Natchez in Adams County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Longwood
1858-1861
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 10, 2024
1. Longwood Marker (top)
the Pilgrimage Garden Club
Natchez Mississippi
by the Kelly E. McAdams Foundation
Austin, Texas
1970
[Bottom plaque] Longwood has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States
National Park Service
1970
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 31° 32.199′ N, 91° 24.32′ W. Marker is in Natchez, Mississippi, in Adams County. Marker can be reached from Gloucester Court, 0.4 miles west of Lower Woodville Road when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 140 Lower Woodville Rd, Natchez MS 39120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Gloucester Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Seargent S. Prentiss (approx. half a mile away); Elms Court (approx. 0.7 miles away); Mississippi (approx. 0.7 miles away); Auburn
this page online
Regarding Longwood. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
Designed by the noted Philadelphia architect, Samuel Sloan, and constructed in 1860-62, Longwood is the largest and most elaborate of the octagon houses built in the United States. Longwood is also one of the finest surviving examples of an Oriental Revival style residence…
The genesis of Longwood appears to have been “An Oriental Villa, Design Forty-Ninth,” a plan for an octagonal Moslem house, which was published in 1852 by Samuel Sloan in Volume II of his The Model Architect. Dr. Haller Nutt, a wealthy cotton planter of Natchez, Mississippi, who was familiar with Sloan's book, engaged the Philadelphia architect in 1859 to prepare plans for an enlarged and improved version of the 1852 octagonal Moslem Revival Residence. Plans for the much enlarged mansion were begun by Sloan in 1859 and completed by April 9, 1860; the architect estimated that Nutt could move into his finenew house by May 1, 1861.…Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 10, 20242. Longwood Marker (bottom)
Longwood, never completed on the interior above the basement level, and its 87 acres of land remained in the possession of the Nutt family until 1968. The mansion was used during this period as a residence. In August 1968, Longwood and 94 acres of land were acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Kelly McAdams of Austin, Texas. In December 1968, they donated the estate to the McAdams Foundation of Austin, Texas, which in turn sold it to the Pilgrimage Garden Club of Natchez, Mississippi in 1970.
Also see . . .
1. Longwood (PDF). National Historic Landmark and National Register of Historic Places nomination for the property, which was listed in 1969. (Prepared by Patricia Heintzelman, National Park Service; via National Archives) (Submitted on March 25, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. The Unique History of Longwood. The house was never finished because of unique circumstances. (Walt Grayson, WJTV-TV, October 11, 2019) (Submitted on March 25, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Longwood: The Untimely Octagon. On the eve of the Civil War, a Mississippi plantation owner and Philadelphia architect set out to build a massive octagonal mansion in Natchez. (By Roger G. Kennedy, American Heritage
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 10, 2024
3. Longwood Markers
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 10, 2024
4. Longwood
Credits. This page was last revised on March 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 43 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 25, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
