Gone with the Past...

Montgomery Alabama is a city of sharp contrasts. It was the first capitol of the Confederacy and is home to the first Confederate White House and filled with the President Davis's artifacts. Yet, the city is also home to many Civil Rights museums, memorials and the stomping grounds for the Civil Right Movement's favorite son, Martin Luther King Jr. This contrast, along with the current economical state and the emotional turmoil that has taken place there has left the city feeling, at least to me, a bit like a ghost town, preserved and unable to move on the from the past.

My first stop was the beautiful and historical state capitol building and an excellent example of this contrast.

It was here on the capitol steps that Jefferson Davis was sworn in as President and it was also here that the famous civil rights March to Montgomery ended.

Directly across from the capitol buildings is the first White House of the Confederacy, and I have to say that despite what one thinks of its past history, it is my favorite home that I have visited this summer. Below are a sampling of some of the rooms. I hope you can see, I had to take pictures with the flash off and in older houses, the lightening is not always the best. :(

The Jefferson Davis Bedroom, as well as some of his personal effects, such as an awesome smoking gown.

The steps of Varina's bed open to reveal the very cleverly concealed chamber-pot.

Rear Living Room and the Davis Family Bible on the table.

The Nursery. Who wouldn't want this precious bed?

This tiny lamp is a fairy lamp :D

However, my favorite bedroom was the guest bedroom. My favorite colors! Anyone want to buy the set for me?? :D

This pen, is for Brennan, a self proclaimed pen snob, this pen signed the majority of important historical documents of President Davis's term.

The beautiful front room and dining room, I love love the colors!

Then it was on to the Civil Rights Museum. Honestly the creepiest musuem I have ever been in, it was very dark and you had to go through two security check points to get in. However it is a very enlightening memorial.

This is the former bus station that was once part of the Freedom Ride.

You can see the boarded up door on the left, for blacks and the door that is still in use today, which was (then) used for whites.

Overall it was a good trip, but like I said, it was creepy. I went on a Saturday and I was often the only person on the street, also many shops around the area of the capitol buildings are boarded up, which does not help, with the whole feeling-safe-thing.

To leave you on a happier and slightly less creepy note, there is a modern building, now a bank, with its lower floor completely made of glass.

However if you look closer, you will find that the lower glass "box" has completely encased a historic 1800s house. I tried hard to get a picture of it and this is the best one I could get, due to the sun. Its a crazy cool idea of preservation though. As the house now service as a main entrance to the bank.