NOVEMBER 2006 »  book review

Mississippi Style

Victorian Houses of Mississippi
by Sherry Pace
University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, MS; 2005
184 pp.; hardcover; 187 color photographs; $40
ISBN 1-5780-6781-2

Reviewed by David Hardy

Largely a photographic essay of Victorian residences dotted across Mississippi, Victorian Houses of Mississippi begins with an introduction by architectural historian Richard J. Cawthon, who provides a well-written summary of various late-Victorian residential architectural styles. He quickly gets the reader up to speed on the idiosyncrasies of each style and sets the stage for the primary content: 187 full-color photographs. Sherry Pace’s meticulous photographic documentation of the variations of the late-Victorian style exemplifies Cawthon’s condensed introduction.

The houses depicted are the Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Second Empire and one fine example of the Shingle style, all of which are documented by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. They are alphabetically ordered by town and an index of town names is provided for easy reference.

The photojournalism of Victorian Houses of Mississippi provides the reader with a visual tour of these houses as they currently exist in what are, for the most part, small towns across the state. Each house is displayed in full color with close-ups illustrating the exquisite craftsmanship of a by-gone era. Careful study of the photographs reveals beautiful spindle work, elaborate gable ornamentation and outstanding attention to roof detailing, all of which are an inspiration to the contemporary designer and builder. Every page provides an opportunity to learn what our grandfathers knew of design, composition, detailing and, amazingly, how to flash a round turret against a steeply sloping roof.

Upon review of the book, those hailing from the Mississippi Gulf Coast will notice that a number of houses along the coast included in this book where destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. My count of those lost include the following: the Telhaird-McDonald House in Bay St. Louis, page 14; the Paul W. Brielmaier House in Biloxi, page 15; the Queen Anne-style house in Biloxi, page 17; the Mavar House in Biloxi, page 18. The absence of these iconographic Victorian houses is an especially tragic loss to coastal Mississippi, as they provided a significant contribution to our sense of place. Certainly the entire 143 Victorian houses showcased in this book are some of the most loved buildings in their respective communities. In particular, the Brielmaier House was the centerpiece of the Biloxi Town Green, having been relocated there in an effort to save it from destruction by an urban renewal project in the late 1970s. This fine example of Victorian craftsmanship, with its magnificent latticework porch, served as the Biloxi Visitors Center up until it’s destruction by Katrina.

Victorian Houses of Mississippi is an excellent resource book for architects, builders and homeowners who have an interest in the architectural history of Mississippi. As a practicing architect in South Mississippi, I was happy to respond to the request to review this book. When the copy arrived for review, I realized that my partner Stephen Stojcich already had a copy that he was using as one of many reference books for the design of the new St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gulfport, MS. St. Mark’s Church was formerly located on Beach Boulevard in Gulfport and was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The work of Pace and Cawthon is a wonderful preservation effort dedicated to the legacy of late-Victorian-style residential architecture in Missis-sippi. But perhaps its greatest value will be in serving as a resource for current and future architects in their effort to faithfully create new structures in the Victorian style that will certainly add to the sense of place in which they are built.  

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