Monday 11 July 2016

Discovering The Historic Waverly Mansion

By Peter Powell


There is a historic plantation near West Point, Mississippi now open to visitors. As Mississippi is one of the original slave states, this historic location has a rather bleak history as it pertains to the establishment of the country. For, construction only began on the Waverly mansion in the 1840s. After which, the project was not complete until 1852.

As far as the structure goes, many believe the interior and exterior to be amazing works of art. Beginning with the octagonal rotunda, the layout and design combine various elements. Some of which include technology, history and ornamental aspects. Built in the tradition of Jefferson, the entire property boasts the ultimate when it comes to early American architecture. As a result, the property received national historic status in 1973.

With the stairs cantilevering four stories, it is also a rather utilitarian design. In fact, the rotunda, stairway, cupola and hallway elements are considered unique. Each of these features can be seen first hand by participating in one of the many ongoing tours of the home. While generally open to the public during specific hours, private tours are also available upon request.

In the late 1800s, the original owner George Hampton Young, a colonel from Georgia passed down the property to descendants. During early days at the mansion, the plantation was self sufficient. At that time, the owners grew or made everything which was considered necessary. Some of which included energy, textiles, meat, produce and other items such as clothing and home decor.

Now, nearly 150 to 200 years later, some local plantations are still operating. Whereas, there are also a number of modern families living in the area. As such, many now visit West Point, Mississippi, eight miles to the east for all these necessities and more. For those traveling with children, it can often be good to explain the past and present history of the area before arrival.

West Point, Mississippi, is a small town eight miles east of the plantation. While the town has a very limited amount of water and only minimal land acreage, there are a number of area parks, ponds, rivers and other fishing spots which boasts everything from bass fishing competitions to fisherman catching sand dabs and catfish for local residents and restaurants.

Being that the area is also home to Howlin Wolf, whom many believe to be one of the great blues musicians of all time, there is also a museum dedicated to this artist. In fact, there is a blues festival which occurs every Friday night of each Labor Day weekend to honor Howlin Wolf. After which, the blues festival is followed by a Prairie Arts festival in which a number of local artists show off and sell various art work and other items.

Visitors and residents alike love these two festivals over the course of one holiday weekend. In addition, its one of the only family friendly events to take place in the area. As such, it is often quite popular with the local teenage crowd, music lovers and those with small children. It should be noted that mosquitoes and other insects can be plentiful in this area. As such, it is always advised that people bring sun hats, sunscreen, bug repellent and wear long sleeves and pants to protect against bites.




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