Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Corners Mansion Inn Bed and Breakfast where a mural of a beautiful sky was being painted by Whitney Newman on the ceiling of the parlor.

Newman was coy about when she would be finished, and I was surprised when I received a call from Corners owner Macy Whitney telling me the painting was complete. She invited my wife and I to breakfast and a tour of the house she offers guests.

Breakfast was served around a large table and a side table, where guests gathered around and the conversations were as varied as the participants.

My wife and I sat at the side table with a little guy from Frisco, Texas. Rayce Leonard is a 10-year old fourth-grader who was visiting with his family. He told us about his stay and about a basketball tournament that he had to get home to.

He loved the tall ceilings of the 1873 Victorian era home.

“They make me feel safe,” he said. “This is a really fun place to stay.”

Before breakfast was over he told us that he really liked the food, but his favorite part was the biscuits and jam. For me the grits were truly a delight.

My first experience with grits was in the Army, and well there’s a reason the Army feeds its troops in a mess hall. Needless to say I haven’t been a fan of grits.

However, I would book a room for the night just to have those grits again.

After the meal Whitney gave a tour of the home her parents purchased in 1985 and turned into a bed and breakfast. She is well versed in Vicksburg history and regaled her guests with the history of the home, surrounding neighborhood and Vicksburg in general.

The home features a small garden in front with brick lined paths that Whitney imagines were there when the home was built. The back features a fountain that is both a new and old feature.

During Hurricane Gustav in 2008 the heavy rains revealed something that had been hidden for many years. Beneath one corner of the house was a large cistern that had collected and stored rainwater. When the house was hooked to the city water supply its use was discontinued and it lay undisturbed until the storm revealed it.

The Whitney’s fixed the house’s rain gutters to once again divert water into it and cycle that water into a fountain. It is also used to water the gardens.

The house is as charming as its owner and full of character.

Rayce is young and will probably spend many nights in hotels over the course of his life. Most of those will be a blur, but he’ll probably always remember the Corners Mansion and the morning he shared breakfast with strangers.

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Paul Barry is the managing editor and can be reached by email at paul.barry@vicksburgpost.com or by phone at 601-636-4545 ext. 123.