Gulfport to Jackson

Today I drove North to Jackson, the State Capitol of Mississippi. The freeze/frost zone has now extended to the entire SE, with the exception of Florida. During the day it is only in the 40s, but the wind chill makes it feel like it is in the 30s.

I arrived around midday, so had plenty of time to get settled, then head out to check out downtown Jackson. The area is very much dominated by government buildings. And completely dead because it is Sunday. The State Capitol has an interesting history. Is the third capitol building built in the capital city of Jackson. The first building was completed in 1822 (and no longer stands), the second building in 1833 (it now serves as a museum) and the current capitol building was completed in 1903. The building was erected on the site of the old state penitentiary and was designed by Theodore Link, an architect from St. Louis, Missouri. The building cost $1,093,641 dollars, which was paid by the Illinois Central Railroad by the back taxes they owed the state. In 2016 it was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service as an “exceptional example of the Beaux Arts style.” The south side of the Capitol grounds contains one of the 55 replicas of the Liberty Bell and also a monument dedicated in June 1912 honoring women on the home front during war. The eagle adorning the top of the exterior dome is made of copper gilded with gold leaf. Because it is Sunday, I was unable to get inside to view the marble and stained glass rotunda.

Also because it is Sunday, I was also unable to purchase any alcohol. Apparently Mississippi, or at least Jackson, still has blue laws on the books.

Cold weather notwithstanding, tomorrow will be an outdoor day. Because it is Monday, nothing is open, so my requisite visit to the Civil Rights Museum is planned for Tuesday.