Photo Tour of Vicksburg, Mississippi - Part II

I'd like to begin this part of my tour of Vicksburg, with a couple of interesting houses that are "off the beaten path." These houses are not grand, at least not on the same scale as some of the antebellum mansions and "turn of the century" homes in Vicksburg, but they're unique in their own way.

The first house is the Beck House," an Italianate residence which was constructed in 1875, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

While the majority of Vicksburg's historic buildings are well-maintained, there are some that are in danger of being lost forever through neglect. I'm afraid the Beck House is on the "endangered list." It was restored in the early 1980s, but has fallen into extreme disrepair over the last ten years.

I love this elegant old house and every time I drive by it, it makes me sad to see it literally falling apart. It would probably cost a small fortune now to restore it to its original condition.

Here are some photos which show its ornate architectural details, as well as revealing its sad state of disintegration (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them).

My husband loves the old carriage house in back of the house ...

I love the chimney, especially
its cross-like design in the center ...

I hope someone will come along soon and fall in love with this beautiful old house and restore it to its former glory. It would be a shame for it to be lost forever.

On a more positive note, the second house I want to share is across the street from the Beck House, but it appears to have been blessed with tender loving care through the years. It was built in 1886, and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

I would describe it as a "Victorian era" house, with its gingerbread trim and three-color paint scheme. I think it's very pretty and patriotic looking, and I love the big star by the door. Perhaps the present owner is from Texas?

Not every house comes with its very own cannonball ...

Even the mailbox is painted to match the house ...

A tour of Vicksburg wouldn't be complete without pictures of the Mississippi River Bridge, and I'd like to share a few of mine with you. This is the one I have in my current header for my blog ...

And these are my most recent ones which I took late this afternoon after my husband and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants down by the river ...

That's kudzu in the foreground of this picture ...

Just as we were getting ready to leave, I happened to notice a light on the railroad bridge and was excited to get this shot of the train as it reached the Vicksburg side of the bridge. It was right at dusk and it's kind of hard to see, but I think it's neat ...

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Vicksburg, as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. I love Vicksburg, and I've only scratched the surface of its awe-inspiring historic places, breathtaking beauty, and southern charm. During the next few weeks I hope to share more of it with you.

Sincerely,