The Savage Traveler: Mississippi River Boat Road Scholar Adventure: Part 7

(It won't let me move this to the bottom, where it should be.)
This is the Mark Twain impersonator we enjoyed after dinner.

Thu. Apr. 6: For the first time on the river cruise, the boat stayed for a 9 hour day when we docked at Natchez. The area has been inhabited since around the eighth century, when the Mississippian culture built mounds there. In the 17^th and 18^th centuries the Natchez Indians occupied the lands and were visited by Hernando de Soto and his men as they crossed the river nearby. Bienville built a crude fortification called Fort Rosalie there in 1716 and the French clashed with, then killed or enslaved, the Natchez Indians. Here there is a terminus of the Natchez Trace, the 444 mile pathway that flatboatmen followed to return home after floating their goods down the Ohio and Mississippi for further transport to New Orleans. Cotton made Natchez wealthy and there are many restored plantation homes to visit. The steamboat docked at Natchez-Under-The–Hill, the notorious rough area at the bottom of the bluff. Once a noisy, thriving area five streets wide, the stretch along the river is now reduced to just Silver Street. After breakfast our bus took our group to Longwood Plantation, which was an exotic departure from typical homes of the period, octagonal and in the Oriental Revival style. Most interestingly, it was begun in 1860 but interrupted by the Civil War and the owner’s death, so only nine of its 32 rooms, all in the basement, were finished. It was eerie to wander the second floor and try to imagine how magnificent it would have been when finished.

Longwood Plantation House

The finished rooms in the basement are partially lit by
"sky lights" in the ceiling that bring light from above.

Highly unusual floor plan for the second floor (third level)
because of the octagonal shape of the home.

Ann is on the left, looking down into one of the "sky lights" that send
ambient light to the basement rooms. The brickwork and a rudimentary
stairway (on the left) are all that were completed above the basement level.

Bedrooms would have been added on the third (and fourth?) levels,
with a towering dome letting in light far above.

A finished porch on the second level

After our visit there, the bus went back into town and dropped us at Stanton Hall, built in 1858 and the quintessence of elegant Greek Revival splendor. Carrera marble, mahogany doors, massive Corinthian columns, and delicate cast iron railings adorn the façade of this mansion that covers a city block and is now run by one of two rival gardening clubs who have never reconciled after their split back in the 1930s! We had enough time there that Marv and I walked around the old neighborhood and admired the buildings, many of which are marked with historical plaques out front.

Stanton Hall

Outside Stanton Hall

The back third of the Parlor could be closed off by huge folding
doors so the Women could enjoy Music while the Men had whiskey
and cigars in the front area. The Parlor, opened, ran the
entire length of one side of the mansion.

The upstairs hallway is wide and welcoming. Ann chats
with a costumed guide about the home.

If you can enlarge this sign, it tells the history of
Stanton Hall and two other nearby homes.

The Wilkins Town House, built in 1835, is one of the oldest
buildings remaining in Natchez and serves now as a B&B.

This one was for sale! Keeping up the old tile
roof would be just one of the challenges.

We heard about this historic race from our Steam Boat captain back in New Orleans.

A nice view of the American Queen moored at Natchez.

We returned to the boat for lunch and then headed out again in the afternoon. There was a quick stop at a Presbyterian Church to see the magnificent stained glass windows, two of which were made by Tiffany Company.

Then we traveled on to Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, where some members of the Natchez Gospel Choir sang some songs for us before inviting us up to sing along. Shelby, Marv and I went up to the choir loft to sing, then Chuck joined us when we lined up on the floor in front of the sacristy to do some movement with a song. It was a rollicking good time!

Marv and Peggy, front row left, and Shelby, second row middle,
make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Shelby and Chuck rockin' with the Gospel Choir.

There was a calliope concert as we left Natchez at 5:00. After dinner we thoroughly enjoyed “An Evening with Mark Twain” by impersonator Lewis Hankins.

Because we had been busy with Road Scholar activities, we never had a chance to a regularly
scheduled tour of the Pilot's House. Chuck made arrangements for the 6 of us to have our
own private tour before we left Natchez.