Southern Life

Yesterday we spent the day in Natchez, after a southern breakfast of baked eggs, bacon, grits, hot biscuits, and fruit. It was the first time the boys had ever had grits before. Zach seemed to like them, David said they needed some flavor so he added a spoonful of sugar, and Joe didn't appear to like them. As for me, I took a few bites, and that's about it. But overall, the breakfast was delicious. At breakfast there were three couples from the surrounding areas. One couple was from New Orleans and they gave us all kinds of recommendations of what to do while in the city as well as what to avoid. Before we left, our host showed us his model train railroad he was building. The boys and I got to see his plans and what he's completed so far. It's going to be very nice and reminded me of the Model Train Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. 

Our B & B - Devereaux-Shields House

After a few photo ops, we went to the visitor center, watched a video, looked at exhibits, and made our plans to visit a few homes. While there, I read about the Nathchez Indians and the huge mounds constructed around the area. I remembered reading about this long ago with the boys when we read the first book of A History of US. I wish we had time to visit, but we had a lot to do in our already busy day.

Rosalie

First stop was Rosalie; it is a good sized antebellum (Pre-Civil war) home. It was built by a businessman who later got into the cotton business. Cotton was the main business of the town. The plantations had their farmland across the river in Louisiana, but the families lived in the town homes in Natchez. We learned about the history of the two families that lived in the house and all about the types and brands of furniture. Rosalie has the largest collection of original furniture. At Rosalie, there were two parlours which was common in those days. One parlour for the men to drink and smoke, and one parlour for the women to play music and do needlepoint. The thing that was most impressive about Rosalie was the view. It was built right on the bluffs and from the porch and many windows there was a spectacular view of the Mississippi River.


The next stop was the home of William Johnson. He was born into slavery, but was freed at the age of 11. As an adult, he became the town barber and was a very successful businessman. He lived in town with his wife, eleven children and mother-in-law. Their home was more modest, but still very nice. The most interesting part of this tour was William Johnson's diary. It has provided a lot of information about the people and day to day operations in Natchez. He was always lending money to people.


Our last stop was Longwood. This mansion was just outside of town. We drove about a half mile down a wooded trail and then came into a clearing with a large house looming in the distance. It was quite impressive. This home was unusual for several reasons.

First, it is an octagonal shaped building with a large onion shaped dome at the top. It's architecture is unique with a mixture of Greek and Byzantine style. The family wanted something different from the popular Roman architecture of the time. It is the largest building of its kind in the U.S.

Longwood

The second interesting fact is that it was started about a year before the Civil War (or as our tour guides always said, "The War between the States"). The main structure of the building was completed, and the basement was finished which is where the family lived during the remaining construction. Most of the workers were from the north. So when the war broke out, they all literally dropped their tools and left.


Haller Nutt, the owner was able to complete a little more work with the help of locals, but he died of pneumonia before the war ended. The house remains unfinished to this day. The family continued to live in the basement. Of 32 rooms only 9 were ever completed. 

Scaffolding

The original plans for this house show the opulence of the cotton baron era. The house is the size of a hotel, and the layout of the rooms is quite interesting. We were able to view the living area of the family and then went to the unfinished first floor. In the center of the main floor, you can look up and see the scaffolding of the four additional floors rising above you. As we walked around the unfinished floor, we saw paint cans, an old bathtub, packing crates, tools, and a variety of other things showing the haste in which the construction  halted.

We had a short drive (1 1/2 hours) to our final destination, so we hopped in the car and arrived in Madison. We are staying at the same hotel as my parents and my sister and her family. When we arrived they were all at my Uncle Bill's home just a few miles away. So we unloaded the car and then drove over to meet all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Today is the big reunion day at Aunt Ruth Ann's house. It should be a lot of fun!