Information
Landmark: Rosalie MansionCity: Natchez
Country: USA Mississippi
Continent: North America
Rosalie Mansion, Natchez, USA Mississippi, North America
Overview
Perched high above downtown Natchez, Rosalie Mansion-nicknamed “Our Lady on the Bluff”-watches the Mississippi River roll past below.This Greek Revival home, built in 1823, ranks among Natchez’s most graceful historic houses, its rooms still carrying the voices of antebellum society into the tumult of the Civil War.Planter Peter Little built Rosalie on land steeped in history-a place where, in 1716, the old French Fort Rosalie once stood, its weathered timbers long gone.The mansion’s name comes from the old colonial outpost, a weathered place once marked by a cracked stone gate.The house, built in Greek Revival style, stands with a balanced façade, towering white columns, broad verandas, and elegant lines that open to a sweeping view of the river glinting in the sun.Perched high on the bluff, Rosalie commanded both prestige and prominence, its red brick walls catching the eye of steamboat passengers as they approached Natchez.Inside Rosalie, you’ll find a rich array of 19th-century furnishings, many still exactly as the families left them-a polished walnut desk, a quilt folded neatly across a chair.Gilded mirrors glint beside elaborate carpets, while heavy draperies frame the room, all setting the stage for formal gatherings.Four-poster beds draped in crisp, fine linens fill the bedrooms, while in the dining rooms, porcelain plates and crystal glasses gleam-echoes of evenings once shared by Natchez’s elite.Inside, the house mirrors its perfect balance, with a central hall that draws you in and bright, open rooms that invite both ease and a touch of show.During the Civil War, Rosalie took on a new role, walking the worn wooden floors with a quieter, more deliberate step.In 1863, after Union troops marched into Natchez, General Walter Gresham took over the house with his staff, turning its front parlor into their headquarters.During the war, Rosalie served as a family home by night and a military command post by day, its porch often echoing with the clank of soldiers’ boots.Remarkably, the house and its furnishings stayed intact, partly because the Turner family kept living in one wing-fresh bread still cooling in their kitchen-while soldiers took over the rest.Thanks to this unusual setup, Rosalie’s collections stayed intact, and today the house stands among the best-furnished antebellum homes in Natchez-its mahogany sideboard still gleaming in the afternoon light.Rosalie stayed in the Turner family’s hands until 1938, when the Mississippi State Society Daughters of the American Revolution bought the house, its white columns catching the afternoon sun.Since then, the DAR has cared for the mansion as a historic house museum, keeping its wide lawns, blooming gardens, and rooms filled with the family’s original artifacts.Thanks to their care, Rosalie still offers one of the truest windows into antebellum life in Natchez-sunlight spilling across its wide porches just as it did generations ago.Today at Rosalie, guided tours take you through its graceful rooms, where docents pause beside gleaming family silver, faded portraits, and heirlooms that endured war and occupation.The grounds feature restored gardens, brick paths, and sweeping views of the Mississippi, glowing soft gold at sunrise and blazing red as the sun slips away.It blends striking architecture with a sense of living history, brought to life by tales of the planter family and the soldiers who once marched down its echoing halls.Rosalie isn’t just a house-it’s a steadfast symbol that’s weathered storms and change, standing quietly through turbulent years.From its perch high on the bluff, visitors can trace centuries of history, from French colonial dreams to the smoke of Civil War battles and far beyond.The mansion blends elegance with sturdy strength, a quiet reminder that Natchez’s wealth came and went, yet its landmarks still stand, weathered but unbowed.Step into Rosalie Mansion and you feel as if history is breathing around you-polished mahogany gleams in the light, family stories whisper from its walls, and the faint echo of wartime orders drifts through the grand rooms high above the Mississippi.
