I may not have stumbled upon a time machine last Saturday, but it sure felt like it when I slipped on a hoop skirt and a gigantic antebellum-style dress at the Carrollton Pilgrimage.
A couple of weeks ago, the pilgrimage committee asked me if I would be interested in being one of the tour guides in one of the many beautiful antebellum homes in Carrollton during the annual pilgrimage. Not being one to turn down an opportunity to play dress-up in a fun costume, I gladly accepted. I was placed at Cotesworth, the family home of U.S. Sen. J.Z. George.
I arrived first at “The Oaks,” one of the older homes in Carrollton, to pick up a Southern belle dress to wear. The dress was very pretty, although its size was quite overwhelming. It was black and burgundy with pretty lace frills and bows. The collar and 3/4-length sleeves were edged in lace.
I wouldn’t call that dress a “Scarlett O’Hara” dress, but it was definitely a “Melanie Hamilton” dress through and through — minus the poufy sleeves.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t too heavy, but it was hard to fit through the door with it on.
Driving in that dress over to Cotesworth was near impossible, but I managed. I fit into my car, but not gracefully. I’m sure any Southern belle ghosts hanging around Carrollton watching me were ashamed.
I was pretty cramped in my car, and I thought about taking the skirt part off and just putting it on when I got to my house. (Don’t worry. I was wearing blue jeans under the skirt. In case you weren’t outside last weekend. It was cold and rainy. I was thankful for any extra layers.) But I was afraid that if I took the skirt off, I’d never get it back on. I had to have two women help me get that thing on! It was quite a sight, I’m sure.
I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t know much about Cotesworth going into the tour. Sure, I knew it was the home of a former senator who helped draft the Mississippi constitution. I remember that from my high school Mississippi history class. And of course I knew all about the home’s involvement in “The Help,” but I didn’t realize how much history and character the house had.
For instance, did you know that Cotesworth started out as a two-story, four-room stagecoach inn in the 1830s? Originally, it didn’t even have stairs. Guests had to climb a ladder to get to their rooms.
J.Z. George named his mansion after a friend, not a family member.
People close to J.Z. George called him “Jim.”
I learned a lot in my time standing around posing for pictures. Note that I didn’t actually give a tour on my own. I welcomed people to the house like a Southern lady should, and I followed them around during their tour to make sure no one got lost. I probably posed for pictures near the stairs or by the giant windows outside 1,000 or more times. Not to mention the hundreds of pictures I felt like I took with smiling visitors and kids who wanted their picture made with “Scarlett.”
It was a great day and I did have lots of fun. Now I have an idea of what the princesses at Disney World feel like after a day at the Magic Kingdom.
Would I do it again? Probably. Like I said, I’m not one to turn down a chance to play dress up.
nContact Beth Thomas at 581-7233 or bthomas@gwcommonwealth.com
bthomawealth.com
