Manship House Museum

Constructed in 1857, this historic Jackson house was originally home to Charles and Adeline Manship and their fifteen children. The home was constructed as a one-story, wood-frame structure fitted with a Gothic Revival architectural style. Theperopert stayed in the Manship family until 1975 and was later purchased by the state of Mississippi for use as a museum. The home and its furnishings interpret life for middle class and wealth families in the mid-to-late 19th century.

The original owner of this house, Charles H. Manship, was born in Talbot County, Maryland and arrived in Jackson, Mississippi in 1836 where he found work as a chairmaker and ornamental painter before serving as a clerk and eventually becoming the postmaster. During the American Civil War, Charles served as mayor. The house was built on a four-acre lot on the outskirts of Jackson back when the city had a population of 3,000. 

The Manship House was inspired by a design in the Architecture of Country Houses written by A.J. Downing. Charles adapted the house for the Southern climate by building floor-to-ceiling windows and a hallway for ventilation. It is one of few houses designed in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. This home was once used as a headquarters for Confederate General John S. Adams during the Civil War. The house also hosted the last-known reunion for Confederate veterans in the region in 1937. 

At present, the house serves as a local history museum with exhibits about the early history of the city of Jackson. The house underwent complete renovation between the years of 1976 and 1980 by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to serve as a representation as an upper to middle-class Southern home of the mid to late 19th century.

Greater Belhaven Foundation. The Manship House Museum, Greater Belhaven Foundation. Accessed May 3rd 2021. https://greaterbelhaven.com/portfolio-item/the-manship-house-museum/.

Historic Details. Charles Manship House, Jackson, MS, Historic Details. Accessed May 3rd 2021. http://www.historic-details.com/places/mi/manship-house-1857/.