Melrose (Natchez, Mississippi) facts for kids
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Melrose
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Melrose in 2006
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| Location | 1 Melrose-Montebello Parkway, Natchez, Mississippi |
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| Area | 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Jacob Byers |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Part of | Natchez National Historical Park (ID01000276) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002253 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | May 30, 1974 |
Melrose is a huge mansion in Natchez, Mississippi. It covers about 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) and is known for its amazing Greek Revival architecture style. Many people say its design is "perfect"! This 80-acre (320,000 m2) estate is now part of the Natchez National Historical Park. You can visit it on guided tours and see how it looked just before the American Civil War. Melrose was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States.
Contents
The Story of Melrose Mansion
Building a Grand Home
John T. McMurran was a successful lawyer and a planter. A planter was someone who owned a large farm, often growing crops like cotton. Sadly, these farms often relied on the forced labor of enslaved people. John McMurran moved to Natchez in the 1820s from Pennsylvania. He became a law partner with John A. Quitman, who later became the Governor of Mississippi.
In 1831, McMurran married Mary Louisa Turner. Her father was a well-known judge in Mississippi. After a big tornado hit Natchez in 1840, John McMurran decided to build a grand new mansion. He hired an architect named Jacob Byers from Maryland. The McMurrans named their new home "Melrose" after Melrose Abbey in Scotland, which they had visited. Melrose is the only building we know for sure that Byers designed.
The McMurrans spent a lot of money to make Melrose beautiful. The windows, doors, and floors were made from the best wood.
New Owners and Caretakers
By 1865, the American Civil War had caused financial problems for John McMurran. He was also sad because his daughter and two grandchildren had passed away. So, he sold Melrose to Elizabeth Davis, whose husband was George Malin Davis. The McMurrans planned to move to Maryland, but John McMurran died in a steamboat accident in 1866.
The Davis family bought Melrose because Union soldiers were using their other home during the Civil War. The Davis family didn't use Melrose much, and it was empty for almost 40 years. After George Davis and his daughter Julia died, Julia's six-year-old son, George Malin Davis Kelly, inherited Melrose. Young George was sent to New York City to be raised by his grandmother. During this time, two former enslaved people of the Davis family, Alice Sims and Jane Johnson, are remembered for taking care of Melrose.
Restoring Melrose's Beauty
In 1900, George Kelly married Ethel Moore. The next year, they came back to Natchez. They chose Melrose as their main home and decided to restore it. Instead of changing things, they kept the house just as it was. Ethel Kelly also brought furniture from their other home, Choctaw, to add to the furniture already at Melrose. The Kellys lived in Melrose until Ethel passed away in 1975.
John and Betty Callon bought Melrose in 1976. They used it as their home and for big parties for their company, Callon Petroleum Company. The Callons also worked hard to keep the house and grounds in their original condition. They took hundreds of photos and saved samples of materials. These are very helpful for people who study the house today.
Exploring the Mansion and Grounds
Inside the Grand House
The first floor of Melrose has a central hallway. Around it, you'll find a dining room, a drawing room, a parlor, a library, and other service rooms. The central and back halls have a special painted floor cloth that is still original to the house. In the dining room, there's a punkah, which is a large fan that hangs from the ceiling and is swung back and forth to create a breeze.
The doorways inside the house have beautiful Ionic columns and sunburst-shaped woodwork above them. The rooms also have fancy plaster designs on the ceilings and solid pocket doors that slide into the walls. Upstairs, on the second floor, are the bedrooms. Many of them still have their original furniture. At the very top of Melrose, there's a very large widows walk. This is a platform on the roof where people could look out over the property.
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Outbuildings and Gardens
Outside the main mansion, there are several other important buildings. These include a two-story kitchen and a dairy building. There are also octagonal cistern houses, which collected rainwater. You can also see a smoke house (used for curing meat), a privy (an outdoor toilet), and one of the last remaining slave quarters in Natchez. There's also a barn and a carriage house, where carriages and horses were kept.
Melrose Today: A Historical Park
Melrose was one of the most complete antebellum estates in the Southern United States. "Antebellum" means "before the war," referring to the period before the American Civil War. This is because the McMurrans sold their furniture with the house, and later owners did the same. This helped keep the house's history intact.
Because of its historical importance, the National Park Service bought the estate in 1990. Today, Melrose is part of the Natchez National Historical Park, along with Fort Rosalie and the William Johnson House. It helps visitors learn about life in the South before the Civil War.
Images for kids
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Melrose in 1975
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Melrose dining room
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Melrose portico
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