When Gene and his wife, Leigh, were house
hunting in 1997, they revisited the villa, and
knew “this was it” even as they ascended
the front steps. Still painted in its original
rosy tan, the house welcomes visitors into
an arched entry hall with a soaring ceiling
and a sweeping staircase. Traditional ladies’
and gentlemen’s parlors on either side of the
front hall, a library, and a formal dining room
would provide ample room for entertaining.
Upstairs, each of four spacious bedrooms
has its own sitting area and marble mantel.
A third-floor aerie in the tower affords 360°
views of the bucolic countryside. In fact, the
view had not changed in 150 years: one can see
to the Tombigbee River, a half-mile away.
Sturdily built with 18-inch brick walls, the
house was solid but needed new systems, a
process that occupied the first three years
of restoration. New wiring was run in metal
conduits notched into the brick walls; new
heating and air conditioning systems were in-
stalled; all of the plumbing was replaced. The
original walls and ceilings were patched or re-
plastered, their original mouldings conserved.
The house had had a standing-seam metal
roof, but unfortunately it hadn’t been installed
correctly and eventually was replaced. Leaks
delayed upstairs restoration for several years.
Today, the formal dining room is opulent,Who could resist the challenge? Finding
a soaring campanile, the grand entry hall, 14-foot ceilings, and
separate parlors for ladies and gents, the owners felt a calling
to restore the 1856 villa, right down to finishes and furniture.
LEFT Zuber’s rainbow
paper ‘Irisé Bicentenaire’
complements the ‘Gothic
Jewel Rondel’ carpet in a
custom green, gold, and
burgundy colorway.
ABOVE The dining-room
mantel is faux-finished
as gold-veined marble.
OPPOSITE The hall has
been restored to its in-
tended grandeur, original
paint finishes re-created
and a period floorcloth
added. Carved tables and
chairs are Belter pieces.
Rococo étagères display
fine Old Paris porcelain.