| A History of the Mississippi Governor's Mansion Contributor(s): Sansing, David G. (Author), Waller, Carroll (Author) |
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ISBN: 1604733802 ISBN-13: 9781604733808 Publisher: University Press of Mississippi OUR PRICE: $34.65 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2009 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - South (al,ar,fl,ga,ky,la,ms,nc,sc,tn,va,wv) - History | United States - 20th Century - History | United States - 19th Century |
| Physical Information: 0.58" H x 6" W x 9" (0.84 lbs) 256 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 20th Century - Chronological Period - 19th Century - Cultural Region - South |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Since 1842, when Governor Tilghman M. Tucker and his family occupied the mansion shortly after his inauguration on January 10, the Mississippi Governor's Mansion has served as the state's official executive residence. Designed by William Nichols in the popular classical style, the mansion soon became a Jackson landmark, and a legendary hospitality surrounded its early years. Mississippi's first families threw open the doors of the mansion and shared its hospitality with plain citizens as graciously and generously as they did with celebrities. This tradition was interrupted only during the Civil War when the state capital was moved to eastern Mississippi to escape the advance of Union troops. Although much of Jackson was burned during the Vicksburg campaign in the summer of 1863, the mansion was spared. General William T. Sherman used it briefly as a command post, and his troops bivouacked on its spacious grounds. At the beginning of the twentieth century, advancing real estate prices in Jackson caused the legislature to consider the disposal of the mansion to make its downtown location available for commercial development. This proposal promoted various civic and patriotic organizations throughout the state to wage a Save the Mansion campaign. The legislature was implored not to destroy what Sherman would not burn. Sentiment prevailed over commerce, and the mansion was saved. However, structural deterioration over the next seventy years was left uncorrected, and by 1971 was so advanced that the first family was advised to vacate the building. During the following election campaign, Carroll Waller, wife of gubernatorial candidate Bill Waller, called upon the women of Mississippi to join her in an effort to preserve the home of our heritage and to restore it to its past splendor. Following his election, Governor Waller and the First Lady initiated a three-year project that restored the mansion to the historical period of its construction and guaranteed its continued use for many years to come. The mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. |
Contributor Bio(s): Sansing, David G.: - David G. Sansing is the author of The University of Mississippi: A Sesquicentennial History, Making Haste Slowly: The Troubled History of Higher Education in Mississippi, and Mississippi: A Study of Your State (with Ray Skates). In 1990, he was named Teacher of the Year at the University of Mississippi. |