Natchez Trace

This was Natchez Trace day.

Our intention was to drive south on US 61, pick up the end of the Natchez Trace near Natchez and loop back to Vicksburg.

US 61 cuts through rolling hills bordered by heavy forestation and underbrush on both sides of the freeway. It's hard to tell what lays beyond the trees,  but ever so often an open field extends to the highway perimeter and we had a brief glimpse of  fields and other stuff that might be out there.

About halfway to Natchez, we passed through Port Gibson. It is the third oldest town in Mississippi; first occupied in 1729, it was chartered as a town on March 12, 1803. In May 1863, on his march to Vicksburg, Grant advanced into Port Gibson and was confronted by a small force under the command of John Bowen.  Bowen's force put up a spirited resistance for 18 hours before being defeated; it was one of several skirmish in Grants advance to Vicksburg. Grant is alleged to have refused to burn the town, because it was so beautiful. Burning any part would have been a shame.

Driving into town, I counted the spires of 8 or 9 churches, not the only architectural attractions of course, Port Gibson has many historic homes and buildings. But the many church steeples did get my immediate attention.

First Presbyterian Church (circa 1859) Church Street, Port Gibson. Gold hand atop the spire pointing heavenward, is just one of the church's architectural features.

Temple

Plaque hanging in front.

On a future trip I would like to spend time in Natchez and the surrounding region. Natchez has a wealth of historical architecture and has a festival every year in April that might be fun. If we reserved an RV site far enough in advance we would stay in or near Natchez.

Twenty miles or so North of Natchez, I spotted a sign imploring me to  visit the Springfield Plantation. I took the bait and followed the off ramp onto a narrow road running through thickets of vegetation even Johnna couldn't fully identify.

I followed the signs and finally arrived at the main gate, drove the 500 yards or so of tree lined driveway and parked in the designated grassy field.

Springfield Plantation mansion, Natchez, Mississippi.

Front porch.

Anyone home?

Table set up in main hall.

Dining room.

Half of setting room.

Other half.

Master bedroom with an elegant canopied bed.

Upper porch. Lots of chairs to relax in.

View of entry drive from second floor porch .

Oblique view of house.

The plantation, built in 1786-1790, is perhaps the first mansion built in Mississippi; it is nearly intact and has undergone little remodeling over the years; much of the original hand-carved and painted woodwork has been preserved. It is one of the first houses in America built with a full colonnade across the entire facade and is the first such mansion in the Mississippi Valley. It is of brick construction with at least eighteen inch outer walls and fifteen inch interior walls. The plantation was built for Thomas Marston Green, Jr., a wealthy planter from Virginia. Andrew Jackson was married here to his second wife Rachel Donelson Robards.

 

The main house is indeed a stereotypical antebellum plantation mansion; white columns and all. Stuck to the main door, below a small wreath, is a plaque and three rectangular buttons, presumable connected to house bells, buzzers or something.

The plaque said "Ring all three bells and wait"; which I did. In a few minutes the door was answered by a slight stooped old man resembling the character Igor, made famous in Hollywood horror films, only much less menacing. He invited us into the parlor.

He introduced himself and launched into his spiel. His name was La Salle and said he is an internationalists and historian. He was hard to understand but interesting none the less. Historians, professional and amateur, tend to have their own take on history. La Salle was no different but his is a view point you don't encounter very often; he is an unabashed admirer of king George III ( a loyalists?/anglophile?) and not an admirer of the "Yanks." Much of his lecture concerned the time around the revolutionary war and why local residents were more or less ok with the kings treatment and policies and had few grievances. 

For a further treatment of this time period see: http://www.mindspring.com/~mchs/herald/revwar.htm

He did have a thorough grasp of regional history, as well, so we paid attention, ignoring his bias, to learn something of the plantation and  surrounding region.
 

Johnna and I enjoyed the tour and the excentric old man. I'm  our side trip was worth the small effort and time spent.

A few miles down the road we ran into this striking church, at Church Hill, a community called the Maryland Settlement. The church's name is Christ Episcopal Church, built in 1857. I can't find it on any map I have and Google comes up empty as well; I'm not searching the right way I suppose. The church property is on a corner at an intersection and I only caught a brief glimpse as I drove by. But something made me stop, back up and take another look. That's when I parked and took pictures. Glad I did.

 

Entrance to Christ's Church

Back of church. It is surrounded by the cemetery.

Slightly different angel.

This is really a beautiful church and I would like to see the inside; I didn't think to try the door, it may have been open.

We continued on our intended route, picked up the Natchez Trace and followed it to Clayton and then back on I 20 and Vicksburg.

All in all a very interesting day. This area is chock full of history. We could spend weeks exploring but, who knows, we may come back another time.