Magnolia Hall (Henderson-Britton House)

215 South Pearl St. (and Washington St.) Natchez, MS 

Circa 1858. Greek Revival and Italianate style.

One of the last mansion built prior to Civil War. 

Image by Bob Cummings

Magnolia Hall was constructed on the site of the previous Henderson home, Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Hill was moved a block south for the newer Magnolia home. The Henderson family had owned the land since 1815. Thomas Henderson. He was a cotton planter and banker. In 1866, the house was sold - owner unknown.

Four years later, in 1870, the home was sold to Eliza Fisk Macrery Britton (1824-1907), the wife of Audley Clarke (A. C.) Britton (1821-1894), president and one of the founders of Britton & Koontz Bank (chartered in 1867).

Judge George Washington Armstrong (1866-1954) and Mamie Allen Armstrong (1870-1939) held ownership while residing in Texas. Judge Armstrong was a county Texas judge and a capitalist owning nearly forty plantations in Mississippi with oil discovered, a chain of Texas banks, and president of Texas Steel Co.

Rufus F. Learned (1834-1924) and Elizabeth Christie "Lizzie Brown Learned (1842-1919)(m.1868) purchased the property from Armstrong family.He had varied experiences as a young adult and then went to Natchez in 1856. He organized Natchez Cotton Mills, became president of Britton & Koontz Bank, Natchez Ice Company and Natchez and Bayou Sayre Packet Company. The Learned family also owned Magnolia Vale I, II, III.

From 1963-1974, Trinity Episcopal Church utilized the mansion as a nursery and elementary school. Founded in 1822, it has the oldest church building in Natchez and oldest Episcopal church in Mississippi. Because it is across the street from Magnolia Hall, evidently family heirs allowed the church to use the property.

In 1974, Catherine McNatt Armstrong, the widow of G. W. Armstrong, Jr., (1901-1980) deeded the home to the Preservation Society of Ellicott's Hill. In 2016, the Natchez Garden Club and the Society commenced a major exterior renovation of the home.

In 2026, a wing of the home is available for rent - Magnolia Hall: The Henderson Suite. See Magnolia Vale I, II, III NR 1978

Sources:

https://visitnatchez.org/listing/magnolia-hall/

http://www.famous-historic-buildings.org.uk/magnolia-hall-natchez.html