Windsor Ruins, Mississippi – A Silent Sentinel to the Magnificent South
Like a solitary Stonehenge amidst the rolling landscape, the Windsor Ruins stand approximately ten miles southwest of Port Gibson, Mississippi, not far from the mighty Mississippi River. These remnants whisper tales of a bygone era, an era of opulence and grandeur, forever etched in the heart of the American South. More than just weathered columns, they are a testament to ambition, loss, and the enduring power of memory.
The story of Windsor begins with Smith Coffee Daniell II, a man of considerable wealth and influence. Born in 1826, Daniell inherited a legacy of land and prosperity from his father, a former Indian fighter turned successful landowner. He expanded his holdings, amassing extensive properties across the Mississippi Delta, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In 1849, he married his cousin, Catherine Freeland, and together they embarked on a life of privilege and family, eventually raising three children to adulthood.
In 1859, driven by a vision of unparalleled grandeur, Smith Coffee Daniell II commenced the construction of Windsor, a majestic Greek Revival mansion that would become the centerpiece of his 2,600-acre plantation. The location was carefully chosen, offering breathtaking views of the Mississippi River in the distance. Daniell spared no expense in realizing his dream, employing skilled craftsmen from New England and utilizing slave labor to bring his vision to life.
The architectural design of Windsor was an eclectic blend of styles, incorporating elements of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Gothic influences. The four-story structure boasted an impressive 25 rooms, each meticulously appointed with its own fireplace, adorned with elegant marble mantels. A marvel of engineering for its time, the mansion featured interior bathrooms supplied with rainwater collected and stored in a tank in the attic, providing a level of comfort and convenience rarely seen in the mid-19th century.
The ground floor, partially above ground, served as a functional basement, housing a schoolroom for the Daniell children, a dairy for processing fresh milk and butter, ample supply rooms for provisions, a commissary for plantation necessities, a doctor’s office for medical care, and a fully equipped kitchen. This level ensured the smooth operation of the vast plantation and catered to the needs of the entire household.
Ascending to the main floor, visitors were greeted by a broad hallway, leading to the master bedroom and bath, two elegantly furnished parlors for receiving guests, a private study for quiet contemplation, and a well-stocked library for intellectual pursuits. An ell extending from the main floor housed a pantry and the formal dining room, which featured a dumbwaiter for the discreet and efficient delivery of meals from the kitchen below. The third floor offered additional accommodations, with another bath and nine more bedrooms for family members and guests.
The fourth floor was intended to be a grand ballroom, a space for lavish celebrations and social gatherings. However, this ambitious project was never fully completed. Crowning the entire structure was a rooftop observatory, a unique feature that afforded panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. The observatory, supported by smaller versions of the iconic Corinthian columns that defined the mansion’s exterior, allowed Smith Daniell to survey his vast Mississippi plantation and the expansive lands he owned across the river in Louisiana. Eight chimneys punctuated the roofline, adding to the mansion’s imposing presence. The Windsor Ruins today may be a shell of the once lavish structure, but the image of the house and grounds are captured in the minds of those who visit.
The exterior of Windsor was a sight to behold, with 29 fluted columns standing as proud sentinels around the perimeter. Intricate iron balustrades enclosed the galleries on the upper levels, adding a touch of refined elegance. The bricks for these massive, 45-foot columns were meticulously formed and fired by slaves at a kiln located on the Windsor grounds. Expert masons then carefully covered the columns with mortar and plaster, creating a smooth and polished finish. The wrought iron stairway, a testament to skilled craftsmanship, was manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri, shipped down the Mississippi River to Bruinsburg, and then hauled 14 miles overland to Windsor.
Skilled carpenters from New England were brought in to complete the interior woodwork, moldings, and other intricate details that adorned the home. The mansion was furnished with the finest pieces from New York and Europe, reflecting the height of Southern sophistication and taste. Mark Twain, during his days as a riverboat pilot, visited Windsor and famously compared the mansion to a college due to its sheer size. He later immortalized its elegance in his book, Life on the Mississippi.
Completed in 1861, Windsor was one of the largest and most opulent homes in Mississippi, representing an investment of approximately $175,000 for the building and its lavish furnishings. Sadly, Smith Coffee Daniell II would not live long to enjoy his magnificent creation. Just weeks after its completion, he passed away at the young age of 34, leaving his family to navigate the tumultuous years that lay ahead. The same year that Windsor was finished, the Civil War erupted, and Windsor, like so many other plantations in the South, found itself thrust into the heart of the conflict. The Windsor Ruins are a potent reminder of a time when the United States was at war with itself.
After Smith Daniell’s death, his family remained at Windsor. During General Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign, the rooftop observatory became a strategic vantage point for Confederate soldiers, who used it to monitor Union movements on the river and relay information to their comrades. However, Union troops were also aware of the Confederate presence at Windsor. A story recounted by Smith Coffee Daniell IV, based on his great-grandmother Catherine Daniell’s experiences, tells of a daring incident involving Union soldiers infiltrating a dinner party at Windsor.
According to the tale, Catherine, despite the ongoing war, continued to host gatherings for friends, family, and Confederate officers. Unbeknownst to her, Union troops intercepted a signal intended for her guests and, disguised in civilian clothing, arrived at the mansion with the intention of capturing the Confederate officers. A Union officer later described the scene in a letter, recounting how the women present vehemently protested the arrest, even resorting to physical resistance. Despite their efforts, the Union soldiers apprehended the three Confederate officers and transported them to Vicksburg for imprisonment.
Following this incident, Union soldiers were stationed at Windsor as permanent guards, and the observatory was once again used for surveillance, this time by Federal troops. On April 29, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to cross the Mississippi River from Louisiana at Grand Gulf, a location approximately ten miles northeast of Windsor. When this effort failed, he shifted his strategy and moved his troops downriver to Bruinsburg Landing the following day. After successfully landing some 17,000 Union soldiers, the inland march commenced, with thousands of troops passing directly by the Windsor mansion.
During the Battle of Port Gibson on May 1st, Windsor was transformed into a temporary hospital, providing care for wounded soldiers from both sides. It was during this period of occupation that a Union soldier was shot and killed in the mansion’s front doorway under mysterious circumstances. Enraged by this act, General Grant initially ordered the mansion to be burned. However, Catherine, pleading for her home’s preservation, reminded the Union officers that she had nursed many Union soldiers after the Battle of Port Gibson and that she and her family would have nowhere to go if the house was destroyed. Ultimately, her plea was successful, and the mansion was spared. As a consequence for the killing of a Federal soldier, the barn was burned, a harsh lesson to the family and neighbors.
Unlike many other plantations, Windsor survived the war, but its days of lavish extravagance were over. Like the rest of the South, the plantation was economically devastated. Over the years, the family was forced to sell off portions of their land to maintain their livelihood. They remained on the grounds, however, until tragedy struck again some 25 years later.
On February 17, 1890, a devastating fire engulfed the Windsor mansion. Catherine Daniell stood helplessly by as the grand house, with all its contents, was reduced to ashes. The fire was reportedly caused by a worker who was repairing the observatory and carelessly tossed a cigarette into a pile of sawdust. Within minutes, the mansion was ablaze, and despite the efforts of family and friends, nothing could be saved. A local newspaper reported that the building cost $140,000 and the furniture an additional $35,000, bringing the total cost to $175,000. Sadly, there was no insurance on the house or its contents.
Following the fire, Catherine Daniell moved to a nearby plantation called Retreat, where she lived for the remainder of her life. The Windsor Ruins were all that remained of her beloved home.
For decades, the haunting columns of Windsor have attracted visitors from far and wide. For many years, how it appeared before being destroyed by fire in 1890 was a mystery, until a drawing was discovered 130 years later in the diary of a Civil War officer, showing the Claiborne County home in its heyday. The diary and drawing belonged to Lieutenant Henry Otis Dwight, a Union officer who served with the 20th Ohio Infantry during the Civil War, and was discovered in the Ohio State Archives in Columbus, Ohio.
The only remnants today are 23 haunting columns, portions of the balustrade, a few pieces of china, and a set of wrought-iron stairs. The flight of stairs and part of the balustrade are now used at Alcorn State University’s chapel down the road. The numerous outbuildings have long disappeared, and over the many decades, the nearly 3,000 acres of cotton fields that slaves and sharecroppers tended have been replaced with hundreds of trees, heavy brush, and lost to soil erosion.
The property remained in the family until 1974 when descendants of Smith Coffee Daniell donated it to the state of Mississippi for historic preservation. Hollywood also made the pilgrimage to these enigmatic ruins in two films – Raintree County in 1957 and Ghosts of Mississippi in 1996.
Unsurprisingly, these silent-standing obelisks have long evoked numerous legends. One of the ghosts that is said to linger here still is the Union soldier who was killed in the mansion’s doorway during the Civil War. Others have reported hearing the sounds of laughter and music coming from this once magnificent mansion as if there is still an elegant soirée going on. Another ghostly figure of a man has also been seen walking the grounds.
The Windsor Ruins are located on the Windsor Loop off the Natchez Trace, between Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi.