The Ark of the Covenant

 I met the Rev. H.D. Dennis more than 20 years ago. I was fairly new to town and he came to the newspaper where I worked at the time and ended up in my office one day. And the man could talk. That first conversation with him revolved around his news that the Lord had allowed him to build another Ark of the Covenant. Even more, the Lord allowed him to make improvements to it, namely by adding wheels on the bottom so it could be pushed and not have to be carried. Rev. Dennis said the Lord told him to have a parade with the Ark of the Covenant. He also said the Lord told him to come to the newspaper to have that news put in the paper. Our conversation ended with me telling Rev. Dennis that as soon as the Lord told me to put that in the paper I would. He was satisfied with that answer and left. I never have forgotten my first experience of Rev. Dennis.

The Ark of the Covenant still resides at Margaret's Grocery, the castle he constructed for his gentle wife on Washington Street. I stopped by this weekend to record it more closely for I am still flabbergasted that it has survived all these years. Rev. Dennis had a short ritual for opening the Ark on the few times I asked him about it. It included taking a Bible to the Ark and placing it in a precise position where the flowers are now located in the Ark. Rev. Dennis chastised me many a time for not knowing the Scriptures he used to quote during the times we talked about the Ark.  He did it in such a loving way, however.

I love the Ark for it is vintage Dennis design with all sorts of objects incorporated into its design, including a favorite item of his, a large hairclip. It is quite a heavy object so I am glad the Lord let him put wheels on this one.

 One large wasp nest on the left side and several smalls ones on the right side are now part of the Ark. I am glad I did not decide to take these photos earlier in the summer because that must have been quite a surprises for whoever ventured to open it up.

Margaret's Grocery is slowly fading away, with some of the structure now falling down. I will post photos of that later on. Vandals have already broken through the front door and I hate to think what they have done to the artwork inside. I am glad I have photos of the interior, however.

Go by and see Margaret's Grocery while you can. It won't be around for too much longer and it is such an important part of Vicksburg's heritage. But more than anything, it is a monument to one woman who deserved such a castle from the man who loved her.

Margaret's Grocery

I have probably documented Margaret's Grocery on North Washington Street more than anyone else around for these past few years and it has been a joy to talk with Rev. Dennis and Miss Margaret during many of those visits. Miss Margaret is gone now and Rev. Dennis is in a nursing home and the castle he built for his wife is slowing fading away. It is starting to crumble in some places and many of the signs are now unreadable. Only in corners not touched by the direct sunlight is the vividness of what the castle's colors once looked like evident now.

Many want to preserve Margaret's Grocery since it is such an integral part of Vicksburg's personality. But I just can't see how it can be saved. You can't repaint it. That would destroy the uniqueness of Rev. Dennis. He painted those signs and posts for his wife and to paint over them would be to paint over his very public profession of love for Miss Margaret. And it would not be the same.

The interior might could be saved since it is just as decorated as the exterior. But even that would not embrace the soul of Rev. Dennis and Miss Margaret. It would be hard to present the inner beauty without offering the outer beauty along with it.

The solution? I don't think there is one. I believe, however, that the store should be allowed to just fade into the past. It's the Reverend's handiwork that made it what it is and if anyone else is allowed to change that, then it is no longer the same. Economics will win out in the end, however.

I ride by the place about once a week. I stop and find new details each time I go. What a wonderful building. I am sad to see it in its present condition. But more than anything, I miss the presence of Rev. Dennis and his wife at the store. They were such a joy to be around.

I also enjoy taking people by the store, even in its current condition. I tell them the story about Rev. Dennis and Miss Margaret, about the Ark of the Covenant that resides there, about the walls adorned with ornaments in every nook and cranny. The artwork is fading away, but the love story is still shining bright.

Thank God for Rev. Dennis. He is a man who is not ashamed to publicly broadcast to the world the message he wanted to convey. And, although, he can no longer take care of his monument to Miss Margaret, his work will always have a big role in what makes Vicksburg one of the greatest towns along the Mississippi.

(The photos above were taken two weeks ago.)

Margaret Dennis

One of the most gentle spirits I have ever encountered was that of Margaret Dennis, who died Monday at the age of 94. Her husband, the Rev. H.D. Dennis, told her he would build her a castle if she would marry him and he was true to his word. The transformation of Margaret's Grocery has been documented worldwide. I have spent many mornings and afternoons documenting the place and was fortunate to speak and visit with Miss Margaret several times. She will be missed.

These photos of Miss Margaret and the Reverend were taken in October 2006.

Below are some photos of Margaret's Grocery that I shot in July 2009, including some close-up shots of some of the details of the design. It is fascinating to study the place and look at the creativity the reverend used in building the monument to his wife. If you haven't been and you live anywhere even remotely close to Vicksburg, then you are doing yourself a disservice. Call me! I'll take you there!

The Ark of the Covenant

Self-portrait

Miss Margaret's obituary as it appeared in The Vicksburg Post on Tuesday:

Margaret Dennis died Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, at Vicksburg Convalescent Home. She was 94.

Mrs. Dennis was born in Bolton. She was a member of Cool Springs M.B. Church and was a former Sunday school teacher.

She retired as owner/operator of Margaret’s Grocery.

She was preceded in death by her father, the Rev. Joe Martin; her mother, Illinois Harvey; and two brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include her husband, the Rev. Herman Dennis of Vicksburg; and a stepdaughter, Cora Dennis Williams of Brooklyn, N.Y.

W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.