I am so conflicted at Nottoway Plantation burning to the ground. On the one hand, it is/was a stunning example of Greek Revival, the largest and one of the oldest antebellum mansions in the south. One wonders how it was spared the ravages of the Civil War; I guess Sherman burned his way through Georgia and Alabama, giving Mississippi and Louisiana a miss; don’t remember. It expressed the exemplary skills of slaves and freemen. It was a masterpiece of beauty and grace.

On the other hand, it was built in the sweat and blood of captive, bonded humanity who never enjoyed its splendor, only served as its chattel. The most brutal barb was, it was converted to a resort, silencing any of its history, lest the discomfort/displeasure of its patrons frighten away future spectacles (it was an event venue). I used to salivate as I toured Natchez, and the like, now, I walk into those grand parlors and think immediately of the dusting and polishing required to maintain such extravagance. Once you think of the misery of that pretense, the bloom is off the rose.