Victorian Beauty

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i cto r i a n eauty

Groth family grows into Brookhaven’s Sproles House

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TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRUDY BERGER Bruce and Laura Groth of Brookhaven came into this lovely Queen Anne-style Victorian home on Natchez Avenue by way of California and Vermont, an unlikely path for a couple who have adapted so well to Mississippi horticulture that they routinely garner prize ribbons in the annual camellia show. Apparently it is not enough for this busy couple to live in and maintain a stunning, late

19th century two-story stately home, known as the Sproles House, on a large corner lot of a well-traveled residential street. The morning of the photo session, Laura had just received her master’s degree from Mississippi College, summa cum laude no less, and Bruce had taken off on a hiking trip to the northeast. She lasted five minutes into the interview before rushing off to an afternoon class in Natchez – leaving

the writer to admire the intricate details of this eye-popping manse. The Groths have lived in the home four years, having searched diligently for just the right home in Brookhaven before taking the plunge. Laura teaches kindergarten at Mamie Martin Elementary School and Bruce is an executive with an out-of-state company, traveling often. The house was remodeled by its previous owners, the

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Rosses, who completely gutted the rear of the first floor, thereby creating a large open kitchen with spacious counters, custom wood cabinets and 14-foot ceilings, and a cheery breakfast area which opens into a den-sitting area, all surrounded by windows which look out into the large, beautifully landscaped and wellshaded back yard. As one enters the front door,

the first detail to catch the eye is the beautifully carved oak stairway leading to the second floor. To the left is the living room, the centerpiece of which is a massive coffee table crafted from a large wood-framed glass front door, complete with door knob, hinges, mail slot and gold leaf numbers still evident on the glass. Another feature in the living room is the fireplace, with its distinctive surround and Victorian cast iron fireplace cover. Directly behind the living room is the dining room with an antique glass chandelier and

dentil molding. What catches the eye about this house happens before one sets foot inside the front door – it’s the large turret on the northeast corner of the façade, and the two large gable windows above the bay windows on the front and one side that really define the exterior of this house. Next time you are in Brookhaven, ride by and take a look for yourself. And do try to resist the impulse to get out of your car and rest a spell in one of those inviting rockers on the front porch.