The History of Selected Sites in Washington County
Lake Washington
Turn right off Highway 1 South to Chatham. At Chatham
take a step back in time and visit Roy's Country
Store. You may be ready for a cold soda or a snack of
cheese and crackers. Following the lake southward you
pass many splendid homes, two of which, Mount Holly
and Linden-on-the-Lake, are operated as bed and
breakfast inns.
Mount Holly Plantation
Highway 1 South at Lake Washington Meals and tours available by advance request. Telephone: (6011827-2652 Mount Holly. built by Margaret Johnson Erwin (1821-1863) is built of slave-made brick with 14 foot cellings and two foot thick walls. The magnificent mansion is in the town of Foote, Mississippi and .vas once owned by Shelby Foote, the noted Civil War historian. Listed on the National Register, it is one of the finest examples of Italianate architecture in the state.
Linden Plantation
South Lake Washington Road Telephone: (601) 839-2181 Built in the early 1900's and now operated as Linden-on-the-Lake, a bed and breakfast inn, this 20 room mansion is a stunning example of turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival architecture. Linden is the third home to be built on this site,
the first of which is believed to be the first house built in the territory. The first home was demolished by Governor Wade Hampton and a new home built. Hampton's home ,,A-as partially demolished by Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Mann and the current home built around what remained.
Ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church
Near Mount Holly are the picturesque ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church. Built just prior to the Civil War, it is one of the first churches in the region. The lead from its stained glass windows was melted to make mini balls during the conflict. The windows were never replaced, the church fell into ruin, and a direct hit by a tornado in 1907 utterly destroyed the once immaculate structure, save for a few cornerstones, a section of wall here and there, and a portion of the short belfry. Now, standing proudly in the middle of a cemetery with a father-son Civil War veteran gravesite in its shadows, the recently preserved ruins of St. John's are a silent witness and fittingly symbolic memorial to a way of life, gone but not forgotten.
The Old #1 Firehouse Museum
230 Main Street Open daily, admission is free. Telephone: (601) 378-1616. Travel back in time as you step into Greenville's beautiful restoration of an early 20th centurv firehouse. See "Bertha", a 1927 American La France fire engine and "Donavan", an antique Ford Seagrave pumper. Both are undergoing an on-site "living restoration" surrounded by an authentic 1920's setting. Here, through hands on exhibits, you can learn about the men and women who daily risk life and limb so we can rest easily at night. Kids can dress in firefighter's clothes, pull an alarm, and pretend to douse flames. Everyone will enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship of days gone by.
Old Office of Delta Democrat Times
Corner of Mairl and Walnut Streets Here Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper editor Hodding Carter, Jr., made history with his editorials advocating racial and religious tolerance. The building was erected circa 1881.
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
412 Main Street This fine Gothic Revival Church, the second building of this parish, was erected in 1907. It was designed and financed by Father P.J. Korstenbroek, a Dutch nobleman, whose love for Greenville led him to renounce his nobility and remain here as the parish priest for 33 years. Father Korstenbroek's charity and grace is memorialized in William Alexander Percy's novel, Lantern on the Levee. The church is a replica of a cathedral in Harlan. Holland and is highlighted by stained glass windows from the Munich studios of Emil Frei.
Washington County Court House Arboretum
900 Washington Avenue Surrounding. the Washington County Court House you will find an arboretum planted with trees indigenous to the region. A project of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, each tree is marked by name and description.
Wetherbee House
503 Washington Avenue Private tours or rentals can be arranged by the Greenville Arts Commission. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the Wetherbee House takes you back to the era of horseless carriages, bustles and classic revival cottages. The home has been accurately restored to its mid-nineteenth century appearance.
Rattlesnake Bayou
Bayou Road and Lela Lane In the 1840's slaves from Plum Ridge, Wildwood, Locust and Swiftwater Plantations built a levee to protect homes and fields from flooding. The portion of the levee that can be seen at this location was on W.P. Montgomery's Locust Plantation.
Belmont Plantation
Highway 1 South, Wayside Drive-by only, no tours conducted. One of the few antebellum houses in the Mississippi Delta to escape burning by Union forces during the Civil War, Belmont was built circa 1857 by W. W. Worthington. In 1946 Gov. Dennis Murphree founded Belmont Hunting Lodge. The property changed hands again in 1993 and is now a private residence.
The Mississippi River Levee System
As you continue south on Highway 1 you will see the levee to your right, dutifully holding back the flood waters of the mighty Mississippi. After the levee broke just north of Greenville and caused the Great Flood of 1927 Congress propelled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from a small division of the military to a major governmental entity responsible for flood control all along the Mississippi River and elsewhere. Because of this, Greenville is where the Corps of Engineers got its first "big break" .
First National Bank
302 Main Street Built in 1903 by the first federally charted bank in Washington County, this Neoclassical Revival Building was an imposing symbol of financial security for over 75 years. Founding president James E. Negus selected its marble and stained glass windows in Italy. It was acquired and renovated by the City in 1989 for the Greenville Municipal Court.
Winterville Mounds State Park
Open Wednesday - Sunday Admission: $1.50 adults, $.50 children, group rate S.50 each. Everyone will enjoy the Winterville Mounds State Park, just north of Greenville on Highway 1. The Indian Mounds at Winterville are one of America's most significant PreColumbian archaeological sites. Fifteen mounds, including the massive six story tall temple mound, punctuate the endless Delta landscape. They are all that remain of the original 43 man-made hills built by an advanced civilization of Native Americans. The State of Mississippi operates a museum at the park that tells us what we know of the Mound Builders who occupied this land 700 years ago.
Hampton Plantation
Highways 1 and 436 Glen Allan-Lake Washington Purchased in the 1840's by the Hampton family. In the 1850's, 60's and 70's the plantation was operated by Wade Hampton 111, distinguished Civil War General and the first Governor of South Carolina after reconstruction.
World War II Memorial
The WWII memorial was constructed by the Greenville Lions' Club to honor the veterans of World War II. The memorial was constructed during the late ‘40s or early ‘50s. In the original form, the memorial was covered in structural glass. However, the glass deteriorated and the memorial was in need of repair. A photograph of the original memorial was submitted in 1963, and the memorial was refurbished in the tile design we see today.
