Sydney + Steven {Engagement} - Rodney, MS
Hey there!
This week we are featuring one of our latest engagement sessions - perfect timing for Valentine's Day! Just as the weather was turning cooler here in Mississippi, we finally found a couple who wanted to brave a portrait session with us in a ghost town called Rodney. We've been out there exploring before but had never done any couples' portraits until now! Sydney and Steven were the perfect clients to go on this fun adventure with. They are such a sweet couple and loved seeing all of these historic buildings with us.
Rodney sits just northeast of Natchez, MS so it's pretty close to the Mississippi River. There's a few different structures and cemeteries still standing in this little ghost town, but we just stayed around three structures while we were shooting: Old Rodney Presbyterian Church, Rodney Baptist Church, and Rodney Masonic Lodge. The town is not completely deserted; there are a handful of people who still live in the area, but all of the original structures have been abandoned for a long time.
Since the last time we came to Rodney (photo at the bottom of this post), the Masonic Lodge doors have been closed off - it was in the worst shape out of the three. The Baptist church (circa 1850) is a beautiful white building trimmed with green shutters. Both inside and out, it has so much architectural charm that we love. The Presbyterian church (circa 1829) sits just across the way and is in much better shape. As a tall brick building right off the dirt road, it's hard to miss. It's famous for receiving the brunt of a squabble during the Civil War. According to stories we've read, the pastor at that time invited Union crew members from the USS Rattler gunboat to attend his service. However, Confederates heard about this and burst into the church to arrest them, violating their Sunday truce. When fellow Union crew members found out about the Confederates breaking the truce, they retaliated by firing a cannonball at the church. The damage is still visible on the front exterior. (In the photo below, you can see it in the brick, above the green shutters on the right.)
Happy Valentine's Day!
Until next time,
RD & Ashley
