Sepia Potpourri

Today I'd like to share a few of my pictures I converted to sepia tone, which makes them look as if they belong in the pages of an old photograph album.

Gibbes Country Store, Learned, Mississippi

Building in Learned

Baum Statue, with Court House in Background
Vicksburg, Mississippi

Ceres Plantation Barn, Flowers, Mississippi

Country Road near Bovina, Mississippi

Carriage Doors, Vicksburg

Cotton Boll

Gingko Tree at Vicksburg National Cemetery
Vicksburg National Military Park

Water Tower, Bovina, Mississippi

Church Bell
St. Marks Episcopal Church, Circa 1854
Raymond, Mississippi

Rosalie, Natchez

Natchez Under-the-Hill

Mailbox, Old Highway 80, near Vicksburg

Urn at old cemetery off the Natchez Trace

Radio Station Sign, Canton, Mississippi

Department Store, Canton, Mississippi

I love the way sepia tones can totally change the look of a photograph and make the subject look as if it is from another place in time. Some of the places shown in the above photos are very old, but some of them are not. Can you tell the old ones from the new?

The Historic Houses of Canton

I was browsing through my computer files in search of inspiration for a post for today, and came across some pictures I'd like to share.

In October of 2009, I visited Canton, Mississippi, home of the prestigious Canton Flea Market, and featured the quaint little town in a three-part photo tour. If you would like to read those posts, you can click on the links below:

A Place Called Canton
Canton Part II
A Place Called Canton, Part III

Today's post features some of the beautiful old houses in Canton, beginning with the Priestley House, a 19th century Greet Revival house, which was built in 1852, as the home of Dr. James Priestley, one of Canton's early physicians and first postmaster.

Next, is this grand old Victorian, ca 1896. Known as "Vanity Castle," the house is currently for sale. At Christmastime, the owners display a little carousel on the porch gazebo. (If you would like to see the details of these old homes, you can click on the pictures)

Wohlden House, ca 1828

This is my favorite house in Canton. Not only is the house magnificent, the grounds are absolutely breathtaking.

This stately little house is on the grounds of Wohlden House. I would love to know its history.

Mosby House, ca 1852-1865

If you ever go to the Canton Flea Market (the Fall flea market is October 14th), be sure and take time to drive by these old treasures. The Victorian is on the main street running through town (Peace Street), and the rest are in the historic residential area a block off of Peace Street. You won't be disappointed.

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.

Canton -- Part II

This week I'm featuring Canton, Mississippi, and today's post highlights some of the colorful historic buildings around the Square, and also some of the old houses in the historic district. If you missed my post from yesterday and would like to read it, you can click here.

Be sure and check out my blogging friend Marty Kittrell's blog to see Canton from his perspective, too.

All of the buildings around Canton's Square are interesting, but I especially like the ones shown below (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like). You can see from the dates on some of them that they are quite old.

I love the windows and ornate architectural details on this building, and like the way it looks in the sepia tones below.

I love this whimsical little art gallery, and there's a lot of truth in its sign ... it did make me smile ...

The post office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

I love the age-worn patina of the hardware on the post office doors ...

Any time I visit a town with the idea of taking pictures, I like to get off the beaten path at some point and check out the backs and sides of the buildings along its main street. And I never fail to find something of interest ... to me, at least. For example, old faded signs advertising products or businesses that have faded away, too.

And vine-covered windows ...

And, even though the back of this building is not picturesque, it's as much, if not more, a part of the building's history as its pretty storefront side. Just look at all the "character" it has!

This building isn't very pretty either ...

... but upon closer inspection, I discovered that at sometime during its history, it must have been home to the local Sears Roebuck store (perhaps a catalog store?).

I'd like to share some pictures of just a few of the many beautiful old houses in the historic district of Canton. This first picture is of the 19th century Greet Revival Priestley House, which was built in 1852, as the home of Dr. James Priestley, one of Canton's early physicians and first postmaster.

This is one of my favorite houses in Canton. It is called the "Vanity Palace-Fields Home," and at Christmastime, the owner sets up a little carousel in the porch gazebo.

[If you would like to read a very interesting note I received from a lady who grew up in the Vanity Palace, please scroll down to the bottom of this post.]

Mosby House, ca 1852-1865

Wohlden House, ca 1828

How would you like to have a driveway like this one greet you every time you come home?

This beautiful little house is on the grounds of Wohlden House, and I would love to know its history.

One of the oldest houses in Canton is this primitive log cabin that was constructed between 1820 and 1830, according to experts at the State Archives Department of Mississippi. The Madison County Historical Society moved it to its present location (behind the old Madison County Jail), restored it in 1985, and furnished it with period artifacts.

The old Madison County Jail was built in 1870 and was in use for 99 years. It now houses the Historical Society.

For tomorrow: Churches and Cemetery

The following is a note I received from a lady who grew up in Vanity Palace, the grand old Victorian house featured above. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your memories and the history of its restoration by your dad. My father purchased this house for our family when I was 6 six years old. It was in terrible condition at the time and had been left empty for years. He had to redo the foundation (b/c the house had fallen on one side). My dad had a vision and fell in love with this house. My mom was questionable and wondered what in the world he was thinking at the time. My mom and dad worked on the house throughout the years. I remember my mom sewing the drapes for every window. The drapes were massive – tassels and all. The wooden floors were black. My dad sanded the floors and said if he ruined them then he would just replace them. Once he sanded the floors, the wooden pieces were remarkable. Each piece of wood around the border were delicately placed in patterns of different colors of wood. The floor was breath-taking as you can imagine how long this took someone to lay these patterns (I’m not sure if the fire that happened years later destroyed the floor?). If you notice the small wooden pieces above the front stairs above the eaves ... my dad glued each piece back on the house (they were broken off and had fallen when we purchased the house). They are the original pieces. It is so funny because he glued them with Elmer’s glue and they are still there! There was a beautiful urn that used to sit on a large concrete block in front of the gazebo and yes, he repaired the urn with Elmer’s also! I’m not sure what happened to the urn? My parents replaced all the missing porch spindles with the legs of stools that originated from an old furniture factory – they didn't match but close enough he said. The house was a masterpiece when they finished and was open to the public during Christmas and through garden club tours. My sister had her wedding reception in this house during the 70’s and over 500 people attended --- I think their intention was to see the house …. It was enjoyable growing up in our home. I lived there until I married and moved. We had large family events in our home during the holidays and entertained just about every weekend. My parents sold the house to a couple and my parents retired out of town. The house burned while the couple owned it and the fire destroyed the original delicate Victorian staircase. The couple that purchased the burned house did a wonderful job of remodeling the house but I’m not sure if the front staircase was ever built back to its original showcase. I guess sometimes we have sentimental recollections by attaching ourselves to elements of the past. Good memories and the best childhood one could ever imagine in that old house. Anyway, thanks for showcasing our beautiful home. I will always consider it my family’s home and “Vanity Castle-The Fields Home”. I don’t think it would have ever been cherished as much as it is today if my dad didn't have a vision to purchase this old, dilapidated, fallen home --- he had a vision that has continued to be treasured today by other families so they can create their own wonderful memories.