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Arlington (Natchez, Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
Arlington is a historic Federal
style house and outbuildings in Natchez, Mississippi
. The 55 acres (22.3 ha) property, which includes three contributing buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973. It was further declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1974. Following a fire that destroyed much of the main house, it was placed on Mississippi's 10 most endangered historic places for 2009 by the Mississippi Heritage Trust.
The architect of Arlington is unknown. Its design has historically been attributed to John Hampton White, but no documentation exists to validate the claim. What is documented is that Lewis Evans, a wealthy Natchez planter, purchased the land on which Arlington stands in 1806. Here he established a plantation
and built a house. In 1814 he sold a portion of the plantation containing his house to Jonathan Thompson, a land speculator. Thompson then sold the Arlington property, including the house built by Evans, to Mrs. Jane Surget White in December 1818. Jane White was the daughter of Pierre Surget, a French emigrant at the head of one of Natchez's leading families. John Hampton White died on October 15, 1819 during a yellow fever
epidemic. Jane White died on July 1, 1825.
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The front facade is five bays
wide, with the three central bays fronted by a tetrastyle portico featuring four monumental Doric
columns. The front doorways on both levels are trimmed with radiating brick voussoir
s, with carved marble impost
blocks and keystones
. The openings are each filled by two sidelights with
decorative muntin
s, and a fanlight
around a central door. All of the window openings are enhanced with carved marble sills and lintels
.
The interior is divided on both main levels using a central hall
plan, with two rooms to each side. The east side features a stair-hall, with a fanlight-topped doorway connecting it to the main hall. The Federal style woodwork of the interior is refined. Of special note are the carved overdoor
panels.
Service wings lie to the rear of the main house. At the southeastern corner of the main house is an attached one-story brick wing. It is fronted by a porch with slender, turned columns. At right angles to the one-story wing is a detached, two-story,
brick outbuilding. It served as the kitchen and cook's quarters. Attached to
the rear wall of this outbuilding is a one-story, brick carriage house. A two-story barn is situated about 150 feet (45.7 m) west of the rear courtyard, separated by a geometric boxwood
garden.
During the mid-19th century, a full-width monumental portico was added to the rear. It features Doric columns matching those at the front and Greek Revival
woodwork underneath. At this time a cast iron
porch was added over a central doorway to the stair-hall on the east side of the house and the attached wing was reworked.
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
style house and outbuildings in Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
. The 55 acres (22.3 ha) property, which includes three contributing buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1973. It was further declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1974. Following a fire that destroyed much of the main house, it was placed on Mississippi's 10 most endangered historic places for 2009 by the Mississippi Heritage Trust.
History
Tradition maintains that Arlington was built by John Hampton White, a native of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and his wife, Jane Surget White. The date that construction of the house began is murky. It is thought by scholars to have been built about 1819–20.The architect of Arlington is unknown. Its design has historically been attributed to John Hampton White, but no documentation exists to validate the claim. What is documented is that Lewis Evans, a wealthy Natchez planter, purchased the land on which Arlington stands in 1806. Here he established a plantation
Plantation complexes in the Southeastern United States
Plantation complexes in the Southeastern United States refers to the built environment that was common on agricultural plantations in the American South from the 17th into the 20th century. The complex included everything from the main residence down to the pens for livestock...
and built a house. In 1814 he sold a portion of the plantation containing his house to Jonathan Thompson, a land speculator. Thompson then sold the Arlington property, including the house built by Evans, to Mrs. Jane Surget White in December 1818. Jane White was the daughter of Pierre Surget, a French emigrant at the head of one of Natchez's leading families. John Hampton White died on October 15, 1819 during a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic. Jane White died on July 1, 1825.
Architecture
Arlington has been considered by architectural historians to be "one of four important Federal Style villas which established the basic form for the later antebellum houses of Natchez." Situated atop a low natural hill, the red brick house is two full stories above a low basement. The exterior of the main block measures 64 by 87 ft (19.5 by 26.5 m).Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide, with the three central bays fronted by a tetrastyle portico featuring four monumental Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns. The front doorways on both levels are trimmed with radiating brick voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s, with carved marble impost
Impost (architecture)
In architecture, an impost is a projecting block resting on top of a column or embedded in a wall, serving as the base for the springer or lowest wedge of an arch....
blocks and keystones
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
. The openings are each filled by two sidelights with
decorative muntin
Muntin
Muntin or Muntin bar is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins are also called "glazing bars", "muntin bars", or "sash bars". Muntins can be found in doors, windows and furniture, typically in western styles of architecture...
s, and a fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
around a central door. All of the window openings are enhanced with carved marble sills and lintels
Lintel (architecture)
A lintel can be a load-bearing building component, a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over portals, doors, and windows.-Structural uses:...
.
The interior is divided on both main levels using a central hall
Central-passage house
The central-passage house, also known variously as center-hall house, hall-passage-parlor house, Williamsburg cottage, and Tidewater-type cottage, was a vernacular, or folk form, house type from the colonial period onward into the 19th century in the United States.It evolved primarily in colonial...
plan, with two rooms to each side. The east side features a stair-hall, with a fanlight-topped doorway connecting it to the main hall. The Federal style woodwork of the interior is refined. Of special note are the carved overdoor
Overdoor
An "overdoor" is a painting, bas-relief or decorative panel, generally in a horizontal format, that is set, typically within ornamental mouldings, over a door, or was originally intended for this purpose.The overdoor is usually architectural in form, but may take the form of a cartouche in Rococo...
panels.
Service wings lie to the rear of the main house. At the southeastern corner of the main house is an attached one-story brick wing. It is fronted by a porch with slender, turned columns. At right angles to the one-story wing is a detached, two-story,
brick outbuilding. It served as the kitchen and cook's quarters. Attached to
the rear wall of this outbuilding is a one-story, brick carriage house. A two-story barn is situated about 150 feet (45.7 m) west of the rear courtyard, separated by a geometric boxwood
Buxus
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
garden.
During the mid-19th century, a full-width monumental portico was added to the rear. It features Doric columns matching those at the front and Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
woodwork underneath. At this time a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
porch was added over a central doorway to the stair-hall on the east side of the house and the attached wing was reworked.