Living in the past

Southern Living, Apr 2000 by Kunstel, Stacy

People on pilgrimage say to me they could live in this house," says Debbie Sprouse, who lives in an 1845 antebellum cottage with her husband Mike, and 11-yearold son, Jacob, in Aberdeen, Mississippi.

Although the house is filled with antiques and Oriental rugs, "We've never kept any part of the house off-limits to Jacob," she says. "We want comfortable things. If you can't use it, what use is it?"

That's the prevailing attitude of homeowners during the 25th Annual Aberdeen Pilgrimage. Just north of Columbus and not far from the Alabama state line, this small town of 7,000 puts on a big weekend show April 7-9 that offers more than just pretty properties. While some house tours in Mississippi offer glimpses into pristinely preserved museum structures, Aberdeen houses help answer those real-life wonderings: Where do they keep the piles of bills, the wastepaper basket, the pictures of the kids, and the soccer schedule?

Aberdeen residents like to emphasize that these are not just showplaces; they're real homes. Like other pilgrimages, residents dress in period costume and talk about history, but they also share their modem lives.

"We try for various sizes and ages of homes," says Susan Evans, director of the Aberdeen Visitors Bureau. "But most of all, we try to present real, lived-in homes."

Holliday Haven, an 1850 white-columned mansion owned by Tom Seymer, features furniture and even clothing original to the structure. Tom sleeps in a gorgeous bedroom with a full-tester bed and will even show you his modernized, although antique-themed, bath. Though some of the upstairs rooms look like mini museums displaying clothing and women's accessories from the era, this show-home atmosphere doesn't prevent Tom from hosting family barbecues and opening the house to visitors.

Aptly named Shadowlawn (the owners could easily hide an elephant among the long-branched magnolias in the front yard), Kathy and Bob Seymour's 1863 Victorian home features period antiques and Kathy's antique quilt collection. But the couple also has some wonderful non-Victorian touches. Family photos and artwork, as well as a modern kitchen, pool, and a computer room, complement rather than compete with the historic structure.

Call it a reality check pilgrimage. But Aberdeen's found a way to honor its past without changing its present lifestyle. Stacy Kunstel Aberdeen Pilgrimage: April 7-9. Prices: $12 to tour 3 homes; $36 to tour all 11. For more information: Aberdeen Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 288, Aberdeen, NIS 39730; 1-800-634-3538.