady lagoon?

Or even better, a frozen fountain!

(Taken at Ravennaside, Natchez, January 2010)

And a few icicles thrown in for good measure ...

But if we can't travel to the banks of beautiful rivers, or go somewhere where there are icicles, we can always just get our little plastic pools out and make our own fountains ...

Ahhh ... the simple pleasures of life!

I hope your weekend is filled with as much fun as Avery Grace was having that day!

The "Rest of the Story" about a House

This is a follow up story to a post I wrote last month featuring an "off the beaten path" photo tour of Natchez. You can click on the link to read that post if you missed it.

Included in the story were pictures of an old house, about which I wrote:

"I would love to know its history, and how and why it has fallen into such a sad state of disrepair and neglect. The expression, "gone with the wind" comes to mind, and I'm sure it would take a small fortune to restore it to its former glory. Perhaps, therein lies the tale of its demise."

This past week, I received a comment on that post from Luke, who cleared up some of the mystery about the house. Here is Luke's note:

I'm from Natchez, and the abandoned dilapidated house you photographed is named Melmont.

Construction began in 1850, and was completed in 1854, it's Greek revival, with Italianate influence. It was built by Henry Basil Shaw (I think he was a doctor, but I'm not sure). His wife's name was Mary Elizabeth, maiden name Latimore. She named the home Melmont, "Mel" coming from her maiden initials, and "Mont," French for being mounted in the center of its average.

Their descendants lived there until 1912, when it was sold to the Henderson family (they had lived at Magnolia Hall), and they remodeled the interior to colonial revival.

The home was then sold again in 1957, to a family (name withheld for privacy's sake) whose three children still have possession of the home, and live out of town. Hopefully it will be restored one day!

I appreciate Luke taking the time to write and fill me in on the history of Melmont. I hope its history doesn't end there. Perhaps someone will come to its rescue before it's too late.

The Town Too Beautiful to Burn

Located almost halfway between Natchez and Vicksburg, Port Gibson is the third oldest incorporated town in Mississippi. It is best remembered from the legendary Civil War story in which General Grant reportedly declared the town "too beautiful to burn."

I visited Port Gibson recently, and captured with my camera traces of that beauty still lingering in some of the old homes lining Church Street.

Some of the houses have been restored and are well maintained, while others have fallen into disrepair. It always saddens me to see the toll time takes on these old homes, constructed mostly of wood, but I can certainly understand how costly it must be to maintain them.

My first stop on my tour was the Drake House, ca 1900, a lovely example of the Queen Anne style of architecture prevalent around the turn of the century.

Here is a close up view of the beautiful old stained glass window transom which is characteristic of Queen Anne architecture. I love those lace curtains, too!

My next stop was at the Disharoon Home, ca. 1830s, one of the finest Federal-style houses in Claiborne County.

This Greek Revival house is the Presbyterian Manse, ca. 1830-31, the first building to house the First Presbyterian Church.

And speaking of the Presbyterian church, its steeple is probably the most photographed landmark in Port Gibson. Built in 1859, the church's steeple features a gilt hand pointing to Heaven.

Another fine example of Queen Anne architecture is the Schillig House, ca 1896 ...

Gage House, ca 1830

One of the things I love most about old houses is the lagniappe you find in unexpected places. Like this pretty design almost hidden under the eave of this house.

Here are a few more houses that caught my eye. The first one is McDougall House, ca 1820 (think about that for a second -- that's 41 years before the Civil War started!).

I love the flag hanging on this house, and just look at those magnificent swan planters waiting to welcome guests.

Spencer House, ca 1840. The rocking chairs on the porch caught my eye.

Be sure and click on this picture to see the details on the rocker, plus the beautiful stained glass hanging in the window.

I love the wide brick sidewalk leading to the Tuscan Columns Bed and Breakfast, ca 1904.

I hated to see the remains of this old home place on Church Street. What a waste ...

But next door, this cute little cow mailbox made me smile. Don't you know the postman loves to put mail in that.I wonder if it moos when you open it!

I wanted to get some pictures of the downtown historic district, but traffic was heavy and I had had enough walking for the day (especially with the humidity at 97%!). I did manage to get a shot of the old Trace movie theater, though ...

And this old Red Goose Shoes sign brought back some memories. Isn't it neat!

If you're ever in Natchez or Vicksburg, I hope you will take the time to visit Port Gibson. And while you're there, I highly recommend you take a side trip to see the Windsor Ruins.

You can find out more about Windsor here: The Story of the Ruins of Windsor).