She is the grand old lady of Brookhaven.Built in 1877 by Captain Jack Hardy, she has watched over herNatchez Avenue neighborhood with the dignity and grace of aproperly schooled Southern lady – full of charm, always keeping herbest foot forward and always with a smile to greet hervisitors.

    Her 134 years have not always been easy as she has weathered many astorm  but also enjoyedmany a time of grandeur in days past. Friday morning, she againgreeted visitors eager to do what few have been able to do thesemany years – walk through her doors and roam her hallways to see apiece of Brookhaven history.

    It was at least 50 years ago that I last climbed the stairways orwalked through the kitchen where I remember enjoying a mayonnaisesandwich with Tommy Little – the great-great grandson of CaptainHardy.

    Friday morning as I walked through the home, it was like steppingback in time. Quite frankly inside was much as I remember it thosemany years ago, though the years have taken their toll.

    Captain Hardy was a riverboat captain who built his home toarchitecturally resemble Mississippi riverboats of the time. Calledby some riverboat Italianate, it is one of eight Italianate-stylehomes left in Mississippi.

    Quite a sportsman and gambler, there are tales of a horse-racingtrack that once stood on the grounds behind the home, and tales ofJessie James hiding out in its confines. With a 134-year historythere are favorite stories, likely well embellished – some truesome maybe not, but fun all the same.

    One was related to me earlier this week by Lyle Hobbs, whose familyroots also go back to Lincoln County’s earliest days. Hisgreat-great grandfather founded what’s now The DAILY LEADER.

    According to folklore, the Hardy family over a period of time founditself with a thief within the confines of the house.

    It seems that following dinner parties or other social functionsthat pieces of silverware – knives, forks and spoons – would comeup missing. The problem was bad enough that new sets of silverwarehad to be purchased to fill in the gaps in the set.

    The belief was that the missing silverware was the work of ahousehold employee’s dishonesty. Despite the repeated dismissalsand hiring of new help, the thievery continued for a period of timeand then mysteriously stopped one day.

    Some point later, while doing some remodeling, the missingsilverware was discovered behind a wall in an upstairs bedroom.

    It seems that Captain Hardy once had a pet monkey who had the runof the house. The monkey would sneak through the house grabbing afork, a spoon or a knife and run upstairs and into the attic wherethe furry fellow had a favorite hiding hole to stash his loot!

    Unfortunately, recent efforts to restore the local landmark by thecurrent owner failed following his untimely death, resulting in theliquidation sale this weekend. Hopes are that a new buyer will befound for the home, with the elegance again restored or at leaststabilized for future generations to enjoy a part of local historythat goes back to our earliest days.

    Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602, orsend e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.