Video: Hidden Treasures — Waverley Plantation Mansion

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GOLDEN TRIANGLE AREA, Miss. (WCBI) – One antebellum home in the Golden Triangle offers visitors a glance at old south, when cotton was king and plantations flourished. But, the home may also offer a visit from a supernatural spirit.

Halfway between Columbus and West Point on a little dirt road in the woods, the Waverley Plantation Mansion stands tall. Built in 1852 by Colonel George Hampton Young, the cotton plantation once comprised 50,000 acres. After Colonel Young’s last son died, the home stood vacant for 50 years. Robert and Madonna Snow bought the home and began restoration in 1962. Their daughter Melanie was seven when the family moved from Philadelphia, Miss.

“A salesman happened into our little antique shop and told my parents he’d been up near Columbus and West Point area that morning and had run across the most magnificent house he’d ever seen standing vacant and wide open in the woods. He talked about the architecture, the gold leaf mirrors, the marble mantels and the thousands of bats that were living in it. My parents lay awake all night thinking about it. The next morning, Mom told us we were going on a big adventure. So we loaded up our old station wagon. Mom and Dad fell in love with it that morning. We weren’t money people, we were able to get the house and 40 acres, and we moved in with no plumbing, no electricity, no telephones in the area. We began a life long restoration in 1962,” said Melanie Snow.

“When we bought the house there was no furniture in it. My parents began collecting antiques 60 years ago. We’ve seen a lot of the original pieces the family members had in old photographs and we’ve tried to furnish the house as much like it used to be. We’ve used a mixture of French, English and American pieces in keeping with what Colonel Young and Lucy used,” Snow continued.

While touring the home, it’s been known to have a ghost encounter.

“During the Civil War, Cari Burt, her older sister, and her mom were brought to Waverley for assistance. Just after they arrived, little Cari, about three years old, put her head through the banisters upstairs, lost her footing and slipped. She died instantly from a broken neck,” said Snow.

You may see her walking through the gardens or waking up from an afternoon nap.

“We make the bed in the ghost room, later go in there, and the imprint of her little body is somewhere on the bed. I’ve heard her all my life since I was seven years old. My mom was the first to hear her. A sweet angelic voice calls mama..mama.. When you see her it’s like a little oval that’s not clear, a little blur, but there is no doubt you see a petite little blonde with shoulder length hair. She usually has a bluish gray high collar dress on and high topped button boots. We’ve been here 50 years and we’ve had a number of people hear the little ghost girl or see her. Most of the time they aren’t frightened but sometimes they are and they leave without completing the tour,” Snow said.

Whether you have a ghost encounter or not, the Waverley Plantation Mansion is a beautiful place to visit. It is located on Waverley Road off of Highway 50. The home is open for tours seven days a week. Call (662) 494-1399 for more information.