GLENMORE MANSION

 Before I get into this post I need to say that I didn't reduce these shots prior post procedure.  They are approximately 4752 X 3168 pixels or 3.70 MB of data.  That's large.  I wanted to try to post these without reducing them thereby eliminating one step in the development process.  They are taking too long to upload to the blog and I would suspect they may be somewhat difficult to manage from a visitor viewer's perspective.  I'll not do anymore posts full size after this one.

That  section of a beautiful Civil War building above is the Glenmore Mansion which is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee.  We'll get to that in a short but we came upon a neat old structure that sits along Route 374, the Cherokee Coast Highway, and stopped to have a look.  What follows are pictures of really outstanding wood grain, color and what I call perfect, natural annihilation of historical structures.  I really hate to see history rot away due to neglect but I have to admit that old wood creations destroy themselves with robust vigor and often times they drag the destructive process out over centuries.  Most times they destruct themselves with what I call graceful vigor.

 The bench seen above and below is not part of the old building coming up next but I was compelled to photograph it due to its simplistic design created to deliver form and function.  It may be said that it is complex in its simplicity.

 I'm only posting these two shots of this place.  Its not the overall building that is important to me but the fitment, age, condition, color and the resultant artistic picture the combination of the aforementioned  attributes create.  When I look at an old structure I do it in little four foot squares, one square at a time.  We have been through that previous to this post so I won't go into it here.  Even the window in the bottom shot is unnaturally creative.  The green wood is real.  I didn't make it green in the computer.  The colors of this wood covers the spectrum of colors in variations and shades.  What am I talking about?  I'm not sure I even know..

I know you are getting tired of looking at old barns and buildings and I promise that I'll give it a break after this post.  The Glenmore Mansion happens to have a very, very old barn located on the property and it drew me to it like a magnet to steel.  But, first I'll give you a view of the outside of this building.  Actually, we'll look at the outside piece meal as I only have a 70 - 300 mm telephoto with me today and that doesn't begin to be the right lens for this.  We'll see how it goes here.

 The Glenmore Mansion is a Victorian home built in or near 1868 and is located in, I wish I could say beautiful Jefferson City but, I can't.  It is located in Jefferson City and sits on a mound or a rather high hill off the main part of town to the south.  It is obviously a Civil War era structure and boasts detailed wooden creations throughout its design. The house has 27 rooms and can be visited during the summer months for tours.  It is now owned by the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities.  A gentleman named John Roper Branner built the house between 1868 and 1870 and eventually sold it to one Milton Preston Jamagin who was a lawyer after the Civil War.  The inside of the home is elaborate with intricate wood furniture and fantastic ceiling, wall and stairwell designs.  I say that by what I saw looking through the window and from what folks have relayed to me.  The  home was closed to tours today.

 The windows are works of art and not seen anywhere today in homes.  Why have we lost that need, desire, lust and appreciation for gorgeously shaped wooden creations in our homes -  windows, stairwells, ceiling beams and perfectly fitted windows and panes.  Is life all about money?  Somewhere we lost our appreciation for fine craftsmanship to the "rapid transit, look like quality wood but really plastic brackets and parts that make today's homes."  Oh well.  Progress....

 I love this look.  I remember many farm houses built with these protrusions on the roofs or sides of the house just under the roof.  I even saw a huge farm house not far from where I grew up that was two stories high and had two stone chimneys on each end of it .  Here's the really great thing.  The roof was flat and had a small reservoir that ran end to end on that roof to catch rain water.  It had a spillway that allowed the water to spill out away from the house to the ground.  I guess it caught water for washing or draining to a garden and maybe even used as insurance in case a dug well went bad.  Amazing!

I'm sure everyone knows what the item in the following picture is so I won't waste your time with explanations.  Moving right along then ------

At last what you've been waiting for:

 I saw this old baby sitting behind the house and made a run straight for it.  How beautiful and original.  Now, this is the real McCoy!

 I love this wood!  I love the exploration of the dark places behind the broken doors and gates.  There are old things back in there that I want - need to see.

 There is an old stall behind that hole above.  The opening was boarded shut at some period in time and rot and decay has opened the dark secrets to the light of day.

 The stall door above is what I have been trying to find for years now.  I see them attached to posts with worn out hinges or they lay against the sides of stalls in wasted barns awaiting total ruin.  I love those old doors.

 The plaque and accompanying mill wheel reside on the ground behind the mansion.

The stone below is a grindstone which is quite different than a mill wheel.

Yes, there is a herb garden.  Hence the sign below:

 This bucket of dead weeds, er, I mean deceased flowers caught my eye because I have a wooden barrel with iron bands in my yard like it.  Only difference is that I have a chipmunk family living under mine.  

 That's it for this posting.  All these shots would have been awkward on Face Book and were better suited for the blog.  I'm going to Pennsylvania on the 5th to pick up the boat I used to own so I'll be back on the rivers and lakes very soon photographing wildlife.  I do love old barns but they don't do it for me like bald eagles, otters and the like.  Hope you like this entry.  I have to run and put a link on Face Book.  See ya.....