Antebellum · Mississippi
Natchez Historic District
Longwood, Natchez's unfinished octagonal mansion. — Carol M. Highsmith
Why Natchez Historic District Matters
A city so wealthy from cotton and slavery that it once claimed more millionaires per capita than anywhere in America, Natchez survived the Civil War almost untouched, leaving one of the largest concentrations of antebellum mansions in the South standing beside the site of one of its largest slave markets.
By the Numbers
Founding
- Founded
- 1716 as the French Fort Rosalie
History
- Territorial capital
- Became capital of the Mississippi Territory in 1798
- Antebellum wealth
- Reportedly more millionaires per capita than almost anywhere in America before the Civil War, built on cotton
- Civil War
- Surrendered without a fight in 1863, sparing its architecture
- Forks of the Road
- Site of the second-largest slave market in the Deep South
Architecture
- Notable buildings
- Longwood (unfinished octagonal mansion), Stanton Hall, Rosalie
Designation
- National Historical Park
- Established 1988
Timeline
- 1716French colonists establish Fort Rosalie at Natchez
- 1798Natchez becomes part of the United States as capital of the Mississippi Territory
- 1850Cotton wealth makes Natchez one of the wealthiest cities in America
- 1863Natchez surrenders to Union forces without a fight, sparing its buildings
- 1988Natchez National Historical Park is established
Complete History
French colonists established Fort Rosalie at Natchez in 1716 on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, and the settlement passed through British and Spanish control before becoming part of the United States in 1798, when it was named capital of the newly organized Mississippi Territory. Its location on the river made it an ideal hub for the cotton trade that would come to define the region.
By the mid-19th century, cotton wealth had made Natchez one of the richest cities in America, reportedly home to more millionaires per capita than almost anywhere else in the country, wealth generated entirely through the forced labor of enslaved people. The city was also the site of Forks of the Road, the second-largest slave market in the Deep South after New Orleans, where thousands of enslaved people were bought and sold.
When Union forces approached in 1863, Natchez surrendered without a fight, sparing its mansions from the destruction that leveled much of the rest of the Confederacy. That accident of history left the city with one of the largest concentrations of antebellum architecture in the South, including the unfinished octagonal mansion Longwood and Stanton Hall, standing today alongside a preserved Forks of the Road site interpreted since 1988 as part of Natchez National Historical Park.
Historic Images
Interesting Facts
- Natchez was reportedly home to more millionaires per capita than almost any other American city before the Civil War, all built on cotton wealth and enslaved labor.
- The city surrendered to Union forces without a fight in 1863, which is why so many of its antebellum mansions survive intact today.
- Longwood, an unfinished six-story octagonal mansion, remains one of the largest octagonal houses in the United States.
- Natchez was the site of Forks of the Road, the second-largest slave market in the Deep South after New Orleans.
- The city began as the French Fort Rosalie in 1716, nearly two centuries before its antebellum wealth peaked.
Visiting Today
- Hours
- Individual house museums have separate hours; check each site
- Admission
- Varies by site; combination tickets available for multiple mansions
- Best time to visit
- Spring, during the Natchez Pilgrimage house tour season
- Nearby
- Natchez Trace Parkway, Melrose Estate, Vicksburg National Military Park
Visit Forks of the Road alongside the mansion tours for a fuller picture of the wealth that built them
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Natchez have so many antebellum mansions?
Cotton wealth made antebellum Natchez extraordinarily rich, and because the city surrendered to Union forces without a fight in 1863, its mansions escaped the destruction that leveled much of the rest of the Confederacy.
What is Longwood?
An unfinished six-story octagonal mansion begun just before the Civil War; construction stopped when workers left for the war, leaving the building's opulent lower floor complete but its upper floors unfinished to this day.
What was Forks of the Road?
The second-largest slave market in the Deep South after New Orleans, located just outside Natchez; the site is now preserved and interpreted as part of Natchez National Historical Park.
When did Natchez become part of the United States?
In 1798, after passing through French, British, and Spanish control, when it became the capital of the newly organized Mississippi Territory.
