| Lansdowne | |
| Location: | 17 Marshall Road, Natchez, Mississippi |
| Coordinates: | 31.5848°N -91.3619°W |
| Architecture: | Greek Revival |
| Added: | July 24, 1978 |
| Refnum: | 78001581 |
Lansdowne is a historic estate that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. The property began as a 727-acre, antebellum, hunting estate - like the estates of the landed gentry in England.[1] [2] After the Civil War it became a plantation until 1960. The original owner's residence and one hundred and twenty acres of the original estate are still owned and occupied by the descendants of the builder, who open it periodically for tours.
Lansdowne is located on M.L. King, Jr. Road, one mile north of the Natchez city limits (The driveway into the property is now known as Marshall Road). Lansdowne adjoined the Homewood estate.
Land previously known as the Nathaniel Ivy tract, became known as Lansdowne when George Matthews Marshall, a Princeton University graduate, and his new bride Charlotte Hunt built their lavish home on the 727 acres in 1852–1853 in Adams County, Mississippi near Natchez.[3] [4] [5] [6] The hunting estate was named after the Marshall's English friend, the Marquess of Lansdowne, probably because it made them feel like English landed gentry.
George and Charlotte's great wealth originated from both of their parents' families. Charlotte's father, Jefferson County, Mississippi planter David Hunt - one of the only 35 millionaires in the U.S. - gave each of his seven children who lived to adulthood before the Civil War $70,000 (by his valuation) from his estate. He made sure that each had at least one plantation, about 100 enslaved Africans and a set of silver.[7] Thus, Charlotte received the Lansdowne property on the high ground near Natchez for her home, and Arcola cotton Plantation in the very fertile delta land of Tensas Parish near the Mississippi River town of Waterproof for an income.[8] George's father, banker and planter Levin R. Marshall - also one of the 35 U.S. millionaires - was surely involved in financing George's lavish residence on Lansdowne, as well as, in expanding Arcola Plantation.[9] Levin R. Marshall lived at the suburban Natchez estate known as Richmond.[10]
In 1860 George's Louisiana and Mississippi real estate (land and non-movable items) was valued at $319,000 (~$ in).[11] This did not include his personal property, such as furniture, livestock, enslaved Africans, plantation equipment, cash, stocks, etc. George Marshall had twenty-two enslaved Africans on Lansdowne; and 104 enslaved Africans on Arcola Plantation.[12] [13]
The following are some details about Arcola cotton Plantation in 1860.[14]
George Marshall fought in the Civil War. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, returned home, and paid someone else to fight on in his place. During the War on January 8, 1865, eleven Union soldiers broke into Lansdowne to rob the Marshalls. They did not get much because the butler, Robert, had hidden the Marshall's silver under the floor of the mansion. In frustration the soldiers took a few pieces of the Marshall's fine china and smashed it along the road as they left.
With the enslaved African labor from before the war now replaced with share croppers, most plantations struggled to make a profit. In general, the children of David Hunt had to sell off Cincinnati, Ohio real estate investments inherited from their father, and take out mortgages on their plantations to rebuild their plantations and to make up their losses for as many years as they could.
After the American Civil War of 1861–1865, the Marshall's Arcola Plantation was lost; so cotton, corn, sheep and cattle were raised on Lansdowne, which was run as a plantation until about 1960.[15] [16] At times the Marshall descendants only had the small income from the sale of butter and eggs from their farming operation to keep them going. Beginning in 1932 during the Great Depression, charging tourists for tours of the antebellum Natchez planters' homes, including Lansdowne, during the annual Pilgrimage tours brought in much needed money to keep the home livable.[17] A cotton plantation scene from the movie Show Boat (1951 film) was filmed on Lansdowne Plantation.[18] During the 1950s when the Marshall descendants sold off the last of their cotton lands, Lansdowne ceased being a plantation. Lansdowne has been added to the National Register of Historic Places since July 24, 1978. In 1995 Devereaux Nobles and her brother George Marshall IV - both great-grandchildren of George Marshal I - owned Lansdowne.[19] The owner's residence and 120 acres still belong to the Marshall descendants.[4]
The residence, built ca. 1853, was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style.[5] The exterior of the mansion is deceiving, given the scale of the rooms within. It has high ceilings, and a 65 foot long center hall. The great size of the hall gives it a more extravagant feel than is found in many of the larger Natchez mansions. When entering from the front door into the center hall, on the left side of the center hall are the drawing room, dining room and butler's pantry.[20] A stairwell in the butler's pantry leads to storage rooms in the basement and attic. The basement had wine and dairy cellars. The attic is finished off nicely with gaslight fixtures. On the right side of the center hall are three bedrooms. Due to the impending Civil War, the Marshalls finished the home quickly, leaving off the second floor. Because of this, the planned library became the middle bedroom instead. Two dependency structures flank the rear courtyard behind the house. During antebellum times, the north dependency housed the kitchen and wash room on the first floor; and the enslaved cook, butler and children's nurse's quarters on the second floor. The south dependency housed the billiard room and office on the first floor, and the schoolroom and governess's room on the second floor.
The home is important because it contains most of its lavish original interiors and furnishings with many items having been imported from Europe.[21] The front parlor contains one of the most complete and well preserved Rococo Revival style interiors in Mississippi from the mid-1800s. The home contains rare Zuber & Cie wallpaper, rosewood and mahogany furniture, and Egyptian marble mantelpieces.[3] The rosewood parlor set and Zuber & Cie wallpaper were purchased by George Marshall I on a trip to France. Various cypress base boards are painted to resemble oak and marble. The bronze chandeliers were once powered by gas made in the plantation's gas works.
To keep the house livable, in the early 1900s a bathroom was added on the end of the rear porch adjoining a bedroom. Electricity was added in the 1940s. In 1962 a kitchen was installed in the butler's pantry and a second bathroom was added to one corner of the middle bedroom. This was done with as little damage to the original interiors as possible.