Part 4

A formal driveway, bordered with Louis Philippe roses, leads to the mansion. Giant magnolias and evergreen laurimundi splash the landscape with white and green. Formal flower beds, with boxwood borders, cover the entire acreage of the foreground to Magnolia Vale.

The Mississippi River has continuously eaten into the grounds of Magnolia Vale until much of this promontory has vanished into the waters. Although the great house shows marked evidence of “settling” from year to year, and is occupied now by a caretaker only, the gardens are given constant attention. The same trim boxwood hedges, the same formal walks and beloved flower beds, the same shrubs, the same tall trees, and the maze of gardenia and japonica greet the visitor and shed perfume across the broad and mighty river, which ravenously eats at the very roots of these gorgeous plants.

_Mount Repose_

Here is a huge, comfortable, old-fashioned, country gentleman’s home—in appearance and in literal fact “Mount Repose”. The name aptly describes the first impression of every visitor.

The house is situated on an elevation, surrounded by broad green acres.

Built in the early 1800’s, Mount Repose has been the scene of much that is interesting in the story of Natchez. It is part of the original estate of William Bisland, a Scotsman. From this family comes the author Elizabeth Bisland who through close association with Lafcadio Hearn, when both of them worked for the old New Orleans _Picayune_, was able to write the interesting life of that genius. This book and many others by Elizabeth Bisland, including _Candle of Understanding_ and _The Case of John Smith_, can be found in public libraries today.

The present owners of Mount Repose, Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Baldwin of New York, are direct descendants of the Bisland family. Its present occupants, the J. D. Shields family are also descendants of the Bislands. Mrs. Shields is a descendant of the renowned English beauty, Margaret Watts, who married the Spanish Governor, Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, who is prominently identified with Natchez’ earliest history.

The original furnishings of Mount Repose have gone out to Bisland heirs, and yet valuable antiques and family portraits remain in the old house.

An interesting story is told of a wager expressive of the loyalty of William Bisland to Henry Clay.

Mr. Bisland believed that Henry Clay should be, and would be, the next president of the United States. He laid a wager in accordance with his belief. He had just planted a formal line of sentinel trees along a driveway to the main entrance of Mount Repose. He openly declared that this driveway would be closed until Clay was elected. He then proceeded with great preparations for its formal opening, but history tells why today there grow two long lines of well-spaced trees from the big front gate to the house—that gate unopened through the years! The entrance to Mount Repose is through the side gate. Henry Clay was never elected president.

_Melmont_

’Way back in 1839, when Henry Basil Shaw married Mary Elizabeth Lattimore, profound consideration was given to naming the homes and estates of Natchez. It is almost certain that the mistress of Melmont pondered long and consulted her family before deciding the name. She chose to use the three initials of Mary Elizabeth Lattimore to form the first part of the name, “Mel”, and added “mont” because the mansion stood mounted on a rolling acreage. Thus “Melmont” was coined.

Melmont is unlike other Natchez homes. The architecture is its own peculiar type. A sturdy, well-built house, it has for almost a century cared for Natchez’ foremost citizens and their illustrious guests. Claiborne, the historian, Judge Samuel Brooks, and other prominent men spent much time at Melmont.

The acreage around Melmont has been sold and modern homes have been built on the land. Melmont is now a palatial town house, no longer a country home.

Melmont was within the Federal lines during the War Between the States. When Natchez was shelled from the river in 1862 shells fell in the yard and gardens and destroyed giant oak trees and landscaping.

The interior decoration and furnishing are to a great extent from the original family although many handsome pieces have been added by subsequent owners. Mrs. John Ayres and her sister, Miss Corinne Henderson, have occupied this home for many years. Mrs. Ayers especially prizes a mahogany bureau which has chests on either side for storing wigs.

A valuable Hepplewhite desk in the drawing room attracts much interest. It belonged to the renowned John Henderson, and it was here he is believed to have written an appeal to Congress in 1798 “for schools for the education of children and provision for regular ministry of the Gospel.”

Melmont is well preserved, exterior and interior, and holds great charm for all who come within its portals.

_Melrose_

Melrose, called “the perfect ante-bellum home”, is located about a mile from Natchez city limits. This model mansion, built in the early 40’s, owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. George M. D. Kelly, is, by courtesy of the owners, opened for inspection during the annual Pilgrimage celebration of the Natchez Garden Club. In an entire day one can only glimpse Melrose and its treasures. Another full day could be well spent in the surrounding woodlands and boxwood bordered gardens.

Built in 1845 by Judge Edward Turner for his daughter, Mrs. McMurran, it was purchased immediately after the War Between the States by George Malin Davis, grandfather of the present owner, George Malin Davis Kelly. Mr. Kelly has with great pride of possession kept the Melrose home and estate in its original perfection.

The approach to Melrose is through acres of lawn as smooth as stretched velvet. The house is an imposing brick building of the square Georgian architectural design, with upper and lower porticos, and supporting Ionic columns.

The front door is of attractive Colonial style with diamond shaped sidelights. A broad sweep of steps lead to the wide portico.

A spacious hall runs through the lower floor. It is appropriately furnished in rare old pieces; among these is an unusual table which is set with semi-precious stones, and an ancient grandfather’s clock. The lighting for this grand hallway is provided by numerous rows of candles, held in dainty but substantial frames. The floor covering (which is the original) attracts immediate attention by reason of its beauty, unique design, and quality. It can be best described as a striking inlay of unknown origin.

To the right of the hall is the front drawing room. The rosewood furniture is Empire style, and is in as perfect condition today as on the day of its purchase.

To the left is a dining room 20 feet square. Black marble mantels add dignity to the room. A handsome mahogany punka swings over the dining table. This bespeaks undeniable antiquity. Until quite recently the owners of Melrose cared for several old slaves who pulled the punka to create breezes for the comfort of the family during meals.

Melrose still uses its outside brick kitchen, reached by a broad brick walk from the main house. Above the kitchen are quarters for the house servants.

The upper floors of Melrose contain bedrooms, halls, and a sewing room. Massive beds so high that occupants must climb in by a set of specially made mahogany steps; heavy bureaus, armoirs, dressing tables, tilt top tables, and day bed—all are heirlooms of the original owners and of the present owners.

Mr. Davis (the grandfather of the present owner) came South from Pennsylvania many years before the war of ’61, and was educated at Sewanee College, Sewanee, Tennessee. His only daughter married Dr. Stephen Kelly of New York, and that daughter became the mother of George M. D. Kelly, the present owner of Melrose mansion.

George M. D. Kelly and his wife, who was Miss Ethel Moore, are members of old New York families but have long since adopted the Southland as their home.

_Monmouth_

Near “Linden”, on a velvety lawn guarded by great oaks, stands a Grecian-type mansion. This is Monmouth, now owned and maintained by Mrs. Hubert Barnum. Mrs. Barnum, owner of “Arlington”, the adjoining estate, is probably the only Natchezian who owns and operates two great ante-bellum homes.

Historically Monmouth is known as the home of John A. Quitman and his wife, Eliza. General Quitman, a hero of national renown, raised the first American flag in Mexico. He purchased this mansion and fifteen surrounding acres about the year 1826.

Edith Wyatt Moore in her story of Monmouth says: “John A. Quitman and Eliza Turner drew a marriage contract prior to their wedding. He relinquished all right of inheritance to her property in case of her death without children. He gave her the right to handle slaves and property or dispose of same without his consent.” General Quitman was a native of New York.

A man of great popularity and military distinction, General Quitman’s home became the scene of many gatherings of the notables of America. Monmouth was classed among the most perfectly appointed homes of its day.

General Quitman died in 1859 from what was suspected as the effect of slow poison administered at a banquet given in honor of President Buchanan.

For a period following General Quitman’s death his beloved Monmouth was vacant. It became dilapidated from disuse, and after passing through many hands was purchased by Mrs. Annie Gwynne, who is now Mrs. Barnum. Every part has been repaired or renewed and the old mansion stands today in majestic perfection.

Great square pillars support the upper portico, which is encircled by attractive lattice grill work. The walls are of brick. The doors, with fan transoms and side-lights, and the window frames are made of hand-carved wood. Spacious halls, huge rooms with high ceilings, and a pervading air of solid, substantial structure make Monmouth a monument eternal to a man whose memory shall never die—a man of whom it was said, “He is Mississippi’s best-loved citizen.”

The original furnishings of Monmouth are long since gone. These were supplanted by rare antiques from the superb collection of Mrs. Barnum’s family, the Greens, who founded Greensboro, North Carolina.

_Monteigne_

“Monteigne” is a recently acquired possession of one of Natchez’ most valued families, Mrs. Mary Worrell Kendall and Mr. and Mrs. William Kendall. It was built in 1855 as the home of Gen. William T. Martin of the Confederacy, whose features are carved on Stone Mountain as a representative of the State of Mississippi. Hand-hewn timbers discovered when excavating the foundation for “Monteigne” lead to the belief that this was the site of a home destroyed during the Indian Massacre of 1729.

The place bears the French Huguenot name for Martin, “Monteigne”. It is unlike any of the old homes around Natchez. Predominantly Georgian in appearance, Monteigne stands out distinctively. A solid, two-story structure, built of sturdiest timbers, this home has withstood the ravages of time and the desecration of opposing forces during the War Between the States.

It is said that horses were “stalled” in the parlors by Yankee soldiers, rosewood furniture used for kindling fires, and valuable silver and brass melted and lost.

Upon his return from the war, General Martin saw the destruction of the beauty of his house and its grounds. With the undismayed courage of a great man who knows how to overcome defeat, he began the restoration of his home and its eleven acres of yard and gardens.

When Leslie Carpenter bought Monteigne in 1928 Natchez was assured another perfect estate. Terraced lawns and rose gardens were brought to life; driveways, trellises, shrubbery, and flagged walks were restored to this classic home.

The interior of Monteigne is stately—formal and yet inviting—with the black and white mosaic floor in its great entrance hall.

Monteigne recently passed from the Carpenters to the present owners, Mrs. Mary Worrell Kendall, her son, William, and his wife and their two little daughters.

_Myrtle Terrace_

Substantial and compact, this Colonial cottage is one of the reclaimed small ante-bellum homes of Natchez. Built in the 1830’s, it is more than a century old.

In 1844 Myrtle Terrace was purchased by the late L. N. Carpenter, who, in turn, sold it to the renowned Captain Thomas Leathers of steamboat fame. The agreement to buy stipulated in minute detail that the property must be put in “ship shape”, carefully specifying “hinges on the windows, fastenings on the cellar door, latches on the gates, blinds on all windows except the dormers, building a stable and a carriage house”.

Captain Leathers was identified with the famous _Natchez-Robert E. Lee_ steamboat race from New Orleans to St. Louis, on the Mississippi river, in 1870. The prize was $20,000. The race has become an epic. So thrilling is it in the history of river traffic it was dramatized in a recent celebration on the Pacific Coast.

Captain Leathers of the _Natchez_ lost the race to Captain Cannon of the _Robert E. Lee_ not because he had a slower boat but because of his over-confidence. He traveled nonchalantly and made all his regular stops. In the pinch he would not jeopardize the safely of his passengers by pressing his boilers beyond the safety point.

Captain Leathers lived in Myrtle Terrace for many years, and the place is still known as the “home of the Captain of the steamboat _Natchez_”. It is now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Dan Tucker, who have reclaimed the old lines of the house and have added modern interior improvements.

_Propinquity_

In the long ago, when each Southern plantation was identified by a specially chosen name, the naming of homes around Natchez was a great event. When land was opened and a home built, a recorded name was given, and neither time nor change of owner or occupant changed the name of that plantation. Interesting indeed are the stories of the names selected.

“Propinquity” was named in 1810 by its owner, Brigadier General Leonard Covington, and was so named because its lands adjoined Fort Dearborn where he was in command of a troop of Light Dragoons. Today Propinquity is appropriate as “near to nature”.

The plantation belonged originally to one William Belk. The records shows that in 1797 a committee met at this place for the purpose of appointing a Public Safety organization, the first American political assembly held in the Lower Mississippi Valley.

For several generations Propinquity has been owned by the descendants of Jane Long, the famous “Mother of Texas”, who spent many happy days in this quaint old home. It is still a reliquary for interesting possessions of the Texas heroine.

Situated on a side road off the original “Natchez Trace”, this old house is built on simple early American lines. A wide center hall with a deep mahogany stairway runs the length of the two huge rooms on either side. Green shuttered, small pane windows, a solid three-panel front door with straight glass sidelights, and a small upper and lower portico complete the simple picture of this old home.

The furnishings are of the original purchase. There is a tiny melodeon in the parlor. Its quaint type indicates very early “vintage”—a rare museum piece.

Bedrooms where rested the nobility of the land in earlier days are still prim and precise with poster beds in their original draperies, mahogany armoirs, bureaus with numerous side compartments and many mirrors to please the fancy of milady of the early fifties.

In the dining room there is an exquisite set of china, and despite the fact that it has been in daily use for more than one hundred years, only two small pieces are missing from the set of 200 pieces. This gives an idea of the order and system, and the appreciation for the valuable and beautiful at Propinquity.

The house is occupied by Miss Rebecca Miller and Mrs. M. E. Fauntleroy, who are descendants of the renowned Jane Long.

_Ravenna_

At the end of Union street, on ten acres of ground which edges a great ravine or bayou, stands Ravenna, the present home of Mrs. Richard I. Metcalf.

Ravenna was built more than one hundred years ago by the Harris family. It has stood the test of time and of the tornado of 1840. It stands today in the superior dignity of perfection. The property was acquired by the family of its present owner about eighty years ago.

Ravenna shows every evidence of an inherited love of flowers. This comes from Andrew Brown of “Brown’s Gardens”, and Mrs. Metcalf, a direct descendant, has expressed that inherited taste and talent in the beautification of Ravenna.

The house is the large Colonial type. An outstanding feature of the interior is an exquisite stairway and a great assembly of unusual, massive antiques.

The charm of Ravenna is its setting. Facing a great ravine, the old home is surrounded by flowers. A huge wisteria vine covers the front of the house with purple blossoms. The side of the place toward the town is enclosed by a high iron fence of massive design. The main entrance is through heavy iron gates that lead along the winding tulip bordered driveway to the front portico. Bordering this driveway are radiant azalea bushes and japonicas, while at certain seasons of the year the deep pink of flowering peach trees and almond trees give vivid color splotches which intensify the beauty of these grounds.

A point of interesting antiquity at Ravenna is the name “Caroline Harris” scratched with a diamond into a window pane. This proves conclusively that the windows were there in 1840 when the Harrises owned Ravenna.

During the War Between the States the peace of Ravenna was greatly disturbed by Federal soldiers who ordered the Metcalfs to leave this home. Mrs. Metcalf was suspected of communicating with the Confederate soldiers through the bayou.

Alter the war Ravenna was reclaimed and again occupied by the Metcalf family.

“Little Ravenna”, the cottage home of the late Mrs. Zulika Metcalf Lawrence, stands on the Ravenna grounds, as does also a palatial residence occupied by Mrs. Roan Fleming Byrnes, who is a leading spirit in promoting the great Natchez Trace highway project.

This group of family homes, under the sheltering eaves of the parent home, Ravenna, eloquently bespeaks that close and lovable family life of the South as it has existed for generations.

_Oakland_

Among the numerous ante-bellum homes of Natchez which are today owned and occupied by lineal descendants of the original owners “Oakland” stands preeminent. Built in 1838 for Catherine Chotard Eustis, the granddaughter of Major Stephen Minor, this home remains in the possession of the Minor family. The present owner is Mrs. Jeanne Minor McDowell. Major Minor was the last Governor of the Natchez District under Spanish rule.

Oakland is located in secluded grounds, and, as its name implies, stands in a land of oaks.

The house is a substantial brick building with a wide front portico and broad brick steps. The spacious center hallway opens with heavy mahogany entrance doors into an old-fashioned parlor on the right and a large dining room on the left. The walls are covered with the original paper.

Many pieces of the original furnishings remain. Several rare pieces were brought to Oakland from “Concord”, which was the Governor’s official mansion and was destroyed by fire.

The Minors were lovers of race horses, and valuable paintings of beautiful horses owned by the family adorn the walls. Two especially fine horse pictures are by Troye. Many silver trophies of racing victories form an interesting part of Oakland possessions.

In this house is a bed of unique type, known as “a family bed”. It is a huge four-poster with silken tester. As broad as it is long, there is plenty of room for six persons to sleep comfortably!

Ante-bellum gardens wherein grow verbena, gardenia, and sweet olive, with clipped boxwood borders, complete the handsome setting of Oakland.

_Richmond_

Life at Richmond today seems a continuous house party. The present owners (seven daughters, one son, and one granddaughter of the late Shelby Marshall) are the fifth and sixth generations of the illustrious Levin R. Marshall family to own and occupy this old and hospitable mansion. It contains 41 rooms.

The architecture of Richmond shows three distinct styles. The original center building, 153 years old, is of Spanish design; the front, 105 years old, is of Greek design; and 77 years ago the square English portion of the house was built.

The Spanish part, constructed of sturdy hand-hewn timbers, brick, and cement, is in an excellent state of preservation. It has stood without reconstruction throughout the years. There is a cement patio on the ground level, and cypress steps with artistic iron grill rails reach the main floor from the outside. Here one can sound the door knocker, and soon hear heavy wooden bars being lifted. This was the security against Indians and other intruders of early days, and such protection remains intact at Richmond.

In 1832 Richmond became the property of Levin R. Marshall, great-great-grandfather of the present owners, and it was he who added the lovely Greek portion. This addition contains six large rooms on the main floor and four in the basement.

Twenty-eight years later, in order to accommodate a rapidly growing family and numbers of guests, the red brick English addition was built in the rear.

The main entrance has a front portion with classic Corinthian columns supporting the roof. A broad hall, the length of two twenty-foot rooms, runs through the center to a formal dining room. This formal room opens with four tall folding doors into a smaller family dining room. There are double drawing rooms on the left side of the great hall.

The massive old furniture remains today in Richmond, as does the family silver, which is the most ornate and beautiful silver service in the entire South.

The front drawing room harbors a greatly prized relic of the past—the quaint concert grand piano which was used to accompany the famous song-bird Jenny Lind when, under the management of that superb showman, P. T. Barnum, she toured the South. A beautiful portrait of Jenny Lind hangs near the old piano.