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Auburn (Natchez, Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
Auburn is an Antebellum
Greek Revival
mansion in Duncan Park in Natchez, Mississippi
. It was designed and constructed by Levi Weeks
in 1812, the first planned building in the town. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1974 and a Mississippi Landmark in 1984.
, a young self-proclaimed architect, to design and build the mansion. The original building was 60 feet (18.3 m) by 45 feet (13.7 m) with a two story portico
supported by four columns and includes an unusual floating spiral staircase between the first and second floors. Levi Weeks designed the house to be, in his words, the "most magnificent building in the state." After Harding died in 1820, the building was bought by Dr. Stephen Duncan, who expanded the house to include two symmetrical wings, greatly expanding interior space. Duncan later abandoned the building amidst growing secession
tensions just before the American Civil War
, and the house was placed in the care of his descendants. The building and 222 acres (89.8 ha) was sold by the family to the city of Natchez in 1911 and is now a historic house museum in a public park.
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
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...
mansion in Duncan Park 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...
. It was designed and constructed by Levi Weeks
Levi Weeks
Levi Weeks was the accused in the infamous Manhattan Well Murder trial of 1800, the first recorded murder trial in the United States. At the time of the murder, Weeks was a young carpenter in New York City...
in 1812, the first planned building in the town. It was 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 and a Mississippi Landmark in 1984.
History
In 1811, Lyman Harding, the first Attorney General of Mississippi, hired Levi WeeksLevi Weeks
Levi Weeks was the accused in the infamous Manhattan Well Murder trial of 1800, the first recorded murder trial in the United States. At the time of the murder, Weeks was a young carpenter in New York City...
, a young self-proclaimed architect, to design and build the mansion. The original building was 60 feet (18.3 m) by 45 feet (13.7 m) with a two story portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
supported by four columns and includes an unusual floating spiral staircase between the first and second floors. Levi Weeks designed the house to be, in his words, the "most magnificent building in the state." After Harding died in 1820, the building was bought by Dr. Stephen Duncan, who expanded the house to include two symmetrical wings, greatly expanding interior space. Duncan later abandoned the building amidst growing secession
Secession in the United States
Secession in the United States can refer to secession of a state from the United States, secession of part of a state from that state to form a new state, or secession of an area from a city or county....
tensions just before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and the house was placed in the care of his descendants. The building and 222 acres (89.8 ha) was sold by the family to the city of Natchez in 1911 and is now a historic house museum in a public park.