A Place Called Canton -- Part III

This is my third and final post featuring the beautiful town of Canton, Mississippi. If you would like to read and see the pictures in my first two posts, click here for Part I, and here for Part II.

Today's tour begins with Grace Episcopal Church, ca 1853, which is the oldest church structure in Canton. I love the simplicity of its architectural lines and the red doors that greet its congregation and visitors.

Each of the stained glass windows along the side of the church has a unique inset ...

The next church I visited was the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

I was amazed by the exquisite mosaic tile work gracing its entrance ... it is truly a work of art (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like).

As I stood in the street taking pictures of the church, I just happened to look down and saw these sweet little blue wildflowers growing through the cracks of the pavement. You never know when you're going to find lagniappe, and these precious little flowers were mine that day.

My next stop was the Canton Cemetery, which is located next to the old jail.

It seems to have been the original cemetery for the town, with the earliest date of 1777. Many stones have disappeared, and there are countless unmarked graves. It has a Confederate Soldiers section, with about 200 names listed, and in the center of the cemetery square is a marker which reads: "In memory of those who sleep in unmarked graves." Unfortunately, that was one of the pictures I didn't get.

Here are a few more I did manage to capture with my camera, though.

I always notice fences wherever I go, and I love this old iron fence that enclosed part of the cemetery. I wish I knew how old it is ...

This concludes my tour of "a place called Canton." I enjoyed capturing some of its charm and beauty with my camera, and would love to go back someday to get some of the pictures I overlooked and wish I had taken (preferably early in the morning when the town is still sleeping).

If you enjoyed these posts about Canton, you may like to read my photo tours of Yazoo City and Raymond, Mississippi.

If you are ever in central Mississippi, I hope you will take the time to visit Canton and experience its charm, history, and southern hospitality for yourself. You can find detailed visitor information at its Convention and Visitors Bureau web site.