One of America’s Most Remarkable Houses ~ Longwood, in Natchez, Mississippi.
Among the many exceptional houses in Natchez is Longwood, a remarkable eclectic octagonal house. Construction was halted at the start of the Civil War, and the interior was never completed above the walk-out basement level. The framing of the house inside the brick walls is fully exposed above the finished basement. It is a fully exposed masterwork of 19th-century building technology, particularly in the cupola and dome.
Natchez was one of the first American communities to embrace heritage tourism, largely through the efforts of the women running its garden clubs in the 1930s. Long focused on presenting a romanticized image of the Antebellum South, in recent years there has been a concerted effort to tell the full story of Natchez’s past, including the vast contributions of enslaved people.
The Pilgrimage Garden Club, founded in 1936, owns Longwood, which is open to the public on the basement and first floor levels. It is well worth a visit!
Visiting historic house museums is a wonderful way to get inspiration for your home restoration projects. Restoration methods and materials used by museums are included among the approaches presented in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available directly from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
The classic volume on identifying historic house styles, “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, is available in our shop along with other authors’ select restoration and preservation titles.
“Restoring Your Historic House” is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
#antiquehome #antiquehomes #traditionalarchitecture #historicalhomes #historicalhouse #oldhousecharm #oldhome #oldhouse #preservation #preserveourhistory #houseandgarden #homerestoration #houserestoration #architecturelover #restoringyourhistorichouse #yourhistorichome #restoration