Natchez National Historical Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Natchez National Historical Park
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Melrose, one of the sites preserved in the park
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi, USA |
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| Area | 108.07 acres (0.4373 km2) |
| Visitation | 206,624 (2011) |
| Website | Natchez National Historical Park |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000276 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1988 |
Natchez National Historical Park helps us remember the history of Natchez, Mississippi. The National Park Service takes care of this special park.
The park is made up of three different places:
- Fort Rosalie is where an old fort stood in the 1700s. The French built this fort. Later, it was called Fort Panmure and was controlled by Great Britain, Spain, and then the United States. You cannot visit the fort site today.
- The William Johnson House was the home of William Johnson. He was a free African American man who worked as a barber in the 1800s. He wrote a diary that tells us a lot about life back then.
- Melrose was a large estate. It belonged to John T. McMurran, a lawyer and state senator. He also owned a large farm, called a plantation. He lived in Natchez from 1830 until the Civil War.
Both Melrose and the William Johnson House show how people lived in Natchez before the Civil War. This time is called the antebellum period.
At Melrose, you can see a big two-story Greek Revival style house. It has old furniture like painted floor cloths and mahogany pieces. There's even a punkah, which was a large fan used to cool rooms. The house also has special Rococo Revival and Gothic Revival furniture. You can also see bookcases with books from the 1700s. These items were collected from families in Natchez, including the McMurran family.
The William Johnson House has furniture and items that belonged to William Johnson and his family. You can also see old objects found during digs at the park.
About the Park's History
The Natchez National Historical Park officially became a park on October 7, 1988. The William Johnson House was added to the park later, on September 28, 1990.
Like other historic places managed by the National Park Service, this park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important historical sites across the country.
Fort Rosalie was already part of a larger historic area called the Natchez Bluffs and Under-the-Hill Historic District. The William Johnson House is also listed separately on the National Register. It is also part of the Natchez On-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District. Melrose is located about two miles southwest of the Fort Rosalie site.
Learn More
- The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
- Official NPS website: Natchez National Historical Park
