Page 150 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2024

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Pass Christian’s Scenic Drive
There might not be a more recognizable or beautiful drive along the entire coast of Mississippi than Scenic Drive in Pass Christian. The nearly two-mile length of high ground stretching eastward from the center of town, flaunts a collection of unique yet quintessential Southern homes. Imposing in size and surrounded by stately oaks that seem to harbor secrets of a colorful past, this gallery of homes continues to awe imaginations as it has for over a 175 years. While each home is unique there is a common architectural thread: sprawling porches and numerous glassed-in solaria for watching the sun rise and set over Gulf waters.
According to archivist Bruce Stinson at the Pass Christian Historical Society, the intriguing history of Scenic Drive and the Pass itself includes Indians, Steamboats, Wealth, and carriage races. In 1837 during passage from Florida to Arkansas, Creek Indians landed in Pass Christian and spent several months camped on the beach on the western end of town. The New Orleans Times Picayune first started publishing that year and wrote a series of stories about the encampment along the Mississippi Coast, encouraging people to venture out to see the Creek Indian culture.
New Orleanians fell in love with the Pass and with very few housing accommodations, wealthier visitors began building summer homes for their families on Scenic Drive. Wives and children spent their summer vacations here, with the men folk joining them on weekends. Traveling by steamboat, the family carriage came along, or one was rented for the summer and speeding along the drive became a favorite pastime. While only a handful of the homes remain within the original families and most families are full time residents, Scenic Drive continues to be a drive of dreams where it is worth slowing down to enjoy the view.
Sassy Bird Interiors
122 Court St., Bay St. Louis | 228.344.3181 | www.sassybirdinteriors.com
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage photos courtesy of Margaret McMullan
RIGHT OUT OF A
Margaret McMullan is the author of nine award-winning novels.
Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Hill, The Bulwark, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Herald, The Morning Consult, The Morning Edition, The Huffiffington Post, and National Geographic, among others. She writes full time from her home on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian, Mississippi. We recently chatted with McMullan about her home.
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