John Fields isn’t quite finished renovating his circa 1820 house on Third Avenue South.
To put it more bluntly, the inside sat totally gutted Friday. That didn’t stop Fields from putting it on the tour list for this year’s Jubilee of Homes.
“The reason I wanted to participate is because this is one of the oldest houses in Columbus,” Fields said. “I knew when I bought it 30 years ago, it was a log cabin. My mother lived most of her life here. When she left, I wanted to come back and expose the logs. We don’t have that many log cabins in Columbus, I think there are maybe four or five that we know about. A lot of them were torn down or destroyed through the years.”
The exposed logs, while not finished, were a glimpse into the past and how construction has evolved but also remained the same in some aspects.
The joints between the logs are similar to present day framing but rustic looking due to the cypress wood that make up the bones of the home.
Fields’ house was one of six houses on the tour for the Pilgrimage Jubilee of Homes’ opening day Friday. Some hosts sported period costumes from when their homes were built.
A total of 15 homes and buildings will be available to tour on weekends through April 23.
The threat of bad weather put a damper on attendance Friday, the start of the second Pilgrimage run by the Preservation Society of Columbus. But Ralph Null, PSC president, is confident it will pick up.
“We had people that bought tickets and didn’t show,” Null said. “People are really aware of the weather after last week’s horrible weather and storms and they want to be close to home and not risk themselves. We certainly understand that.”
Others, like Ewing and Kathy Sellers, who made the trek from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, took part. They were drawn to the event after a previous visit to Columbus left them hungry for more.
“We came down last year to visit some folks and toured several houses then, but it wasn’t during Pilgrimage,” Ewing said. “So, we decided when we came back we were going to do the pilgrimage, so this is our weekend we get to do that.”
Though Pilgrimage is technically in its 83rd year, PSC took over the responsibilities of the event from Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation at the end of 2019 with plans to expand the event. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a hiatus for the event, and it returned in spring 2022.
“We are excited for Pilgrimage to get going, and we have a lot of great and interesting things for our guests that come through,” Null said.
The group also brought in new features this year such as the Stella Shouting Contest. Traditionally held during the Tennessee Williams Tribute weekend in the fall, it was moved to the spring this year to not only be a part of the Pilgrimage festivities, but also to be closer to Williams’ birthday on March 26. The event was held on Friday.
Another new event is Lunch and Learn, which will be held each Friday and Saturday and focus on various topics related to Columbus history. The event offers food and an informative presentation from different speakers. Friday’s event featured Rufus Ward speaking about when Columbus was a part of Alabama.
Familiar events are returning as well. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science’s Tales from the Crypt program is back beginning April 12. MSMS students will dress in period costume at Friendship Cemetery and – based on their extensive research of their subjects – play the parts of residents from the past who are buried there.
Null teased much more to come with the homes on tour too.
“Later in the month, we have a couple of really fabulous pre-war houses that have been renovated for modern living,” Null said. “I think that is something that really tells a story of what these houses of antiquities can be. Not just a museum of antiques of the period, but fabulous structures that can be used for modern living.”
Ticket packages vary based on the tours, and can be purchased at preservecolumbus.com.
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