Natchez Trails
Institute Hall was built in 1852-1853 as a public auditorium and a companion building to the Natchez Institute. The contractors were the Weldon Brothers, who used over 100 enslaved craftsmen and whose head draftsman was a slave named John Jackson. Institute Hall hosted most of the entertainments in Natchez until the Temple Opera House was built in 1890. In both buildings, African Americans public sat only in the balcony. Now a United States Federal Courthouse, the building has also been a skating rink, public library, teen canteen, and museum.Built in 1828-1829, the First Presbyterian Church retains the original clear glass windows and pew doors of its elegantly simple interior. The original slave galleries, or balconies, today provide space for the choir and overflow seating. Stratton Chapel, a rear addition built in 1901, houses an extensive exhibit of historic Natchez photographs in a gallery open to the public.Before the Civil War, Sunday was market day and even slaves from the countryside would crowd the city to sell their goods. In 1924, the City of Natchez built a new city hall on the site of the columned City Hall and Market, built in 1837. It followed an ancient English custom of placing the city hall over the marketplace. Opposition to the marketplace demolition helped to spark the local preservation movement.Adams County built a new jail in 1891 that resembles a Queen Anne-style house. Now known as the Old Adams County Jail, the building continued a Natchez tradition of jails designed to resemble private dwellings. During the 1960s, the jail temporarily housed citizens arrested for participating in the Civil Rights movement. The county built a new jail next door in the 1970s and later restored the Old Jail for county offices. The hanging gallows, with a trap door in the floor, remain upstairs.| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 15R E 651460 N 3492667 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 31.55906667, -91.40416667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 31° 33.544', W 91° 24.25' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 31° 33' 32.64" N, 91° 24' 15" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 601, 769 |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling North |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 400 State St, Natchez MS 39120, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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