Last week on our way to Birmingham for Russel's company holiday party, we stopped in Mobile so he could work on some equipment. This left me with time on my hands, so I went looking around for something to do. Russel's boss was there, too, so I had Russel's car. I found a cool ante-bellum mansion only a few miles from our hotel and figured out how to get there and back without getting lost. This is the Bragg Mitchell House, built by a judge in 1855. The Yankees occupied it during the end of the Civil War and cut down most of the live oaks, breaking the judge's heart, but as you can see, he replanted and the trees are all gorgeous as if they had never been cut down.
The house was bought by the Mitchell family in 1924 and restored. In 1964, the Mitchell's daughter gave the house to the City of Mobile and it has been completely restored to the tune of more than a million dollars.
The first picture is of the front of the house which shows 10 of the 16 columns which surround the front part of the house. Five more columns go down the back side out of the picture.
This is the historic marker out front, but the house is actually known on maps and brochures as the "Bragg-Mitchell" Home.
Also pictured is a cool little collection of nutcrackers. There were lots of them throughout the house.
Lots of weddings happen in the front parlor. Pictured here are the front half of the parlor with the Christmas tree ...
...and the rear half with a large table and a mantle with a picture of Mrs. Mitchell.
This is the mantle across from the canopied bed. It shows the lace curtains trailing a little on the floor. The docent said this is a sign of a wealthy home, having enough lace to lay on the floor. Every foot of lace is supposed to represent a million dollars in the bank! I told her I had heard that the extra curtain length on the floor was to cover the boots of lovers hiding behind the curtains when the husband comes home unexpectedly. Both are good explanations!
This the gorgeous dining room table set for Christmas.
This picture is of a "Mallard" bed because it has a large egg carved in the headboard, just above where the picture cuts off. The dress is just a pretty dress set up on a form.
This is a picture of one of the live oaks next to the house, covered with Resurrection Fern. During dry periods (one of which ended the day we arrived in Mobile!), the fern shrivels and dries and looks brown and dead. After even a little rain (and it had poured the night before), it greens up and looks like this, thus resurrecting itself from the dead. I had seen this fern in places in Florida, but never knew what it was until the tour guide told me. She said it had been looking dead for weeks!
I liked the way they decorated this Original wood door for Christmas.
I liked this canopied bed in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Very elegant.
Hope you liked my little tour. I couldn't believe I was the only visitor and that I could take all the pics I wanted.(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)
This card stands up nicely. I added glitter here and there, but the glue pen ran the ink. Still, a very pretty card. Snuck in the snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder and some silver ribbon from my stash.
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