MISSISSIPPI - The Windsor Ruins is an exciting place in western Mississippi. It is located on a two-acre property in Claiborne County. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History maintains it.
Visiting Windsor Ruins in Port Gibson, Mississippi
The ruins at Windsor are made up of 23 standing Corinthian columns. The columns symbolized antebellum grandeur and were likely built by Smith Coffee Daniell II, a wealthy cotton planter. The home was built in 1861 and was one of the largest private residences in Mississippi. Maryland architect David Schroder designed the mansion in raised Greek Revival style.
In 1996, a movie called Ghosts of Mississippi was filmed there. The film featured the columns. While the ruins are not as impressive as the mansion that once stood there, they serve as a reminder of the area's history. A mansion drawing was discovered in the diary of a Civil War officer.
Another interesting fact about the property is that it was home to Union nurse Catherine Windsor. She took care of many Union soldiers after the Battle of Port Gibson. After she died in 1873, her family remained at the property. They later allowed the Union forces to use the mansion as a hospital.
The Windsor Ruins have captured the imagination of millions of visitors over the past century. Several Hollywood films have visited the property, including the 1957 film Raintree County.
