Melrose (Natchez, Mississippi)
Melrose | |
![]() Melrose in 2006 | |
Location | 1 Melrose-Montebello Parkway, Natchez, Mississippi |
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Area | 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2)[1] |
Built | 1848 |
Architect | Jacob Byers |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
Part of | Natchez National Historical Park (ID01000276) |
NRHP reference No. | 74002253 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 30, 1974[2] |
Designated NHL | May 30, 1974[3] |
Melrose is a 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2)
History
John T. McMurran, a successful lawyer and
Elizabeth and George Davis purchased Melrose in 1865 as a result of Union soldiers occupying their town home, Choctaw, during the Civil War. The Davis family rarely used Melrose and it remained unoccupied for most of the next four decades. The 1883 death of George Davis as well as his daughter, Julia, as a young woman left her six-year-old son, George Malin Davis Kelly, as heir to Melrose, Choctaw and the rest of the Davis property holdings in Natchez and Louisiana. Young George was sent to New York City to be raised by his maternal grandmother. Former Davis slaves, Alice Sims and Jane Johnson are credited with being the caretakers of Melrose during this time.
George Kelly married Ethel Moore in 1900 and the following year they returned to Natchez. They selected Melrose as their primary home and restored the home after its extended time of closure. Instead of remodeling, the couple decided to keep the house intact. Ethel Kelly also brought in furnishing from Choctaw to add to the furniture already existing at Melrose. The Kelly's resided in Melrose until 1975 when Ethel died.
John and Betty Callon purchased the property in 1976 as their personal home, and as a venue for lavish entertainment for their company, Callon Petroleum Company. The Callons retained the integrity of the house and grounds as they took preservation issues as part of their restoration process. As a result, hundreds of photographs were taken of the property and material samples were saved that are invaluable sources of information to curators today.[7]
Mansion and grounds
The interior of the first floor is arranged around a central hall and consists of a dining room, drawing room, parlor, library, back hall, storage, and service rooms. The central and back hall provide a fine example of painted
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Melrose_Mansion_%28rear%29.jpg/220px-Melrose_Mansion_%28rear%29.jpg)
The grounds feature outbuildings including the two storied kitchen and dairy buildings, octagonal
Tourism and legacy
As Melrose was one of the most intact antebellum estates in the South, due to the fact that the McMurrans had sold their furniture with the house and subsequent owners did the same, the National Park Service purchased the estate in 1990. Melrose along with Fort Rosalie and the William Johnson House form the Natchez National Historical Park.
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Melrose in 1975
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Melrose dining room
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Melrose portico
References
- ^ http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/dailymelrose.php, Melrose
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b "Melrose". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ Paul Goeldner (January 7, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Melrose" (pdf). National Park Service.
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: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) and Accompanying 11 photos, exterior and interior, from 1973 and undated. (3.01 MB) - ^ http://nookstowersandturrets.blogspot.com/2011/01/melrose-in-natchez-mississippi.html Melrose in Natchez, Jan 31, 2011
- ^ http://www.nps.gov/natc/historyculture/mcmurran.htm Meet the McMurrans of Melrose|accessdate=2014-03-08
- ^ http://www.georgewright.org/64jenkin.pdf.
{{cite web}}
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(help)[1] (Jenkins, Kathleen, 'Melrose, a multifaceted jewel in the NPS crown: interdisciplinary contributions to historic preservation and museum collection management') - ^ Melrose ""Melrose," Natchez". misspreservation.com. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ^ http://www.natchezontheriver.com/news/2008/oct/13/melrose/ Article about the history of Melrose, Natchez on the River, Oct. 13, 2008
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)