Southern Spring - touring antebellum mansions in the Southern United States

Travel America, Nov, 2000 by Darlene P. Copp

A Pilgrimage Through The Old South

Mansion tours pay tribute to the South's antebellum past

In the throes of the Great Depression, Garden Club members of Natchez, Mississippi, diligently planned the Natchez Pilgrimage of Spring 1932. Nationwide, they promoted a journey to "where the Old South still lives." Wearing their grandmothers' hoopskirted dresses, they swished tourists through 24 houses. Even though hard times had left the grand houses in disrepair, these enterprising women correctly calculated that the mansions could be a lucrative tourist draw.

Then as now, the magnificent old houses hold a palpable record of the antebellum South. As 19th century planters and merchants prospered from the slave-driven plantation system, they aimed to outdo each other in the extravagance of their homes. Today's "pilgrims" come to see the legacy from that lavish era, from architectural masterpieces and decorative heirlooms, to pages out of the past and glimpses of gracious Southern lifestyles.

Before long the Natchez Pilgrimage grew into a month-long event, added a fall version, and became a model for home tours throughout Mississippi and in neighboring states. Here are some of the more prominent pilgrimages staged during the Deep South's loveliest time of the year.

MISSISSIPPI. With more than 600 antebellum properties, it's no wonder that nearly three dozen houses are listed on the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage schedule. Some can be toured year-round, but at least half are viewable only during pilgrimage. For evening enjoyment, choose the 65-year-old Confederate Pageant, a gala that honors the Pilgrimage Queen; a pilgrimage spoof called "Southern Exposure," created in the 1960s; or, since the 1980s, a musical tribute to African-Americans, "Southern Road to Freedom." But those architectural grande dames and their stories really steal the show. The 1838 Green Leaves, for instance, has been in the same family since 1849 and retains its original furnishings. Montaigne, built by an anti-secessionist Confederate general in 1855, was converted into a stable by Union soldiers.

Squeeze in a visit to the Natchez National Historical Park, which gives less romanticized tours of an Old South estate. Definitely splurge on a stay in one of more than 40 bed & breakfasts, where your history lessons will continue well into the night. 2001 pilgrimage dates: March 7-April 7 (800-647-6742).

Like Natchez, Vicksburg overlooks the Mississippi River. After a 47-day siege by General Grant, however, Vicksburg lost many of its treasures. What remains is priceless, including the impressive Old Court House Museum, a National Historic Landmark. Most pilgrimage homes are year-round tour homes that double as bed & breakfasts. Reserve a half day to see Vicksburg National Military Park, an unforgettable battlefield. 2001 pilgrimage dates: March 24-April 7 (800-221-3536).

Columbus, like Natchez, never saw fighting and, hence, has preserved more than 100 antebellum homes. The Columbus Historic Foundation organizes at least a dozen home tours that might include The Haven, a raised cottage built by free men of color, and Waverley Plantation, a National Historic Landmark with an inspiring restoration story. Students from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science present "Tales from the Crypt" on several evenings. At gravesides, they portray persons interred in Friendship Cemetery whose lives they researched for their history grade! A "Pilgrimage to Antebellum Homes & History of Columbus" is planned for March 28-April 8 (800-327-2686).

More than one story explains why Holly Springs was spared the torch, despite 62 raids. The most likely credits the safety of Grant's family while he used the town to plan his Vicksburg campaign. Of 64 antebellum houses, a half dozen are opened during a weekend event, including twin-towered Walter Place, where General and Mrs. Grant lived. The 63rd annual Holly Springs Pilgrimage takes place in April (662-252-2943).

Spring Pilgrimage along the Mississippi Gulf Coast covers several communities and is free of charge. Tours of "homes, gardens, and historic places" celebrates its 54th season March 8-17, with a theme that even includes the Stennis Space Center. Get details on "Discovery Ships to Rocket Ships: 2001, An Historical Odyssey" by calling 800-237-9493.

LOUISIANA. A pleasant hour's drive from Natchez, St. Francisville inspired John James Audubon to paint 80 of his famous folios. Each year the West Feliciana Historical Society designs a thematic tour of homes and gardens known as the Audubon Pilgrimage. Besides 1799 Oakley Plantation, where Audubon lived in 1821, the 2000 selections told post-war stories of both hardship and prosperity. The 30th Audubon Pilgrimage happens March 16-18, 2001 (225-635-6330).

Sponsored by Ascension Parish, "Treasures of the River Road" Spring Pilgrimage showcases stunning plantation houses. This year's tour of six included two Greek Revivals: L'Hermitage, circa 1812, surrounded by 24 Doric columns; and the 1841 Ashland-Belle Helene with 32 giant pillars, considered one of the grandest plantation homes ever built. The next is planned for March 31-April 1 (888-775-7990).