Mississippi Mansion

What: Five bedrooms, three baths in 8,000 square feet on two acres

Where: Columbus, Miss.

Amenities: Original layout preserved. Three-story brick house with basement and cupola, 16-foot ceilings, 11 fireplaces, three-floor spiral staircase. Guest house and gazebo.

Asking Price: $1.5 million

Opening Bid*: $1.375 million

Agent: Dick Leike, Crye-Leike Realtors, 901-756-8900

Due Diligence: This Greek Revival-style house, which overlooks the Tombigbee River, was built in 1852 by Mississippi cotton planter Charles McLaran. Recently designated as a national historic landmark by the National Park Service, it has identical porticoes with four white columns and second-floor balconies on its front and rear facades. Retired schoolteacher Patty DeBardeleben, its fifth owner, bought the brick mansion from a friend in 1971 for $85,000 -- a "basement bargain price," she says. She and her first husband spent about $500,000 on renovations, including remodeling the kitchen and master bathroom and adding a backyard patio. Some of the home's original chandeliers and mirrors are included.

Additional Photos

*The opening bid is Weekend Journal's estimate of a reasonable starting point for negotiations to buy the property, based on past sales, prevailing market conditions and interviews with local real-estate experts.

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