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Traditional Cultures Can Be Close to Home

By Joyce Dalton

When I became TravelLady’s Traditional Cultures editor, I envisioned stories based in far-away exotic spots such as New Guinea, African tribal regions, Middle Eastern deserts and remote rain forests. While such places and their indigenous cultures more than fit the title, I’ve learned that it’s not always necessary to venture so far afield. In fact, Pilgrimage time in Natchez, Mississippi introduces visitors to a culture that’s as traditional as it gets.

Dating back to 1931, Pilgrimage in Natchez has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the Old South and its culture. For a month in spring, and again in the fall, close to 30 of the town’s finest ante-bellum mansions open their doors to visitors. Hostesses decked out in Scarlett O’Hara gowns regale viewers with insights into the homes’ history, architecture and furnishings. An almost reverential tone creeps in when discussing the families who owned these grand old dwellings.

Certain facts emerge again and again: in general, the higher the terrain on which the home was built, the older its age; yellow fever was the mid-19th century’s great equalizer, striking master and servant alike; before 1860, Natchez claimed 50% of America’s millionaires (this figure tended to fluctuate from hostess to hostess, but it was invariably high); the town still boasts some 45 ante-bellum houses, albeit half the number as in Civil War times; the Natchez legislature voted against succession during the war; local residents are known as “Natchezians.”

Additionally, mansion furnishings and décor claim their own uniformity: a long drawing room divided into gentlemen’s and ladies’ parlors (the former typically twice the size of the latter) where guests would retire following dinner to smoke (gentlemen) and gossip (ladies); blue or red silk proved the fabric of choice for the parlors’ formal chairs and sofas, while a “pocket door” could be slid shut to separate the two sections; “gasoliers” hung from elaborate ceiling moldings; “rolling pin beds” featured a namesake wooden piece which could be removed from the headboard and used to smooth out mattresses; children slept in “youth beds” with thin vertical railings topped by mosquito netting falling from a gathered cluster; a cracked egg carved in the center of the headboard identified a bed by the master furniture maker, Mallard; hallway mirrors often had glass both above and below a cabinet or shelf so that ladies could ensure their ankles were appropriately covered (curiously, low necklines were perfectly proper); frequently, cypress floors and doors were refinished to resemble oak or other woods considered finer, and “jib” windows, reaching from floor to ceiling, could be opened for access to the balcony or verandah.

Lucky Pilgrimage goers not only can visit ante-bellum mansions, but can opt to make one their temporary home. My friends and I chose Dunleith Plantation and several nights cushioned among its antiques and art allowed us to experience, not just observe, the luxury and charm of mid-19th century Natchez.

Dunleith Plantation

Twenty-six columns, soaring two stories, surround the all-white façade of this Greek Revival mansion, the epitome of ante-bellum Natchez. The original home was constructed in 1790 and a few out-buildings date to this period. The main dwelling, however, was struck by lightning and burned in 1855, to be rebuilt the following year as the grand structure that stands today. It is said to be the most photographed home in Natchez.

Initially given as a Spanish land grant to a Virginia family, Dunleith’s 40 acres knew various proprietors over the years, including a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. Multiple generations of one family, the Carpenters, lived here for 90 years and the names of Carpenter daughters can be seen etched in the window panes by their engagement rings, a custom in earlier days.

Some of the town’s most elegant social gatherings took place in Dunleith’s drawing and dining rooms, with dancers drifting out onto the wrap-around verandahs stretching across both the lower and upper floors. Such lavish occasions continue today as the mansion is a popular site for weddings, both for local and out-of-state couples. In fact, a spokeswoman stated that 75% of any given year’s weekends find the property taken over for this purpose. Typically, the bride arrives in a horse-drawn carriage. Following a reception in the courtyard, complete with a spacious white tent and tiny lights sparkling from trees and shrubbery, the bridal party moves on to the double parlor which can seat 75 for meals. So popular has this venue become for brides-to-be that two wedding planners work with Dunleith.

From the verandahs, guests enjoy vistas of sweeping lawns shaded by redbuds, oaks, magnolias, old cedars, and crepe myrtle. During my stay, a large circular bed of red and yellow tulips bloomed half-way between the street-side wrought iron fence, through which tourists’ cameras often peeked, and the mansion.

While the first floor remains open for guided tours, overnight guests are housed in antique-filled upstairs rooms, in a “dependency,” or annex, toward the back, and over the former dairy, a separate structure, for a total of 21 B&B units. Many guest beds, including a few genuine Mallards, are estimated to be worth $30,000 to $80,000 each. True, a decent mattress and clean linens may be all that’s required for a good night’s sleep, but dreams come sweeter beneath a carved headboard and overhead frame lined with a rich, gathered fabric. While furnishings and décor are period-correct, Dunleith knows that guests appreciate a modern bathroom, albeit with a claw-foot tub slipped in here and there.

An early proprietor commissioned 11 mahogany stalls so that his thoroughbred horses might also live in luxury. Today, the former stables have been incorporated into the pub. Above this facility, the Castle Restaurant, which truly resembles a medieval fortress on the exterior, serves a bounteous breakfast buffet (included in the room rate) as well as lunch and dinner. My friends and I sampled several entrées and were unanimous in praise of both food quality and presentation. In 2003, the Castle received the Johansens Wine Spectator Award of Excellence sponsored by Conde Nast.

Living the life of a Southern lady or gentleman, if only for a few days, enriches the Natchez experience immeasurably, we found.

Pilgrimage Tours

The Pilgrimage set-up is quite well-organized. Eight different tours, each designated by a color, are offered on varying days, some in the morning, others in the afternoon. Each includes visits to three or four historic homes. Tickets must be purchased at Pilgrimage headquarters. Although bus transportation is available at additional cost, visitors will find having their own car more convenient as they need only arrive at the homes on their itinerary any time within a three and one-half hour period.

Highlights from a few of the homes we visited include:

Monmouth Plantation: entryway wallpaper illustrates American scenes, including Spanish moss at Boston Harbor and Native Americans on their way to Mardi Gras; a cluster “fairy” lamp composed of individual lamps which lift from a base so that each child could carry one upstairs at night (fairies put the lights out during the night, the children were told).

Routhland: a complete set of original Victorian rosewood furniture brought on river flatboats from Cincinnati; a hallway tapestry composed of one and one-half million petit-point stitches (count verified by a Smithsonian expert); a table cloth on which multiple cut work designs exactly replicate the china plates, each different, set on the table.

Longwood: at 30,000 square feet, said to be the largest octagonal house in the U.S.; a large wooden pukah, or “shoo fly” fan, over the dining table supplied a cooling breeze when a houseboy pulled the attached cord; visitors view what served as living quarters but was intended to be the basement recreation area (pretty elegant basement!) since the Civil War interrupted the home’s completion.

Linden: narrow windows on either side of the front door display diamond and oval white wood patterns; a sitting room secretary with 13 panes of glass on each door, representing the 13 original colonies; a wine rinser, resembling a large measuring cup, at each diner’s place, the better to cleanse one’s glass for the next course’s wine; a “Betty” lamp, termed by a hostess an “early flashlight,” which could be carried around to check on everyone during the night.

Rosalie: a “prie dieu” kneeler attached to the side of a bed, the easier to say one’s nightly prayers; a smoker’s table shaped like a shield on a spear with pipe holders attached; real roses dipped in porcelain coiling around a candlestick; a youth bed with ornately carved wooden top and rails.

Stanton Hall: imposing Classic Greek Revival home dating to 1857 with cast-iron white Corinthian columns; intricate moldings above all doors; 1,100 sq. ft. hallway and 72 ft. long double parlor which served as a ballroom with an orchestra seated by the bay windows; built for planter and cotton broker Frederick Stanton, one of Natchez’s most affluent millionaires, who died just a short time after moving in.

Lest visitors be tempted to spend their evenings reflecting on hostesses’ tales and antique furnishings, Pilgrimage offers a variety of programs designed for further insights into the unique Natchez culture. Sample programs include:

Historic Natchez Pageant, presenting scenes from ante-bellum days performed by locals of all ages in yet more gorgeous costumes.

Southern Exposure, an amusing, warm-hearted spoof of Pilgrimage and Southern pride in its old families. The play enjoyed a rather brief Broadway run, but can be best appreciated by those with first-hand southern exposure.

Southern Road to Freedom, a melodic tribute to Natchez’s African-American history from colonial times to the present.

Songs of the South, combining Gershwin, Stephen Foster and traditional spirituals as rendered by the Natchez Opera Festival.

For an immersion in the traditions and culture of America’s Old South, Natchez and its Pilgrimage are as authentic as grits and magnolias.

If you go …..

Natchez Pilgrimage Tours. 601/446-6631 or 800/647-6742. www.natchezpilgrimage.com.

Dunleith Plantation. 601/446-8500 or 800/433-2445. www.Dunleithplantation.com.

Images by Joyce Dalton

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