Although Mississippi’s antebellum architecture has received wide attention, its late nineteenth-century architectural legacy often goes unrecognized. In 187 full-color photographs Victorian Houses of Mississippi showcases a selection of 143 houses that exemplify Victorian tastes in residential design. Close-ups of some of the homes reveal the high level of craftsmanship that went into their design and construction along with such specific details as beautiful spindlework, elaborate gable ornamentation, and striking dormers. Equally impressive are the gorgeous pastel colors that many of the homes still feature. Architectural historian Richard J. Cawthon summarizes the history of Mississippi’s late Victorian residential architecture and provides captions for Sherry Pace’s photographs. The houses depicted exemplify the Italianate, the Queen Anne, the Gothic Revival, the Second Empire, and the Shingle styles. Many of Mississippi’s major towns and cities are represented, and all of the homes in Victorian Houses of Mississippi are documented by the Historic Preservation Division of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. This photographic survey of Mississippi is a tour of the state that will be of interest to anyone who cares about its history and architectural legacy. Featuring homes in: Aberdeen, Anguilla, Batesville, Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Blue Mountain, Bogue Chitto, Brookhaven, Canton, Carrollton, Centreville, Clinton, Columbus, Como, Corinth, Crystal Springs, DeSoto, Edwards, Enterprise, Fernwood, Fulton, Gallman, Grenada, Hattiesburg, Hazlehurst, Hernando, Holly Springs, Jackson, Kosciusko, Laurel, Lexington, Macon, Madison, Magnolia, McHenry, Meridian, Moss Point, Natchez, Oxford, Pascagoula, Port Gibson, Rienzi, Ripley, Rosedale, Sardis, Senatobia, Starkville, Vicksburg, Water Valley, Wesson, West, West Point, Winona, Woodville, and Yazoo City Sherry Pace of Madison County, Mississippi, is a freelance outdoor photographer. Her work has appeared in the Best of Photography Annual 2001. See the photographer’s website at www.sherrypacephotography.com. Richard J. Cawthon is the chief architectural historian at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. He lives in Jackson.
