Building Stories

While Madeline is at a terrific Arts camp in Columbus, MS. I have set myself the task of going to many of the Historic houses that are in the town. The area has the highest concentration of 19th century homes in the state. My first appointment today was to see the lovely Amzi Love residence. Built in 1848, it is the ancestral home of the current owners Sidney and Brenda Caradine. They also own the Lincoln House around the corner that serves as their residence and a Bed and Breakfast. Ms. Brenda gave me a dynamic tour of the two houses and the gardens in between. She told me some wonderful stories about her husband's family and her favorite parts of the house. Just some tid bits; Victorian interior decoration tended toward darker colors in a effort to morn President Lincoln's death. The illustration of this was a chest of drawers that had its marble top painted black. When young ladies made their patterns for dresses they laid down on wax paper and used a pattern wheel to trance their contours for the dress. She shared with me the wonderful sketch book of Annie Love who went to Paris to be a rehabilitation nurse in World War I; beautiful "Degasque" color pencil and watercolors of the French country side. Now the most wonderful part of the tour was at mid-point we walked passed a gardenia bush she casually clipped off three for me to carry and for the rest of the tour she could of told me anything, the smell of the flowers made the experience even more intoxicating. See their new web site
www.amzilovelincolnhomes.com