Mississippi History

Oh. OK. You're. The Mississippi governor's mansion. LULU. Who knew. You know. For your semester project in Mississippi history I want each of you to do a presentation on a building or all the structure that is important to the history of our state whether it's our very own county courthouse or the old capital. Well the new capital these buildings tell us something about being Mississippi. And now ladies and gentleman it's time to pick something from this list.

OK and who's interested in the governor's mansion. All right Casey in May. Are you going to work on this together. Last. Are you sure you don't want to work together on this. I'm sure I'm at work on my own. Me too. I like to set my own pace. Yeah and I don't want anyone holding me. All right. You do. You can each do separate projects on the governor's mansion. I'm sure they'll be very unique. It. Occupied an 18 point lead to the Mississippi covering this mansion of the second

oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the United States. Imagine 75 It was designated as the national historical landmark of the United States Department of the. Do you reckon it has that story in the second executive mansion to receive this on January 17th 18th that the Mississippi legislature appropriated funds to build a capitol building in a suitable house for the great chief executive. You may believe. Me. Thanks really right. Most of my meetings only to take about an hour that get enough time. I'm a documentary filmmaker mom. We're back I'm sorry I keep forgetting how majorly cool you want me. To. A list. MAG. Get you to call it did you have to schedule a tour of the mansion. It's politicking here and but. I'm a.

Bayani. Welcome everyone welcome to the Mississippi governesses. Today youre going to learn about this great building and why we as and. Take. Pride in. Construction on the mansion began in 1839 and was completed in 1842. I'm standing on the front portico. As you can see the style of the columns and the semi circular shape of the portico the mansion was designed in the Greek Revival style that style was very popular at the time the mansion was built. The mansion was designed by a highly respected architect named William Nettles. Back in 1835 governor Hiram Lionel's. Appointed Mr. Nichols to be Mississippi State architect. He also designed the ICM building which still stands on the Ole Miss

campus. He also designed the Mississippi Capitol now known as the cat. Of the Mississippi penitentiary. Among others. Mr. Nichols a native of Bath England had previously served as state architect in both North Carolina and Alabama. But of all the buildings Nichols designs in his long and distinguished Mississippi cleverness mansion in the Capitol I consider his praise. It's a. Coup. This is the foyer. If you look around you'll see that it has eight sides. That's why we call it an octagonal room. Now look at the corner smoldering around the foyer. This design is typical of the Greek Revival style. Do you see the detailed wooden carving on the Architrave above the doorway. That's a stylized honeysuckle design just like the designs you might find on a

temple in ancient Greece. Despite the impressive design and construction of the mansion some of the first governors who live there are frustrated by the lack of furnishings. In a letter to his wife in January 1850 Gov. John F. me quick when I wrote I'm sorry to say that he will mention is not in as good order or foreigners as I expected. He then had his wide green linens towels Lakin's and their china set and the years that followed. The state legislature was able to appropriate more money to properly furnish the mansion. Thing came the Civil War during the Civil War a number of Jackson's buildings were damaged or destroyed. Fortunately the governor's mansion survived but in the years following the Civil War the state had little money for even the most basic repaid

by the late 18 hundreds. The governor's mansion have fallen into a state of disrepair. The leaking roof and smoke damage from the basement heating system are two of the most serious problem. By the time Governor Edwin no whale was elected in 19 I was seven when the recipients were calling for the mansion to be sold or even demolished by government oh well it was not well believe their mansions should be preserved or renovated and not for the renovation which took place in mighty no way remind I have a governor's mansion today. Why is my documentary is really getting worse. Don't worry it'll be a great one. For you. You don't want a research grant to research

a track. Research. Thank you for so thanks. Right. But. I don't have. One. I'm fine. So how was your trip to Jackson. It was great I got a lot of good footage from good. So do you think you'll be able to do a good presentation with all the footage. I guess. I mean imagine it's an incredible building. I got kind of tired of the story. I'm not exactly sure presentational. Doesn't Know. But. I might try to make another trip to shoot some more footage. And you could do some research at the Department of Archives and History. That's not really my characters. Thanks for the suggestion. Just trying to. Write a contract but. On my desk probably Wednesday

morning. Hardbody type. Pet. Did you get my email. Of your rough draft. I did. Well. It's extremely. Well researched well written. You've done a good job. But you're not crazy about it. Let me ask you this. How does the governor's mansion make you feel about. Being a Mississippi. What does it mean to you personally. Maybe you ought to take a trip to Jackson and see the mansion first. But that about I do but I mean is the information age. I can see it all over my computer. You can see it sure. But can you really experience it. Wilson here. Tommy you know how this thing works. You must be Kate. Yes man. I miss you. I'll be taking you on your

tour. Wow. I never have my own province or anything. Well it won't exactly be. Private. We have one other guest joining us today. Oh. It's you. Yes it's me. Nice surprise. Well. I'm glad to see that you too are already acquainted. Let's get started. In case you didn't know this is called front portico. It's in the Greek Revival. That's right. In the early 1900s there was a real fascination with ancient Greece. That explains the Corinthian columns. And the car capitals at the top. They can't the sleek design of course. Of course you know it's funny. I always knew this building was why but I saw in the picture look

almost yellow it was yellow from the time of the night to know it renovation up until Governor Johnson's charm in the 1940s Mississippi had a yellow brick governor's mansion. She got you on that one. But you really knew it. I think. I did so. We'll begin our tour today in the following year. Look here in the center of the foyer you'll see the pedestal table. This is an example of the Empire style function. We'll move on from the go. Here. Is the governor home today. I think so but we probably won't run into the Governor on this tour. You see we're in what we call the historical section. This part was designed by William Nichols and completed in 1840 to the governor's office and the family living areas are in the Annex that's been added

behind the original structure. The governor doesn't actually live here. The governor lives in the mansion. Yes but not in the historical section. The historical areas sometimes used for special events and state dinners but mainly it's for the public to tour and enjoy after all this house it belongs to every Mississippi. This is the State Dining Room. The governor hosted a dinner here just last week for some visiting dignitaries. People visit here. Sure. Ever heard of the Hall of Fame baseball player Ty Cobb. Well. How about Billy Graham and General Douglas MacArthur. And Jefferson Davis. Stay here. They were entertained in these very rooms. And if they spent the night

they slept in the guest bedrooms upstairs. Well. Before you two were born Lyndon Johnson visited the mansion too. But that was before he became president of the United States. And. There was a young congressman from Massachusetts who once stayed in this room. Ever heard of. John F. Kennedy. JFK President Kennedy he visited the mansion just three years before he was elected president. I only have the green bedroom. So all this furniture has been here since the early days of the mansion of course. But it's so authentic looking. Well. In a sense you're both right. The furniture is from the historical period but most of it's not the original furniture

from the mansion the original furniture disappeared after the Civil War right. A lot of it did disappear. You see during the Civil War the state government had to flee Jackson first enterprise was named as the capital then Macon then Columbus and then Macon again. So how did the furniture disappear. Was it some of the photos were supposed to be stored in Macon. That's right. At the end of the Civil War Jackson once again became the capital city governor Benjamin Humphrey sent someone to Macon to retrieve the furniture for the governor's mansion. But it was gone gone completely disappeared. Very Hullo. Let me show you something else that's pretty cool. The 19 0 8 renovation was an important step in the history of the

mansion. But some important aspects of William Nichols original ideas were changed. It wasn't until the mansion was restored in the 1970s that we were able to discover some of these original features. Like what. Like this. By looking at William Nichols records. The team that restored the mansion knew there had been sliding doors here in the eighteen hundreds. So they put the sliding doors back on the mound. That's right. They were hidden in the walls in 19 away these wonderful sliding doors were cased in the doorway hiding them for more than 60 years. The restorers also removed the flooring that had been put down in one thousand OOA and rediscovered the original heart pine floor. In my research about being painted. You're

absolutely right about that case. This is it. That's a stencil pattern that once formed a decorative border around a rug. Very. OK. OK truce if you want. You can help me with my documentary or of you or you can help me with my research paper. Or. Whatever. So as a mom pick you up. No she dropped me off but I've got another ride back. Ma guy's got a long way to drag. Me. By the. Head of the past. I guess I'm just above the. Wrist. Thing. Going. On. Hold the key people in the 1970s to the 1970s

with stories of. Governor and Mrs. William Waller of course Governor Waller even made restoration part of his campaign platform and then there was Charlotte capers principal executive of the restoration project. And then there was Albert Hillier the director of the Department of Archives and History. And. Child's future soon lost office historian restoration news and workplace and Joan was the expert on here and. If you already knew that why did you ask me. To sue you. Empire style furniture. Well described. Really it was a major stab it with Jones post to write. The most popular time of the moment and it complements the book to.

Correct some of the upper house of the mansion on a French restoration revival and Renaissance revival. OK I can read to you know I was just testing you. Yeah we have to put this presentation on in the morning. Just to watch. You. He.

Was. Working his arm. So I was wondering. Thinking you help you.