Holiday Tour of Homes: A sneak peek at the historic houses on display

Published 6:41 am Wednesday, November 15, 2023

: Cowan Place, right, and 2312 Cherry St. are two of the homes that will be open for the Christmas tour.

This is the first in a series featuring Vicksburg ‘s Holiday Tour of historic homes. The history of the homes is provided by executive director of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation Nancy Bell.

While Vicksburg has many beautiful antebellum homes, within the River City there were also houses built after the Civil War that also hold historic significance. During the holiday season, 12 of these homes will be on display for the public during O’ Christmas Tree, an inaugural event, sponsored by Vicksburg Main Street and the Vicksburg Heritage Guild.

The event is a fundraiser for the Vicksburg Main Street Façade Program. Homes will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10. Tickets are $20 or $25 with a Vicksburg Trolley pass and are available at the Vicksburg Main Street office, Walnut Hills Restaurant, 1214 Adams St., or online at tickettailor.com/events/ochristmastree.

Cowan Place (Saturday Dec. 2)

In 1909, brothers John and Percy Cowan built two homes on a block-long street at the junction of Halls Ferry Road and Cherry and Harris streets, an area known as the new “suburban” neighborhood where many of Vicksburg’s most prominent and wealthiest were building. Only one Cowan Place home remains today, that which originally belonged to John and wife Sadie who paid $13,000 for the “English style” house designed by the New Orleans architectural firm of Keenan and Weiss. By 1935, the home had been sold; today, it has been restored to its original beauty.

2312 Cherry Street (Saturday Dec. 2)

This house was most likely built about 1906 in the Colonial Revival style, perhaps by F.I. and Anna Markham. Originally the house was clapboard and had a one-story wrap-

around porch. By 1912, Edward (a planter) and Augusta Klaus lived in the house; A.M. and Kathleen Mallory were in the home; by 1959, Crawford Mims and his family had

moved into the Cherry Street house.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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