Mammy’s Cupboard, Adams County

Mammy’s Cupboard, south of Natchez – (1940) The best example of kitsch roadside architecture in Mississippi. Constructed as a service station for Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gaude’ in 1940, it is a 28-foot tall brick, wood, and stucco embodiment of the “Mammy” archetype. While highly politically incorrect today, Mammy’s Cupboard is a fascinating architectural embodiment of early Twentieth Century Southern culture, as well as an interesting example of engineering; Mammy’s beehive shaped skirt is constructed of brick. According to the Natchez Historic Foundation, it is also apparently one of the few documented works in Mississippi of a female architect, in this case Annie Davis Bost, wife and draftsman of the city ‘s most prolific architect/builder of the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles–Robert E. Bost.

Although Mammy’s Cupboard has undergone periods of abandonment and disrepair, today it is in good condition after a recent restoration and is a popular restaurant known for its selection of pies.

2 replies

  1. Very original design, I really enjoyed it. Only, I did not realize that she is holding on a tray?

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  2. I really hope that the current concept to “tear down everything related to slavery period in Mississippi” and all over the Southern States of America will not destroy and topple Aunt Mammy as she is probably devoid of her red petticoat and without her pantaloons. Love live the Southern culture. Long live Mississippi and long live America undivided.

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