126 A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI WINDSOR Windsor, built by Smith Daniel, was finished in 1861. There are no photographs of the completed structure. Windsor, one of the largest Greek Revival homes in Mississippi, was used as a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Thus, the structure was spared from the war-torn damage that destroyed many other plantation homes in the state. In 1890, a guest at a party left a lit cigar on the balcony, causing the entire home to burn to the ground and earning it the new title “Windsor Ruins.” Twenty-three Corinthian columns and a wrought iron staircase were all that survived the fire. The only known surviving sketch of the home built to showcase the height of deep south plantation culture was drawn by a Union soldier who was marching by the house in 1863. PHOTO BY GREG CAMPBELL