The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-03-10
FAME OF NATCHEZ IS RESULT
OF IDEA DEVELOPED IN 1892

IN D years maze NalcneZ the
South's most famous pilgrimage
city, an attraction which draws
thousands of visitors each Spring
to view the greatest collection of
ante-bellum mansions and price,
less old heirlooms in all the South
land.
Last year 10000 visitors from
all over the nation came to Nat
chez In March to view more than
30 of the city's most magnificent
homes and gardens. This year re-
quests for information on the pill
grimage are coming it at the rate
of about 500 per day. This years
pilgrimage March 5-April s.
will undoubtedly attract the larg-
est crowds in history.
Thirty-one of the city's loveliest
homes will be thrown open during
the month-long pilgrimage. Dur
ing this period ladies of the gar
den clubs will wear hoopskirts and
guide pilgrims from all over the
nation through beautiful azalea
gardens into homes which saw the
history of the Southwest in the
making, Confederate balls, tab
leaux depicting life during the
1868, and old-fashioned negro
spiritual singing are all part of
the spectacular. charming pro-
gram.
FROM OBSCURITY
The idea which extricated Nat
chez from obscurity following the
War Between The States was con-
ceived by Mrs. Balfour Miller, a
descendant of one of the Oldest
families, and ladies of the garden
club. Many Natchez businessmen
considered the idea impractical,
but after the first tour they adj
mitted their error in judgment by
presenting Mrs. Miller with a low
ing cup.
The piigrimages today are big
business for Natchez, which also
has enjoyed an amazing Industrial
growth during the past 10 years.
Natchez of the beautiful homes
can indirectly attribute its concep-
ton to Ely Whitney, inventor of
the cotton gin, which revolution
lied the economy of the South.
For cotton brought new wealth
to the South of pre-Civil War days,
and Natchez became the greatest
cotton market in the world.
In the lush years from around
1912 to the Civil War millionaire
planters built their town mansions
on the Natchez bluffs, high above
the muddy waters of the MISSISSIPPI
pi River. By 1850 the city boosted
IL of the rs millionaires in the
United States. Life in Natchez was
gay and planters lavished money
on elaborate homes.
TYPICAL OF HOMES
Typical of these was Stanton
Hall. which today is owned by the
Pilgrimage Garden Club.
The builder, an Irishman, chart
cred an entire ship back in 1850
to bring materials and furnishings
from France for Stanton Hall,
which he named Belfast. after his
native city. The palatial two-story
structure, which cost the builder
more than half-a-million dollars,
included great marble fireplaces,
ceiling-high m irrors, massive
bronze chandeliers filled with fig
ures of Indians on horseback and
French soldiers which mark some
of the city's history,
A hand wrought iron fence
which encloses the grounds cost
the Irish builder $4,000.
Many of these fine homes were
under construction when the Civil
War broke out and workers were
forced to drop their tools and go
off to fight.
Notable among these is Long
wood, ghostlike octagonal struc-
ture of Moorish design with a huge
dubious dome. The uncompleted
skeleton of the home stands today
as northern artisans left it when
they answered the call to war.
The worst of the Civil War pass
ed Natchez by, however. and few
of the mansions suffered at the
hands of Union troops.
Returning soldiers found little
physical change, but the slaves
were gone, the fields neglected and
the riches they represented ex-
hausted.
Natchex became a forgotten
city--until 1882.
Descendants of original families
. still chung to many of the homes.
Others had slipped into alien but
friendly hands. Many of them were
badly run down and their owners
sought desperately for ways and
means of maintaining them.
1t was then that the ladies of
Natchez came to the rescue.
Through their Garden Club they
launched the Natchez Pilgrimages
organized visits to old homes
and gard s. The small fee
charged visitors went and still