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Magnolia Hall

Introduction

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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.

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Magnolia House was built in 1858 and remains one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Natchez.

Building, House, Home, Property

Backstory and Context

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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 & 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.

Sources

"A Visit to House on Ellicott's Hill." Natchez Garden Club. Accessed November 24, 2020. https://natchezgardenclub.org/blog-2.

Wilson Jr., Samuel et al. "Henderson-Britton House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. June 9, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/4ad20ee2-1b5a-4ec7-bae4-35e1ae6f5d29.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Natchez Garden Club

Additional Information