Architecture· 1858· Downtown / Bluff

Magnolia Hall

National Register of Historic Places

Thomas Henderson built the last great mansion Natchez would see before the Civil War. Completed in 1858, the house marked him as one of the wealthiest men in antebellum Mississippi — merchant, planter, cotton broker. Greek Revival was the standard in Natchez, but Henderson fronted his in brownstone, unusual here. During a bombardment by the Union gunboat Essex, a shell hit the soup tureen in the kitchen. The house survived. The Natchez Garden Club restored Magnolia Hall and has operated it since 1977. The main floor holds mid-nineteenth century antiques. Upper floors contain a costume collection. Tours run during Pilgrimage season and by appointment.

Quick facts

·Last great mansion built in Natchez before the Civil War — completed 1858.
·A Union cannonball struck the building — the only shot fired at Natchez during the war.
·Built by Thomas Henderson, one of the wealthiest men in antebellum Mississippi.
·Brownstone-fronted Greek Revival — unusual material for Natchez.
·Operated by the Natchez Garden Club since 1977.
·Tours available during Pilgrimage season and by appointment.