The Governor's Mansion; Mississippi History

Oh. OK. You're. The Mississippi governor's mansion. You. Know who. 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 or 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. Lance. 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 back. All right you two you can each do separate projects on the governor's mansion. I'm sure they'll be very unique. It's. Occupied in 1842 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 the United States Department of the period. I can attest that some of the second executive mansion to receive this on January 17th 18th is the Mississippi legislature appropriated funds to build a capitol building in a suitable house for the base. She'd say thank you. You may believe. Me. Thanks really right. Most of my meetings only to take about an hour that you can have time. I'm a documentary filmmaker mom. We're back. I'm sorry I keep forgetting how majorly cool you watch me. Look at the bottom of. A little. Bag. Get you to call ahead. Did you have to schedule a tour of the mansion. You told me you're here. I'm a.

Bayani. Welcome everyone welcome to the Mississippi governesses. Today you're going to learn about this great building and why we as if you. 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 stand. 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 Runnels. 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

OK. 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 designed in his long and distinguished Mississippi cleverness mansion in the Capitol I consider his grays. 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 Anthony quipped when I wrote I'm sorry to say the executive mansion is not in as good order or furnished as I expected. He then had his wide green linens towels and napkins and their china set. In 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 eighteen hundred. 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 and I'm in no way I was elected in my teens I was 7 when the recipients were calling for the mansion to be sold or even demolished by government not well and was now well believe their mantra should be preserved or renovated and not for the renovation which took place in mighty no way we might not have a governor's mansion today. Why is my documentary is really getting worse. Don't worry it'll be great. For you. You don't want to research research research so they track. Your research. Thank you 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. You know. I'm not exactly sure presentational. Doesn't Know. But. I might try to make another trip to shoot some more footage. Or. You could do some research at the Department of Archives and History. That's not really my style. My characters are. Just trying to. Tell me. I mean Wednesday morning.

Hardbody type. Did you get my email. Of your rough draft. Right. Well. It's extremely. Well researched well written. You've done of the 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 see the mansion first. Of the dead. Well I do but I mean is the information age. I can see though 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 ma'am. 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 carved capitals at the top. We can't this leap design of course of course. You know it's funny. I always knew this building was why but I saw the picture look

almost yellow it was yellow from the time of the night to know it renovation up until Governor Johnson's term in the 1940s Mississippi had a yellow brick governor's mansion. She got you on that one. But you really knew it. And it is. True. I did so. Just. 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 furniture will move on in from the go. There. 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 NSX that's been added behind the original structure.

So 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. Now 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 they 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 make it 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 you know. 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 1908 and rediscovered the original heart pine floor. In my research about being painted. You're

absolutely right about that Casey. This is a mock. 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 a view on how you can help me with my research paper. 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 drive that. I've. Had not the past. I guess I'm just above the. Wrist. Of it. All. Hold the key people in the 1970s to the 1970s

with stories from. 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 Hilliard the director of the Department of Archives and History. And. Child's future soon lost office a historian Restorationists and workplace and Jones was the expert on here good for her and. If you already knew that why did you ask me. To sue you. Empire style furniture. Well described. Really. It was from a just out it with Jones poster right. It was popular time to be an economist. We would love

to. Correct some of the up apologist cells from the mansion on the 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 art. So I was wondering the same. Thing to help you.