Jews had lived in the area beginning in the 18th century but it wasn't until the 1840s&nbsp;when Jews from&nbsp;Alsace-Lorraine and Bavaria (most of modern-day Germany and Poland) began to arrive. They began setting up businesses in clothing and dry goods and depended on the cotton industry which had been thriving in the south. The congregation began to slowly adopt Reform practices in 1865 and by 1871 officially became a Reform community. The congregation's struggles began in 1908 when the boll weevil epidemic took a major toll on the agriculture industry and a flood occurred. Jews began to move elsewhere and the congregation's number of families dropped from 450 to 150. By 1979, there were less than 30 families. Today, the number is still low. This situation prompted the congregation to partner with the museum in 1991.

Temple B’Nai Israel was built in 1905 and is currently home to the oldest congregation in the state.

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Temple B’Nai Israel is Mississippi's oldest Jewish congregation. It was formed in 1843 and for the first couple of decades, it was an Orthodox community. The current temple was built in 1905 and has a seating capacity of 450. However, the congregation is far too small to fill the pews and will likely close sometime in the near future. As of early 2017, the congregation is still active but the temple has been in a partnership with the Museum of Southern Jewish Experience since 1991 in order to preserve the building long-term. In addition to worship and religious services, the temple is used for lectures, concerts, film screenings, and other programming. 

Temple B’Nai Israel

Starting at the temple that is home to Mississippi's oldest Jewish congregation, this tour includes historic buildings and homes as well as several museums and even a pair of historical markers that share the story of events such as the 1940 Rhythm Club Fire. Highlights of the tour include Stanton Hall, St. Mary's Basilica, Glen Auburn, Magnolia Hall, and the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture. This tour makes a relatively short loop in order to create an easy walk that should appeal to many. Be sure to also check out the many historic homes within a few miles of the downtown area as well as some of the thematic tours that focus on women's history, African American history, and other topics.  

Historic Downtown Natchez Mississippi Walking Tour

Glen Auburn was built c.1875 by merchant Christian Schwartz, who prospered during and after the Civil War. The two-and-a-half story home features a mansard roof, gabled dormers, a central tower, ironwork around the roof, and stone quoins (stone blocks at the corners of walls). A number of the home's original features remain. It was one of many impressive houses built in the period before and after the war. Together, they represent the wealth generated by the fertile lands along the Mississippi River. Glen Auburn in recent times operated as a bed-and-breakfast inn but it is once again a private residence today.

Glen Auburn is one of the many historic homes located in the Natchez On-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built around 1875, it is considered the finest example of Second Empire architecture in Mississippi. After the Civil War, not many buildings of this size were built in this style, which adds to the home's significance. 

Glen Auburn

Thomas Henderson bought the property on which Magnolia Hall now stands in 1858. Other family members had actually owned the property since 1815. By the late 1850s, Henderson was a wealthy man, having become a successful cotton planter and broker. He ran his business in a building at the intersection of Main and Broadway Streets. He was also an active member of the First Presbyterian Church. As alluded to above, the Brittons acquired the house in 1870. A.C. Britton was the president and co-founder of a bank called Britton &amp; Koontz Bank, which continues to operate today, making it the oldest bank in the city.Other families owned the house after the Brittons. Trinity Episcopal Church also owned it as well, from 1963-1974, using it as an elementary school and nursery. The sister organization to the Garden Club, the Preservation Society of Ellicott Hill, acquired Magnolia Hill in 1976. Both organizations maintain and operate the old house.

Magnolia Hall is a historic mansion that is the home of the Natchez Garden Club, which was founded in 1927 to promote local history. The club offers tours of the mansion as well as the House on Ellicott Hill. Wealthy cotton commission merchant Thomas Henderson built Magnolia Hall in 1858 and it was later owned by Eliza and A.C. Britton. As such, the home is also known as the Henderson-Britton House. The house is an outstanding and large example of Greek Revival architecture, featuring fluted Ionic columns supporting a portico and second-story porch on both sides of the building, and pilasters (columns) on the corners and sides. Magnolia Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is also a contributing property of the Natchez On Top of the Hill Historic District. 

Magnolia Hall

Natchez Institute was founded in large part using funds donated by local businessman and philanthropist Alvarez Fisk. In doing so, Fisk helped establish the city's public school system (Fisk was also a member of the Mississippi Colonization Society, which settled free Blacks and freed Black slaves to Africa). The idea for the hall originated in 1850 during a meeting of the school's Board of Visitors. Construction began in 1852 and was completed the next year. The work was done mostly by slaves owned by the general contractors. As noted above, Institute Hall became a popular gathering place for the community. In fact, for the rest of the 19th century it was the primary entertainment venue in Natchez. A part of the basement was converted into a public library in 1883, which continued to operate until 1965. Given its popularity as an entertainment venue, the building eventually became known as Opera Hall by the 1890s. However, in 1901 a new entertainment venue and school were built, which, apparently, left Institute Hall unused for many years. Then in 1921, the American Legion renovated the building as a memorial to the veterans of World War I and the building was renamed Memorial Hall as a result. In the coming years, it was used as a museum to display regional artifacts and memorabilia, storage for voting booths, and even as a venue for boxing matches. Performances were also held as well. The decades took its toll on the building and it was in need of serious repair by the 1970s. Work to restore it didn't begin until 1987 when the Natchez Foundation bought it and made initial emergency repairs. The old building became a courthouse in 2007 after it was decided that the U.S. District Court in Southern Mississippi should be downsized and relocated. Institute Hall was chosen and renovated. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Built in 1853 and originally known as Institute Hall, this stately building is historically significant for its architecture and the role it has played in the community. In terms of architecture, the building is an excellent and rare example of a 19th-century auditorium designed in the Greek Revival style. The Pearl Street facade is the most impressive part of the building, featuring paired pilasters (columns), a grand portico and pediment, and a molded parapet with paired tiers. The building was first used by the school next door called Natchez Institute, which was founded in 1845 (it is believed to be the first free school in the state). Over the years, the building was used in a number of ways including hosting a variety of performances and events and was even used as a skating rink. Today, it is now the United States Courthouse for the Southern District of Mississippi.



United States Courthouse

By 1785, several boatmen called the “Kaintucks” travelled
down the Mississippi River as a route to sell products in Natchez and New
Orleans, but they could not find a good way to travel back up the river to go home
so they travelled north on foot along the Natchez Trace. This path led them
right to Mount Locust; these travelers and more led William and Pauline
Ferguson to open the home as a small inn. A significant corn crop allowed the
Fergusons to feed their guests with corn mush and milk; places to sleep were
created on the porches and grounds. As the Fergusons started to gain money, a
four room, two story annex was built on the grounds and called Sleepy Hollow. The
new building was unlike anything already built and available along the Natchez
Trace. Guests were expected to pay 25 cents for their stay here.

After William Ferguson died in 1801, Paulina married James
Chamberlain who also passed on in the years after 1810. Despite becoming a
widow for the second time and having 11 children between both husbands, Paulina
continued to manage Mount Locust with the help of her children. The plantation
and inn allowed the family to live in a financially stable state. By the middle
of the 1820s the Natchez Trace was no longer needed by travelers thanks to the
development of the steamboat and more roads. Therefore, after 1825, the inn
provided an escape for those living in Natchez. Throughout her life, Paulina
worked a corn farm that became a significant cotton planation; she passed away
in 1849. After the Civil War, Mount Locust’s significance to the community started
to fall with the end of the plantation system. 

With the plantation system style practiced on Mount Locust came
the presence of slaves on the property. By 1820 the census stated that 26
slaves were present on the property and by the mid-1800s there were 51.
Archeologists claim that 12 to 16 slave quarters existed at Mount Locust, with
4 to five slaves living in each quarter. On the west end of the property, a
cemetery hosts the resting place of 43 slaves who worked on the property. There
is a marker that records the names of the slaves thought to be buried there and
one headstone labels the site. The Ferguson-Chamberlain family cemetery is located
on the southwest end of the property. 

In 1905 the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution
decided they needed to preserve the history of the Natchez Trace, and from 1908
to 1933 they built monuments in every county in the state that hosted part of
the route. The 15 monuments that were built garnered a significant amount of
media attention and heightened people’s interest in the area. In 1938, Congress
made the Natchez Trace Parkway part of the National Park Service; the road
preserves the history of the Natchez Trace by including parts of the old road,
buildings, and landmarks. People visiting Mount Locust can take a tour of the
grounds and view the slave and family cemeteries. Visitors can also see where
slaves worked and can catch a glimpse of the people who stayed here whether
during their travels or their vacations.

The Mount Locust Inn and Plantation was built in 1780 and is one of the most ancient homes still in existence in the Natchez community. The house was bought by William and Pauline Ferguson in 1784 after the original owner was imprisoned after failing to carry out a successful rebellion against the Spanish. After William died in 1801 Paulina married another man by the name of James Chamberlain, and together they maintained the plantation and house until he too died after 1810. Five generations of the family lived here until 1944. The inn served as a resting place for several people passing through the area, allowed for an escape for the people of Natchez, and relied on the service of many slaves. In 1954, the National Park Service started to remodel the home to make it resemble its former 1820 design.

Mount Locust Inn & Plantation

St. Mary's Basilica is located in the heart of Natchez, Mississippi. The city of Natchez is found on the banks of the Mississippi River and is the oldest city in Mississippi. St. Mary's Basilica was founded in on September 19th,1886 which makes it one of the oldest Churches in the area. It belongs to the Diocese of Jackson. St. Mary's is the home Church of about 2,000 Roman Catholics and has a school called Cathedral Unit School. 
St. Mary's Basilica is known for its beautiful Catholic architecture. It resemble a Catholic Church you would find in Europe. It is set up in as a Catholic Revival Style Basilica. It is a must see place when visiting Natchez, Mississippi. 

St. Mary's Basilica 

During the 19th century, the Catholic African American population in Mississippi was quite large. This was challenging for the Catholic Church since slaves were not allowed to go anywhere; priests had to visit plantations owned by Catholics. In Natchez, priests baptized more than a third of African American adults and children by 1860. During the Civil War, priests also baptized them in what were called "contraband camps" (these were camps formed by runaway slaves who fled to in Union armies). The first African American school was established in the basement of St. Mary's Church. Children attended school there until a new school was built in 1890 on Beaumont Street. Local African American Catholics then began to call for a parish of their own to be established. The diocese agreed and Holy Family Church was built in 1894. A two-story convent was also built at that time. The following year, the rectory located at the corner of Orange and Franklin Streets was built. In 1906, the auditorium/cafeteria was constructed. Holy Family has been an integral part of the African American community. It has always been commitment to educating African American children and participated in Civil Rights activities during the 1960s. It hosted NAACP meetings and appeared in the 1967 documentary <a href="https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane%3A1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Black Natchez</a>, which depicts how the African American community tried to organize during the Civil Rights era. The resident priest in the 1960s was a Father William Morrissey, who was white and the first white officer of the Mississippi Chapter of the NAACP.

Holy Family Catholic Church is historically significant for its architecture and its association with the local African American community. Built in 1894, it was the first (and therefore the oldest) African American church in Mississippi. In terms of architecture, it is an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture. Notable features include a bell tower with a spire, Gothic arched windows, buttresses, and decorative brickwork. The church is the centerpiece of the Holy Family Catholic Church Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Holy Family Catholic Church

On April 23, 1940, 209 African Americans died in a fire at the Rhythm Night Club. the death toll includes civic and cultural leaders who joined community members to enjoy a special one-night engagement of Chicago's Walter Barnes Orchestra of Chicago. The club regularly featured musicians who traveled between Chicago and New Orleans and across the South on what was known as the "chitlin' circuit" a nickname for a network of Black-owned clubs where African American musicians performed to mostly Black audiences.  Ed Frazier, the owner of the Rhythm Night Club, anticipated a record crowd when he booked Walter Barnes for a special show as they made their way home to Chicago in the spring of 1940. Barnes, who was originally from Vicksburg, Mississippi, was a contemporary of Duke Ellington. His band, known as the Creolians, had not achieved the same status as Ellington’s orchestra, but they were very popular and recorded music for Brunswick Records. The Rhythm Night Club was a large structure with external frames and roofed with corrugated metal. To celebrate Barnes' arrival, Frazier decorated the club with lights and Spanish moss. To kill the bugs that burrowed in the moss, Frazier used a petroleum-based insecticide known as “Flit” and applied to the decoration. he also added fans to relieve the heat he expected the large crowd might generate. Both of these measures, combined with the decision to board up the windows of the club, contributed to the disaster that was about to occur.  Word of Walter Barnes' arrival spread through the Black community of Natchez. As a businessman, Frazier wanted to make sure he took in every penny and boarded the windows to make sure everyone who wanted to see and listen to the show paid the price of admission. Although the concert was scheduled on a Tuesday evening, more than 700 people paid to hear Walter Barnes’ orchestra. The audience included many teenage students and their teachers from Brumfield High School. The audience enjoyed the first hours of the show and danced to the music until late in the evening. Sometime around midnight, a fire that had broken out close to the club’s front entrance began to spread through the club. Within minutes the place was in flames by the flammable insecticide that covered the Spanish moss created both fire and smoke that was spread by the fans.  As always happens in a fire like this, the crowd panicked and many people were hurt as they tried to reach the exit. Some tried in vain to tear down the boarded-up windows before they were overtaken by smoke. The front doors were the only viable exit but because they opened inward, the push of the crowd prevented their opening fully and effectively. Hundreds of panicked concert-goers were trapped as the club turned into a furnace.By the time the fire department arrived and extinguished the inferno, 209 people were dead. Many of the victims were in their teens and the majority died from asphyxiation. Others were trampled to death amid the stampede to exit the club. The remaining victims were burned beyond recognition. Among the dead were Ed Frazier, Walter Barnes, and many members of Barnes' band. Nearly every African American family in Natchez lost at least one of their family members in the tragic blaze. The Red Cross worked to help the survivors and recovery efforts included acts of interracial collaboration. The streets of the city were packed as funeral processions made their way through the streets of Natchez. In Chicago, more than 15,000 mourners attended the funeral for bandleader Walter Barnes.

One of the deadliest fires in American history occurred at this location on April 23, 1940. On that fateful evening, a crowd of around seven hundred people packed Natchez's Rhythm Night Club to listen to a famous bandleader who was set to play one night only as he made his way back to Chicago. In hopes of maximizing his income and preventing anyone from getting a free show, the manager of the club boarded up the windows and doors. As a result, the only way in or out of the club was through the front door. At that time, the club had been decorated with Spanish moss which hung from the rafters, but in order to kill the bugs that were known to live in the moss, it was sprayed with a petroleum-based insecticide called Flit. Tragically, the treated moss was flammable and helped spread a fire that killed 209 people.  Many of the victims were buried in a mass grave at a cemetery on the outskirts of town. At the time, the fire was the second deadliest building fire in the United States.

Rhythm Night Club Fire, 1940

The King’s Tavern is home to many brutal and gruesome killings, beatings, and more.&nbsp; The Tavern didn’t start as a place where people could die any minute, though.&nbsp;It started as a barrier.&nbsp; The Tavern was originally built in 1769 by the British army, and was the blockhouse for Fort Panmure during the Revolutionary War. The house was built in downtown Natchez, Mississippi with only sun-dried bricks, barge boards from flatboats, and sailboat scraps. This was not an unusual combination of building supplies for the time, but this being the first building built in Mississippi, many others followed the example. By 1776, the British abandoned the Fort.&nbsp; After the building was abandoned, Richard King moved his wealthy New York family down to Mississippi in 1789 and bought the house.In the early years of the city, Natchez was a safe haven for escapees of the Revolutionary War.&nbsp; Many groups crossed through Natchez, such as Native Americans, French settlers, the Germans and the Irish. During the Revolutionary War, they came in on flat-boats from Ohio River.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fast forward to the 1900’s, and the city became a place for civil right movements and integration.&nbsp; Today, people all over the world come to see the landscape of Natchez and take in the history of the city.&nbsp; The King’s Tavern is the oldest building in the city, and it has long been known as a place for travelers to stay. The Natchez Trail was originally a buffalo&nbsp;trail, but&nbsp;eventually, Native Americans, traders, settlers, missionaries, slaves, and pioneers would use the same trail.&nbsp; During the Civil War, the city of Natchez was guarded by Union soldiers who made sure the trail was not harmed. This trail has been used for safe travel, slaves escaping, as a safe route for African Americans in the 1900’s, and is now a recreation trail for hiking, biking, etc.&nbsp;

The King family turned the run-down Fort into a tavern and inn, and it also ended up doubling as the place the city would receive mail. At the time, the King’s Tavern was extremely popular and tended to be crowded daily. People would drink at the tavern all day and night while in town.&nbsp; At the beginning of the inn, it was primarily for tired sailors and boatmen, who could rely on the inn to be open and ready for them. When it became a stop for the mail,&nbsp;people were in and out constantly to receive and send their mail. This business made the King family very popular at the time.&nbsp; But, every good thing must come to an end.

The King’s hired a young sixteen-year-old girl, Madeline, as a maid and server for the tavern.&nbsp; Madeline was engaged, but this didn’t stop King from pursuing her and he quickly began to make advances towards the young girl.&nbsp; After many failed attempts, Madeline fell for Richard King, and their love affair began. The two weren’t sneaky enough, though, and Mrs. King found out about the affair and decided to act.&nbsp; Soon after, Madeline went missing and wasn’t seen for several years. Two stories have survived over the years: the first is that Mrs. King killed Madeline and hid her body, while the second theory states that Mrs. King hired hit men to do her dirty work and hide the body. During this time, the Highwaymen Outlaws came to Natchez. This group of men was known for praying on boatmen and visitors, and would rob the townspeople. They also didn't&nbsp;think twice about murder. This gang had a signature way to “dispose” of the bodies, a "calling card" that made it know that the Highwaymen Outlaws had committed the murder.&nbsp; They would slice a body open and stuff it with rocks and dirt after removing the organs and intestines.&nbsp; Afterwards, they would throw the corpse into the nearest body of water.

There was even more violence when the infamous Harpe Brothers came into town. The Harpe Brothers have been coined the first serial killers in America, and might be some of the most brutal serial killers of all time. For example, the brothers both kidnapped their “wives” and would beat and rape them almost daily. When they would become pregnant, the brothers would wait until after delivery to kill the baby. After years of torture, the brothers killed the “wives” and found new “wives.” This next set of wives were killers as well, and were jailed for a period of time during their time with the Harpes. Once in Natchez, the brothers crossed many people, and many more died at their hands. They caused much pain and torture to the people of Natchez while they stayed at the King’s Tavern. One brutally inhumane event that happened at the Tavern occurred when Big Harpe was sitting at the bar downstairs and could hear an inconsolable newborn in the attic room.&nbsp; After listening for several minutes and getting no relief, he marched to the room of the baby and mother where he violently killed the baby, leaving the mother even more inconsolable than the baby had been.&nbsp; Big Harpe’s died&nbsp;in 1799, after&nbsp;the father of one of his kidnapped wives found him and cut his head off.&nbsp; After sawing his head off, he placed Harpe's head at the entrance to Natchez to warn others intent on evil-doing to leave and not come back.&nbsp; The crime and murder rates slowed drastically after this event.

&nbsp;After all that pain and torment, it is no surprise that this Tavern is questionably haunted.&nbsp; Many have claimed to have seen unexplained figures and&nbsp;shadows, and events occurred that have left visitors shaking. Madeline’s ghost is said to haunt the place and her ghost likes to play jokes and mess with visitors of the Tavern.&nbsp; People have said they have seen her knock jars off tables, open and shut doors, turn lights on and off, and pour water from the ceiling to drop drown to the floor. Her ghost being there makes sense, because in the 1930’s renovations were happening to the Tavern after a new owner bought the place. When cleaning the chimney, three mummified bodies were found. One of them was Madeline, while the other two were&nbsp;unknown men. Madeline being found in the chimney supports the theory that Mrs. King murdered Madeline herself and hid her body. Others have said they have heard a baby screaming and a woman crying. This is believed to be the baby that was killed by Harpe and the mother still in mourning. Lastly, a suspicious entity has been seen lurking about the Tavern. He is unknown, and no one can seem to place him in history. He is said to be tall with a top hat, pants, dark jacket, and a Black tie, looking sinister. His presences are said to be cold and mean-hearted. People also claim to feel an uneasy pressure on them while near the fireplace. This unknown man&nbsp;has been seen in backgrounds of photographs taken by the fireplace. This fireplace is also known to emit vast amounts of heat when not operating.

After all these ghostly encounters, the Tavern was owned by a new company by 1973 and opened as a tavern and restaurant. This closed in 2012, but the tavern&nbsp;reopened again in 2013 as a bar and restaurant with a rum distillery. The visitors that come to eat and drink have still claimed to this day to feel the presences of otherworldly figures and claim to have photographed the spirits. This tavern is one of the most popular bars in Mississippi, and still makes the list of Best Bars year after year, despite its horrific past.

The supposedly-haunted King's Tavern is home to many deaths and a rich history dating back to the Revolutionary War.  The owners of the Tavern have changed throughout the years and the purpose of the Tavern has changed, but the building and its history remain.  The Tavern has doubled as both an inn and tavern, and has served as a way-point for tired travelers to come and sleep and drink the night away and usually leave by the morning.  

The Kings Tavern

The home's first owner&nbsp;Irish immigrant and cotton merchant Frederick Stanton first called the house Belfast, and he&nbsp;adorned the antebellum home with decor from across the globe, from New York to France. Designed in the Greek Revival style, the "home was completed only months before Stanton's death in 1859." During the Civil War, the home was&nbsp;occupied by Union troops. The Stanton&nbsp;family lived in the home&nbsp;until 1894. Then, the residence was changed into&nbsp;the Stanton College for Young Ladies "and rechristened Stanton Hall." The Pilgrimage Garden Club bought the property in 1938 and restored the home to its original appearance. According to the Stanton Hall website, "Officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974, the building is now furnished much as Frederick originally intended and offers a glimpse into the domestic life of a wealthy Natchez family."

Built 1857, the Greek Revival style home belonged to Irish immigrant and cotton merchant Frederick Stanton. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the home, and in 1894, it was turned into the Stanton College for Young Ladies. Today, the antebellum home is open to the public for tours.


Stanton Hall

The House on Ellicott's Hill has had many&nbsp;tenants&nbsp;over the years. Though James Moore owned the property, his wife preferred living at their Oakland Plantation better. As a result, James Moore&nbsp;rented out the home to Samuel Brooks, a member of a wealthy New England family and the cousin and future&nbsp;President John Adams. Samuel Brooks rented the home from Moore from February 1801 until 1807 or 1808. Brooks was a prominent personality in Natchez and served as the town's first mayor. He was also the state's first treasurer when he passed away in&nbsp;1817 while serving as the first State Treasurer. The next person that&nbsp;Moore rented the house to was&nbsp;Dr. Frederic Seip, who ended up buying&nbsp;the house from Moore in 1816. After Seip passed away in&nbsp;1819, his wife and son continued to live in the home until 1825. The next owner was&nbsp;Orlando Lane, who bought the home in order to rent the property to others, which he did over a number of decades until he sold the property in&nbsp;1850. These families lived among enslaved persons who served the families and contributed to their wealth and status in antebellum Natchez.&nbsp; The house was later purchased by Presbyterians who converted the home into a private academy for young men. This boarding school closed in 1878 and the building served as housing for workers at a nearby cotton mill.&nbsp;During the 1920s, the mills were&nbsp;abandoned and the house stood vacant until 1934 when the Natchez Garden Club bought it. In 1935, the club hired New Orleans architect&nbsp;Richard Koch to renovate the house. The Preservation Society of Ellicott Hill acquired the property from the club in 1976. In recent years, the home has been restored and is open for tours.&nbsp;

Built during the years of 1797 and 1801, the House on Ellicott Hill belonged to Merchant planter James Moore. The home dates back to the actions of US military officer Andrew Ellicott who arrived in Natchez to survey the area according to the terms of the Treaty of San Lorenzo. Ellicott defied Spanish officials by raising the American flag on this hill. Construction of this home followed soon after and also served as a signal that Americans intended to control the area prior to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. 

House on Ellicott's Hill

The building is notable for its architecture and dual use as a commercial and residential property. The bank portion of the buildings is a simple yet striking example of Greek Revival architecture. It features a gray marble facade and four large Ionic columns supporting a pediment. It is, apparently, the only building in the state erected in the antebellum period with such a facade. The house features Doric columns at its main entrance and is visible along Canal Street. The fact that the building features two aspects of Greek Revival architecture is what makes it unique.The person who constructed the building was banker Thomas Henderson. The exact date when he built it is unclear but he did so between 1833 and 1836. Another banker, Levin R. Marshall, helped establish the bank and he, apparently, served as president for many years. Exactly which banker lived in the house or when Marshall was president is unclear. In more recent times, the bank portion was used as a Christian Science church. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is also a National Historic Landmark.

Erected in the mid-1830s, the Commercial Bank and Banker's House is one of the most unusual buildings in Natchez. It consists of a former bank, which faces Main Street, and an attached house in the back where the banker lived. As of 2020, it appears that the bank part of the building is unused and that the house is a private residence. 

Commercial Bank and Banker's House

Built between 1851-1858, the Smith-Buntura-Evans House served as both residential and commercial property for Robert D. Smith. Overlooking the Mississippi River, this two-story brick building once served as a carriage service. Smith was a free Black citizen and entrepreneur living in Natchez which was&nbsp;home to a small number of former slaves prior to the war.&nbsp; After the completion of the residence, Smith brought aboard a subsequent owner by the name of Joseph Bontura. He opened the living quarters to the public and used it as an inn as well as adding the cast iron balconies to accommodate visitors with viewing the Mississippi.&nbsp;The house was later bought by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Evans and entertained notable people such as Mark Twain and Stephen Foster. After their ownership, the house was momentarily viewed to the public as a museum until it's privately owned purchase to H. Hal Garner and Dr. Harold Hawkins.&nbsp;

This historic two-story brick house was once built in the 1850s for the family of Robert D. Smith, a free Black businessman who operated a livery service that transported residents throughout the city in the years leading up to the Civil War. The back of the house features the original wide arch openings and the front contains a two-story cast iron porch that was added in the 1890s. The Smith-Buntura-Evans House is a rare surviving residential architecture from the 1800s and a reminder  of the role that a small but historically significant number of Black business owners played in the late antebellum period.  

Smith-Buntura-Evans House

William Johnson was emancipated by his slave owner when he was a child and he became the apprentice of a freed Black barber, James Miller. William's success grew as he owned and operated three barbershops in the city of Natchez. This businessman and entrepreneur became wealthy and lived his life under a fine line comparable to that of white citizens. William, himself, owned slaves that also helped in his businesses.&nbsp; Johnson kept a daily diary for sixteen years,&nbsp;beginning in 1835 and ending with his&nbsp;<div>death in 1851. This diary followed the life of a free man of color,with daily entries about being&nbsp;&nbsp;a family man of ten children, his daily outdoor activities,&nbsp;and also told what it was like being a successful businessman.&nbsp; William Johnson built a three story brick house in Natchez, MS where he moved his large family into in 1841. The downstairs space was occupied by commercial property, quarters for his servants, and housed livestock on the property. After his death, his family continued living in the house and eventually was purchased by the National Park Service in 1990.&nbsp;</div>

William Johnson was a born slave in Mississippi who was later freed by his owner and became an apprentice to a Black barber. William became a wealthy businessman and entrepreneur who later owned slaves himself. After his death, his diary was discovered which told the day in the life of being a wealthy Black man in Mississippi. This historic house is located in downtown Natchez and once housed Johnson's large family and servants. The property also once was occupied by businesses downstairs and livestock in the back. Now a historic museum and restored, viewers can relive a day in the life of William Johnson and get a glimpse into house he once wrote about. 

William Johnson House

The post office was built around 1904. It is not clear how long it operated but the museum was founded in 1991 by Mary Lee Toles, who was the first African American judge in the city. The museum highlights the lives of several prominent local African Americans. One is that of the slave Abdul Rahman, who was freed by President John Quincy Adams after 40 years and resettled in Africa. Author Richard Wright, as noted above, was born here and he would go on to become an internationally recognized writer. Another famous individual and Natchez native was signer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who earned the nickname "Black Swan." The life and legacy of local pastor Rev. Hiram Rhodes Revels is explored as well. Rhodes became the first African American in Congress and he was later elected as U.S. Senator in 1870.

Located in the former United States Post Office building, the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates the rich history of the local African American community from 1716, the year Natchez was established to today. The museum's exhibits explore a variety of topics including the Rhythm Nightclub fire, one of the deadliest fires in American history (200 people were killed), the Three Forks Slave Market (the second largest slave market in the South), and the life and legacy of author Richard Wright, who was born here. Many items are on display including photographs, personal belongings, books, works of art, and a wide range of artifacts. 

Historic Downtown Natchez Mississippi Walking Tour

Temple B’Nai Israel

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information