A Treasure in the Vines....Waverly Plantation

Imagine a dream. A dream in which you are wandering through the woods and discover a beautiful, long forgotten home. A home which rises above jasmine vines wrapped tightly around graceful columns. A home which has endured the ravages of rain, the heat of hot Mississippi summers, the infestation of bees and bats, and yet still retains the grace of a bygone era. Such a dream came true for the Snow family.

Robert and Donna Snow owned an antique store in Phildelphia, MS. One day a salesman stopped by and told them that he had gotten lost down by the river and found a beautiful home, hidden in the woods near West Point, MS. According to Melanie Snow, one of the Snow's children, her parents stayed up all night thinking about the home. The next morning they told their children that they were going on an adventure, packed the kids in the car, and off they went. Imagine their delight when they discovered this beautiful home . . . Waverly. Mr Snow is quoted as saying, “As we came around a huge oak tree, we stopped dead in our tracks—absolutely breathless, mesmerized. There was the house, rising up out of the jungle, four stories high with the dome set against the bluest sky. Vines clung to the house and swayed in the breeze. The porch floor had collapsed and the marble steps were scattered in the yard. We scarcely spoke.” They fell in love with what they saw and were soon the owners of Waverly Plantation. It was their love that restored this graceful home to its former splendor.

Waverly was originally built in 1850 by Colonel George Hampton Young on land acquired after the Chickasaw cession. The Young's raised 10 children in this home and it was eventually passed down to two bachelor sons who lived there until the early 1900's. One was a dead ringer for Kevin Costner! Leaving no heirs, the property and home was given to relatives. The remaining family could not afford the upkeep on the home and basically left it alone for 50 years. This picture was taken in 1936, nearly 30 years before the Snow's first saw Waverly.

Photo by James Butters for the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), courtesy of the
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

This picture was taken by the Snows after an immense amount of vegetation was removed from the exterior of the home. This was only the beginning of the restoration of this grand lady.

My husband and I visited Waverly last spring. We were immediately charmed by the home. Our youngest son took a "Junemester" class at Mississippi State University and during a visit, we took our son and his roommate to see Waverly. We were thrilled to have Melanie Snow, one of the Snow children, give us a delightful tour. We neglected to get a picture of Melanie so I am borrowing this one from an "All Things Cruise" article. Melanie Snow told us of firsthand experiences of living and restoring Waverly. Some quite humorous!

(All Things Cruise)

Photographs are not allowed in the home, so most of the ones you see here are from Waverly postcards and others posted on the internet. When you first enter the home, your eyes are drawn upward to the beautiful four story central hall. When the Snow's took residence, the home was also the residence of bees, bats, opossums, dirt daubers, and all kinds of critters! Today the bats are long gone and what is left is this beautiful site. The free standing stairs wind gracefully up the four floors. To this day, the home does not have air conditioning. Yep, you heard me correctly! It is a masterpiece of 19th century engineering. When the windows are open, a wonderful breeze flows through the center of the home. The bedrooms are located on the 2nd floor with storage rooms on the 3rd floor.

(Postcard from Waverly)

The first floor contains the center hall and four beautiful rooms. Let's start with the dining room. Ms. Snow told us her mother's favorite room in the house was the dining room. She said that her mother loved the crystal cake plate you see on the table. The crystals, which hung from the plate, would make a wonderful twinkling sound announcing the arrival of the cake! The crystal chandelier was purchased from France.