Southern Splendor: Saving Architectural Treasures of the Old South

Few things evoke thoughts and memories of the past more than a house from a bygone era and few places are identified and symbolized more by historic dwellings than the American South. Plantation houses built with columned porticos and wide porches stout chimneys large rooms and sweeping staircases survive as legacies of both a storied and troubled past. These homes are at the heart of a complex web of human relationships that have shaped the social and cultural heritage of the region for generations. Despite their commanding appearance the region's plantation houses have proven to be fragile relics of history vulnerable to decay neglect and loss. Today only a small percentage of the South's antebellum treasures survive.In Southern Splendor: Saving Architectural Treasures of the Old South historians Marc R. Matrana Robin S. Lattimore and Michael W. Kitchens explore almost fifty houses built before the Civil War that have been authentically restored or preserved. Methodically examined are restoration efforts that preserve not only homes and other structures but also the stories of those living in or occupying those homes. The authors discuss the challenges facing specific plantation homes and their preservation.Featuring over 275 stunning photographs as well as dozens of firsthand accounts and interviews with those involved in the preservation of these historic properties Southern Splendor describes the leading role the South has played since the nineteenth century in the historic preservation movement in this country.

Hardcover: 404 pages

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi; 1 edition (March 22 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1496811003

ISBN-13: 978-1496811004

Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 1.5 x 10 inches

Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds