After a very palatable lunch at Sweet Peppers Deli, my mommy and my deddy and I resumed our antebellum expedition by continuing on the Blue Tour. At Peppers, I had the most delectable thing on the menu (in my opinion…) the baked potato with cheese, bacon, butter…plethora of butter… and absolutely, positively, NO SOUR CREAM! I despise sour cream……One day, when I famous…I am going to walk into restaurants….they will seat me…and immediately serve me my baked potato with cheese, bacon, and extra butter…sans sour cream. I digress….

First Stop on the Blue Tour was Whitehall, circa 1843 two-story Greek-Revival Town House.  The current owners of Whitehall are Dr. and Mrs. Joe Boggess and family.

Mrs. Carol Boggess is the perfect Southern hostess, delightful storyteller, and just absolutely adorable!

This home has purple and red peek-a-boo glass surrounding the front entrance which allows people to see out, but not in.

The Boggess family has the bag containing all of the original keys of the home. How awesome!

 

A bullet was dug out of the front door during renovation. It’s assumed that it came from a carpetbagger’s gun during a riot…According to Merriam-Webster online, a carpetbagger was, “A Northerner in the South after the American Civil War usually seeking private gain under the reconstruction of governments.”  They carried all of their belongings in carpet bags, hence the name “carpetbaggers”!

Whitehall has the original radiators (which work)…this particular one in the dining room caught my eye because it has a bread warmer in it!

Here are a few interesting facts I learned about Whitehall while visiting there:

• The house was originally insulated with horse hair.
• Closets were added in the 1960s, and prior to that ginormous wardrobes were used because all rooms were taxed…and closets were considered rooms.
• The current master bedroom was once the ballroom.
• Upcyling has been around for a really long time…a piano was converted into a desk…and another piano was made into a table!

My family and I strolled on to the next stop on our pilgrimage journey, Colonnade Garden. The garden was built in the 1860s, and the current owners are Dr. and Mrs. Ryan Hill. The garden was very classy with a Southern flair.

The last stop on our adventure was Rosewood Manor. Rosewood was constructed in 1835, and it’s current owners are Mr. and Mrs. Dewitt Hicks…If you are a fan of antique porcelain then go here! If you’re clumsy…this is not the place for you!

Mrs. Hicks has an excessive, astronomical, staggering…(you would not want to stagger here!) collection of antique porcelain. Rosewood Manor is a showcase for what is probably one of the world’s largest collections of porcelain…I don’t mean to dwell on the word porcelain…it is something you have to see for yourself to understand….

My experience at the 72nd Annual Columbus Spring Pilgrimage was quite memorable, and I encourage all of you to make your own pilgrimage to Columbus, Mississippi next spring!

Check out Columbus, Mississippi online at www.columbus-ms.org

The next blog will be….*drum roll*…..wait for ittttttttt(Psych quote)……THRIFT STORE FINDS! YAYY!! I am very very VERY excited to share this thrifty find with y’all! So stay tuned to the VIP blog to see what nifty find I found while in Meridian, Mississippi! Speaking of Meridian….My family gained a new member today! Ella Ryleigh Williams, daughter of my cousin Melanie Eaves Williams…Ella is so precious, and I know my Paw Riley is proud to have her named after him:) I just love my Paw Riley sooo much! He is just like the coolest grandpa ever!

Love&Hugs

Abby Hat.