Friday, July 17, 2009

Windsor Ruins and Pink Crape Myrtles


It is time for us to go on a trip since it is Saturday. If anybody wants to post anything for Sightseeing Saturday, please enter your name and permalink below, after you published your post. Mr. Linky should be below my sightseeing post.


Last weekend, John took me and AJ for a ride through the Natchez Trace. Both AJ and I weren't too thrilled about it because it was so hot and we thought he was going to take us hiking. But instead, he surprised us with this sight!

You can click on this to enlarge so you can read all about it.
Located in Alcorn, MS just off of the Natchez Trace, the Windsor was built in 1859-1861 by a successful cotton planter, Smith Daniell, who was only in his 30's., but he died a few weeks after it was completed. It survived the civil war, only to be burned down to the ground by fire, after a guest left a lighted cigar on the upper balcony. Everything was destroyed except for 23 of the columns and balustrades. Aren't those Corinthian columns huge?
Can you spot me amongst those gigantic columns?

Plants are growing on top.



I thought this was pretty interesting and I am glad John took us there to see a little piece of history.

Driving back through the trace,

we spotted this bird.

and then it flew away.
For those who want to participate in Sightseeing Saturday, please enter your name and permalink below, after you have published your post. And please copy the Sightseeing logo and publish it on your blog so that people will know that you are participating.








For Pink Saturday, I would like to show you our crape myrtles in the front yard, They finally started blooming, though not in full bloom yet




I really appreciate you coming by for a visit. Thanks!

And I would like to thank everybody who participated Sightseeing Saturday. And thanks to Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday. Be sure to visit her and her participants and enjoy this beautiful color.

27 comments:

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Wow Christine, those columns were huge and you look so tiny. What a shame that it burned down, it was such a gorgeous place. I also love your crepe myrtles. We had some when we lived in Calif. and I just loved them. They won't grow here, just too hot. Yours are just gorgeous. Also, don't forget the "Cloche Party" is set for the 11th of Sept. I have a button on my sidebar, grab it to remind you. Hugs, Marty

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Thank you, that was really interesting and I love the pictures. Also your Cape Myrtles are beautiful.

Lady Katherine said...

Girl! You took the picture of what I was begging hubby to let me go take today so I could join you with your travels! lol First, There is a Mississippi Artist that painted Windsor Mansion as the day it stood. She made 750 prints of it I believe. I had signed and framed for my daughter. I so wanted to show her the Windsor Ruins picture too. Hubby said no it will be grown up by vines, he use to deer hunt in Rocky SPrings. We did stop by Owens Creek and see and hear the water fall again. I took photo's. Now, Hubby wanted me to ride to Louisiana for crawfish bait. Well he did not tell me it was 5 miles across the bridge or that we would be going to Natchez to cross over! I was thinking Vicksburg! We were in Natchez all day! I just walked in the door! I went to a Treasure City out on Hwy 61. I wanted to find a Marshalls or TJ Max. lol We went to Isle of Capri and ate, We had a flat tire on the way down, then leaving Natchez we had another tire going down! I am so tired! 149 miles from my house to Natchez! I wished I had know your number, I would have called. I fussed at Hubby when we hit the Natchez Trace! lol I'd love to borrow one of your Windsor Ruins photo to go with my daughter's print. I will have to go to her home and take a photo of it! Let me know! I will link back to you if. So sorry I did not get to see you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Christine! For a moment, I would have thought we were in Italy with those huge glorious columns! Thanks for popping in to see me,
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Queenie's Vintage Finds said...

Hey Christine!
I really enjoy seeing all of the places you travel to....I love history too! What a shame this place burned up due to a cigar left burning on the balcony. Can you just imagine the place in all it's splendid glory?! Thanks for taking me along with you today. I hope you have a great weekend!
Big Hugs,
Queenie~

P.S. I love your new pool...it's gorgeous! You and your family are really gonna enjoy it. I'll tell ya, I would love an in ground pool. If our pool would have been an in ground one, instead of a 27 foot above ground metal one...honey, I would have been glad to keep it.(remember when we disassembled it this year, and sold it, because of it's trouble and needing a new liner). I think the above ground pools are more trouble than the in ground pools, or so I've been told. Both my mother-in-law and my daddy have in ground pools and they really enjoy them alot. I am so happy for you Christine, I bet you love seeing the pretty blue water outside the windows of your home! It looks so refreshing! We all know you'll be staying cool this summer!

Lady Katherine said...

The 29 Column mansion, Windsor, when built took six hundred slaves and many skilled artisans from New England to complete the largest mansion in Mississippi. All the rooms were 19x20 and ceilings were 16 feet high. Draperies of red velvet with gold tiebacks and two marble bathtubs, where the water was piped into the bathrooms, which made Windsor a most luxurious home. The artist, I met twice outside of Laurel, MS when I was demostratiing spinning and weaving at Landrum's day after Thanksgiving. A great place to go. She left before I got to purchase a print! Well the next year she did not come, finally the third Year she did and I paid her and My daughter fell in love with it! Anyway Donna Kirkland Woods, painted a wonderful day scene of Windsor called "Days Gone By" I bought it near 8 years ago. Only 750 prints were made,and numbered. Donna signed my print( I think its a 16x20 Print) and mailed it me. Here is the info I have on Donna Kirkland Woods, she lived in Hattiesburg,Mississippi with her husband,Gary. telephone contact I have is 601-543-0340 She specializes in historic architecture. I hope you find her I have no internet site for her, but she could have one! Maybe she will have some prints left! I got mine after the third year of print! Hubby mad you are in Florida! lol I told him we could have been in Destin today! Soon maybe! Tons to do here! Go to surgery in mid Sept. I talked Doc into waiting. I want so much for all us Mississippi Southern Belles to get together before then. Do you have any free time in August? I had emails, asking just for lunch and maybe closer to Jackson to make us meet in the middle! I love to go to a Tea Room At edge of TN and Ms line! lol But Jackson OK with me. I need find a great place to eat! I jealous about the dinner on the yacht!We always rent boats down there to spend a day on. Hubby goes deep sea fishing too. We stay at the Jetty East Condo's, in Destin on Holiday Isle. For you can go to beach, pools, ocean, fishing, and snorkeling from just a little walk. Hubby loves to go to the board walk, and see the daily catch as it comes in around 5pm. There's a sign there with a shark,you put your head in for photo's, telling about the movie Jaws was made there. Hope info helps! I gone to bed! lol Also we love to eat at AJ at night, and Whales Tail for Breakfast! Now I off to bed!

Regina said...

Wow. Totally awesome.
Thanks for sharing Christine.
Happy PS.
Regina

Chandy said...

Those are such gorgeous ruins, Christine! What an oxymoron, huh? Gorgeous Ruins? LOL Anyway they must have been just fabulous to look at in their heyday. And those pink crepe myrtles are so cool. We have a lot here, too!

Justine said...

Oh wow, it's really amazing that everything was lost but all of those mighty columns are still standing. How cool!

I love crape myrtles. Only problem is having to cut them down in the winter.

Justine :o )

Candy said...

What a shame to lose such a beauty. And the young builder didn't even get to enjoy it. A lesson to us all...'you build bigger barns and do not know that tonight your soul is required of thee' THE JOURNEY is the trip...sight seeing along the way and don't focus too much on the destination.

Loved the tour, Candy

SmilingSally said...

Mississippi is so full of history and beauty!

We have tons of crepe myrtles, but we've had tons of rain. Happy Pink Saturday!

♥Mimi♥ said...

♥Happy Pink Satuday♥
Really cold (50s) in upper Michigan today with a dark sky. I need all the pink I can get this morning. Thanks so much for helping lift my spirits!

Wishing you a weekend filled with sunshine and happiness.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Christine, I knew the last descendant of Windsor's original owner. The man was born in that house. He died many years ago, but he was a very interesting man. The ruins of the house were also featured in the movie "Rain Tree County" with Elizabeth Taylor or at least the stairs were which have been moved to a college nearby. I have ancestry from that area, and during the time that house was standing, members of my family attended parties there, including my great grandfather's brother who wrote about it. Mark Twain used it as a site on the river. This made me smile to see it. Thanks for sharing. I'm not traveling much this year due to a variety of reasons, but I love to armchair travel with you!

Your crepe myrtles are lovely!

XO,

Sheila :-)

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Correction... I knew the last descendant who was born in the house. Not the last descendant. I'm sure they had many descendants! LOL!

XO,

Sheila :-)

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Christine, you might want to copy this into your browser. It has two drawings of the house before it burned.

http://forgotten-mississippi.com/2009/02/24/windsor-ruins-claiborne-county-ms/

Allidink said...

Well that is beautiful! I love history and those ruins are so neat. I am so bummed that the house burned down though. Pretty flowers!

All the best,
Allison

Salmagundi said...

Those columns are amazing! Pretty pinks, also. Sally

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

That was so interesting. Wouldn't you have loved to have seen it when the house was still standing? If the columns look like that, I can just imagine what the house looked like. laurie

Tara said...

Those columns are gorgeous. That place must have been amazing when it was standing, and HUGE! They used to make columns so intricate back then. I much prefer old architecture to the new steel and glass structures they make now days. Your bush looks like it will be beautiful when it gets all it's blooms on it. Happy Pink day and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

cedwards55 said...

Hi Christine, Thanks for the sight-seeing tour. The photos are amazing. Thanks also for the birthday wishes over at Vicky's.
Carol

Tootsie said...

those columns are gorgeous!!! I wish there was more history like that around !!!
have a wonderful weekend!

Room Service ~ Decorating 101 said...

great ideals c/x ! I found this photo on another blog and it was posted as a room that went way wrong. I however thought it had some charm and was not nearly as bad as they were making it out to be. I stood alone ! Wanted to know what my readers would say about it. Thanks again

Kim @ Starshine Chic said...

What a great place to visit. The columns are fabulous. Too bad the house survived the Civil War only to burn down later. But the ruins are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I will try to join in on your blog party next week (if I remember). This sounds like a fun meme. I love sightseeing.

Katie said...

An amazing post! Happiest of Pink Saturdays to you!

The Old Parsonage said...

Wow, I love sightseeing with you! That was a great post!! I came for PS, but really loved the entire post!

Please stop by The Old Parsonage anytime, I love company!

Enjoy your day!
Leann

Dreamgirl said...

Beautiful pictures!

I'll have to check out Sightseeing Saturday... like that concept.
Found you through Beverly.
I was going to send you a Happy Pink Saturday, but that's a little late now... so have a happy pink and sunny week!

Please come by and see my pink Saturday post:

http://sweeterliving.blogspot.com/2009/07/pink-saturday-shoes-shoes-shoes-or-how.html

Take care and enjoy your life!

Greetings from Spain!

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

wow! so amazing! ...sad that the owner died so young and that the beautiful columns are all that is left.

thankyou also to quintessential magpie for the added facts.

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