Windsor Ruins, Port Gibson

Windsor Ruins are in Claiborne County in the U.S. state of Mississippi, about 10mi southwest of Port Gibson near Alcorn State University. The ruins consist of 23 standing Corinthian columns of the largest antebellum Greek Revival mansion ever built in the state. The mansion stood from 1861 to 1890, when it was destroyed by fire. The 2.1acres site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1985.
BackgroundWindsor mansion was located on a plantation that covered 2600acre. The mansion was constructed between 1859 and 1861 for Smith Coffee Daniell II, who was born in Mississippi and had acquired great wealth as a cotton planter by age 30. In 1849, Smith Daniell married his cousin Catherine Freeland (1830–1903). The couple had six children, with three surviving to adulthood.
ConstructionWindsor mansion was built facing the Mississippi River and was located about 4mi east of the river. Although much of the basic construction of Windsor mansion was accomplished by Smith Daniell's slaves, architect David Shroder supervised a crew of skilled artisans—carpenters, plasterers, masons, and painters—from Mississippi, northeastern states, and Europe to do finishing work on the mansion.