Waverly Mansion and The Bevill visitor center

We don’t have any pictures inside this mansion, but we did tour it. There were 4 floors which included the windowed cupola. The tour was guided and the guide was very knowledgeable. This mansion was within 8 miles of the civil war battles.




The guide explained that the confederate soldiers were attending a party and dancing with all the Southern Bells. At the ends of the room where they danced were two mirrors facing each other (about 12 inches high). There were tables with candelabras under the mirrors. In the moment of the dance one of the couples bumped the candles into the mirror. This was not noticed and soon the glass broke with a thunder! All of the women were sent to the upper floors and the soldiers ran out to get the enemy with their guns ready. They were sure that this thunder was a canon. Fascinating.



This mansion stood vacant for 50 years and there were many Old Miss college students and others that held impromptu parties at the mansion. But, most of the marble, wood, and original materials are still in tact. The vandals did not wreck a considerable amount of the mansion. The Young family owns this private mansion today and they are trying to restore it to the glory days. It will be a very costly and daunting and lengthy process. It certainly was a glimpse into history.

Waverly Mansion

 
The Snagboat Montgomery was the next side trip and it included a replica of an Antebellum home and a visitor center. The Snagboat was a steam powered boat with crane used to clear trees and (snags) debris from seven rivers in the south. I think it is the largest boy toy I have ever seen. Erwin thinks it is a magnificent piece of machinery. Either way, it was fun crawling all over it in admiration.




At the Tom Bevill visitor center the antebellum replica house was completely finished, and not a work in progress like the Waverly Mansion. We went here with 3 of our traveling companions and I think everyone enjoyed it. There were videos and a great display showing how a lock operation works. There was another wildlife display that was awesome. The place was filled with antiques like the Waverly Mansion. I even climbed all the way to the cupola with an outstanding view of the locks on the river and the grounds of the visitor center.






Snagboat Montgomery

Bevill Visitor Center

View from second floor of the visitor center