Starting Tuesday, 16 historic homes in Columbus will again open their doors to visitors. It will be the 2025 edition of the city’s Spring Pilgrimage and its more than just historic home tours. There will also be the music of Catfish in the Alley and the Mississippi School for Math and Science’s nationally recognized award-winning Tales From the Crypt in Friendship Cemetery.
It was 85 years ago that Columbus held its first pilgrimage. Last week I was looking at a guide book for that first Pilgrimage, and stuck behind it I found the page from an April 4, 1956, Commercial Dispatch. The page was a History of the Columbus Pilgrimage written by Rachel Shute, who had served on the 1951 Pilgrimage committee. It was published compliments of Pryor’s House of Fashion. With this 85th anniversary, it seems the appropriate time to run a history of the Pilgrimage written 69 years ago.
The History of the Columbus Pilgrimage
By Rachel Shute
The history of the Columbus Pilgrimage is short in years but rich in pride and tradition.
It was back in 1939 that T. C. Billups began toying with the idea of letting the world know the charm and historic interests to be found in the homes of Columbus where the spell of the Old South still lived.
Working diligently by his side was his wife, Lenore Hardy Billups, and hundreds of Columbians who became intrigued by the idea of an annual pilgrimage. The financing was done through selling of ads for a complete booklet telling the history of the houses and of the town. Mr. Billups traveled over the nation untiring to obtain advertisement of the event.
And on April 14, 1940, 23 antebellum homes threw wide their doors to throngs of visitors. The first pilgrimage was April 14, 15 and 16. General chairman was Mrs. T.C. Billups, with Henry M. Pratt as her co-chairman. On the Executive Committee were Mrs. Billups, Mr. Pratt, Mrs. T. Bailey Hardy, Birney Imes, J.O. Slaughter, Mrs. B.A. Lincoln, secretary.
The Central Committee included Miss Mary Billups, T.C. Billups, James Egger, Mrs. W.E. Frazee, T.W. Harris, Mrs. J.M. Morgan, Dr. B.L. Parkinson, Mrs. Andrew Puckett, F.P. Phillips, Mrs. C.E. Lehmberg, William J. Propst, Mrs. J. P. Woodward, Mrs. Beverly Matthews, V.B. Imes Jr., Drew Shankle, Kenneth Sickler and Burgess Waltmon. T.C. Billups worked on publicity.
Homes opened were Franklin Square, Camelia Place, Maydrew Manor, Leigh Crest, The Cedars, Temple Heights, Meek Place, Dawnview, Hamilton Hall, Snowdown, Shadow Lawn, Flynnwood, Homewood, The Old Homestead, Twelve Gables, Riverview, Woodward Home, Lehmquen, The Colonnade, Whitearches, Whitehall and Waverly.
It was in 1942 that Mr. Billups, with the cooperation of John K. Ottley of Atlanta, brought “Life” to the Columbus Pilgrimage. The famous magazine and its photographer here and devoted pages to the picturesque revival of the “Old South.” Lovely young girls in billowing hoopskirts were photographed with handsome young cadets from Columbus Air Force Base. One of the most famous of these was the picture of the girls and cadets on the beautiful spiral stair at Riverview, a picture which has been reproduced in European magazines.
That year was the last of the tours for a while. War brought gasoline rationing and other hardships that made it feasible to omit the pilgrimage until 1950.
At that time, the Chamber of Commerce, with the co-operation of a group of homeowners, revived the tours. The number of houses opened was smaller but the event continued to attract visitors from over the nation.
Of the original group of homes only Homewood, Shadowlawn, Twelve Gables, Woodward Home, The Colonnade, Riverview, Franklin Square, Snowdown, Hamilton Hall, The Cedars, Leigh Crest, Fairleigh Manor, Camelia Place remained. Glover Wilkins Jr., manager of the Chamber of Commerce, and Mrs. Felicitas Campbell, secretary, did yeoman’s jobs getting the financial and business end organized. Mrs. Bailey Hardy headed the Pilgrimage Association.
In 1951 two homes were added, Magnolia Hill and Amzi Love home.
Birney Imes Jr. headed the Pilgrimage Committee of the Chamber of Commerce while the publicity was handled by Douglas Bateman and Rachel Shute.
The registers showed that some of the visitors came from as far as Alaska, England and France. M.S.C.W. gave art exhibits and a dance program to help entertain the many guests and the Junior Auxiliary inaugurated the pageant-ball with a coronation of a mystery king and queen.
This year the number of homes opened is nearing the number of the original group. In addition to those already listed there are Errollton, the Kenneth Gatchel Home, Hickory Sticks, and Lehmquen.
As traditions topple, and the past grows dim, the pilgrimage takes on added importance. It preserves and refreshes the memory of a more gracious and charming way of life. It keeps before the modern world the men and women who made the town; who gave it beauty and laid the foundations for a rich heritage.
That is the picturesque side. Commercially it is the biggest attraction the town offers visitors.
And it grew from an idea born 17 years ago by a group of Columbians whose pride in their town was matched by their willingness to work for its future. It is our sincere hope that you will enjoy helping Columbus add another chapter to this history.
*This message of public interest is being sponsored and presented with the best wishes of Pryor’s … your House of Fashion!!!
Of the 22 homes in that first pilgrimage, six of those original homes – Shadowlawn, Wisteria Place (Meek Place), Colonnade, Twelve Gables, Waverly and Riverview – will be open for the 2025 Spring Pilgrimage. Two of the original houses from 1940 have been lost, Flynwood to fire and Dawnview torn down for an apartment building. Thanks to Carolyn Kaye for transcribing the Old newspaper page.
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
