Southern Lagniappe: steeples

The City of Vicksburg, Mississippi, perched high on the bluffs of the picturesque Mississippi River, is a beautiful southern town, and is literally a treasure trove of photographs just waiting to be taken.

I am blessed to live in Vicksburg, and one of my favorite pastimes is driving around town with my camera and stopping when I see something that catches my eye. Yesterday was a beautiful fall day, with a brilliant blue sky and bright sunshine ... a perfect day to venture out in hopes of capturing some of the beauty and charm of Vicksburg through my camera lens. The only problem is that everywhere you look there are historical landmarks, architectural works of art, monuments, elegant antebellum homes, and beautiful old "turn of the century" homes.

With so many wonderful places and things waiting for me and my camera, I was like "a kid in a candy store." But this kid had a plan. I want to share with you, through my pictures, why I love living in Vicksburg.

My adventure began on Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg.

This is the Biedenharn Candy Company, where
Coca Cola was first bottled in 1894 ...

These bikers chose a gorgeous day to tour Vicksburg ...

Downtown Vicksburg is very hilly and some of the old historical buildings and churches can be seen from miles away. I love these steeples poking through the treetops ...

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

The Old Courthouse Dome, which is blocks
away, can be seen behind the steeple.

First Presbyterian Church

St. Paul Catholic Church

First Baptist Church of Vicksburg

My next stop was this pretty boulevard
which is a couple of blocks from downtown.

There's a rose garden in the boulevard
and I stopped to smell these beauties ...

I love flags and thought these were
pretty against the church in the background ...

Here's another boulevard with a beautiful statue (you can see the
old Court House, which is blocks away, in the background) ...

I used my telephoto lens to capture this picture of the statue, with the Court House in the background, and was delighted with the results ...

My next stop was the Old Court House Museum, which you've seen in the backgrounds of several of my pictures.

The Old Court House, built in 1858, stands today as Vicksburg’s most historic structure, and is home to Confederate flags (including one that was never surrendered), the tie worn by Jefferson Davis at his inauguration as Confederate President, fine portraits, china and silver, exquisite antique furniture, the trophy antlers won by the steamboat Robert E. Lee in an 1870 race, antebellum clothing, toys, Indian and pioneer implements, and an original Teddy Bear given to a local child by Theodore Roosevelt. If you ever visit Vicksburg, the museum is a "must see," and I hope to feature it in a post soon, if I can get permission.

Notice the moon in the upper left corner of this picture ...

After I left the courthouse museum, I didn't have to drive far to find more treasures, such as the elegant Vicksburg City Hall, which was built in 1903 ...

I love the detailing around this window ...

This beautiful old building houses the Holy Cross Anglican Church ...

Here are a couple of close up views of the architectural details ...

Another architectural wonder is
the old downtown post office ...

Click on the pictures if you'd like to see the detailing up close ...

Unfortunately, the old post office building has been closed and I regret that I never went in it. I'm sure it was just as beautiful inside.

This beautiful old building was constructed
in 1894, and houses the Mississippi River Commission ...

I love these graceful fleur de lis finials on top ...

I have several more pictures I want to share, and will continue my "tour" in Part II. I hope you will join me ... but until then, I invite you to read some previous posts I've written about Vicksburg: A National Treasure: Vicksburg Military Park, The Gates of Vicksburg, The Monuments of Cedar Hill, and In the Arms of the Angels.

In closing, here are a few random pictures
from the streets of Vicksburg ...