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Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

Restful spirit

Before modern hospitals, automobiles and paved roads were a part of everyday life, a midwife was an essential member of any community, but especially a rural one. Lizzie was such a valued resident in Gautier — so much so, the Gautier family built a small house for her in 1876.

Lizzie must have loved her little house a lot, because years after her death, and after additions were made to the house, she continued to be seen, especially in the bedroom where she was said to have practiced her profession.

“Right over here, by this wall. There was a fireplace back here,” Jackie McKell said, pointing to the wall behind a dresser. “This is where she was most often seen.”

Jackie and husband Bill have lived in the house for 15 years. Jackie and family members have had experiences they couldn’t explain in the room, and Bill would hear cabinet doors in his office across the hall open and close on their own. But all of that changed after Hurricane Katrina, when four and a half feet of water filled the house. Sometime during the extensive repairs, Lizzie’s presence left the house.

“We think all that work must have disturbed her,” Bill said.

The McKells’ home sits on 2 1/2 acres in a picturesque curve in Gautier. Changes over the years have hidden Lizzie’s original home within its walls, but the charm remains. The 1 1/2-story house is now brick painted white, with a wide front porch and two enclosed porches, one on the side and one in the back.

The back porch once was screened, but the McKells added living space with the enclosure. Original windows were moved onto the new back wall. The side porch is now an inviting space for enjoying angled afternoon sun or admiring nature outside.

“Do you see that tree out there?” Jackie said, pointing out the window to a large Live oak with a tire swing hanging from it. “Jimmy Buffett’s aunt lived here many years ago, and they say he wrote ‘Life Is Just a Tire Swing’ about coming here to his aunt’s house. He says, ‘I remember the smell of the creosote plant,’ and it was just back down the road over there. And they did used to come here on Sundays.”

The dining and living area bears witness to Bill’s love of hunting. Traditional design is a reminder of the house’s history but also offers a timeless appeal.

“All the ceilings were higher, but they had to be lowered for the air conditioning,” Bill said. “The original roofline is still intact in the attic.”

Upstairs, in a bedroom, a small door in the wall provides access to that attic.

Bill enjoys cooking, so the kitchen is one of his favorite spots, while Jackie is fond of the garden.

“My sister came up with the outdoor fireplace,” she said, walking to the large yet graceful brick structure along the patio. More seating is nestled within a nearby white wooden arbor through which a garden path meanders.

There’s even a tiny patch of cotton, and a few white puffy bolls remained on the plants.

“What attracted us first was the yard, and the house came with it,” Jackie said. “It’s a perfect combination for us.”

Perhaps, once Lizzie sees the final results of the McKells’ post-storm renovations, she’ll agree.