Myrtle Terrace
- Jay Brothers
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
310 North Pearl St. Natchez, MS
Circa 1844-1851. Colonial cottage.
In 1844, Nathaniel Loomis Carpenter (1805-1892) and Julia Ann Luce Carpenter (1807-1871) purchased the property and built Myrtle Terrace. They wed in 1837. A Vermont native, he was a builder by trade and \invested in a line of steamboats, a cotton trading business (Natchez Batting Mill and Natchez Cotton Mills) and got involved in Natchez affairs. The Carpenter family also owned Dunlieth Plantation.
The Carpenter family sold the home in 1851 to Capt. Thomas Paul Leathers (1816-1896). He was wed twice: Julia A. Bell Leathers (1827-1851)(m.1844) and Charlotte Celeste Claiborne Leathers (1832-1913. A Kentucky native, he was an internationally known steamboat captain. The agreement to purchase included great detail of how to restore the home. Capt. Leathers built a number of steamboats with the name Natchez and was famous for a race between his boat Natchez and competitor Robert E. Lee.
In 1940, it was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Dan Tucker.They updated the home.
In 1942, McVey George Butler (1895-1980)(m.1924) and Irma Camille Scudamore Butler (1898-1969) owned Myrtle Terrace. He had been in the real estate and car dealer industries. Butler resided at the home until his death.
After her father's passing, Butler daughter Camille French Butler Durkin (1933-2014) inherited it. She was married to Richard Martin "Durk" Durkin (1930-2021). Camille was involved in the Pilgrimage Garden Club and served on the board of Longwood for years. Durk was an engineer and worked for Woodlands division of International Paper Co. in the Natchez plant.He followed his father-in-law's leadership with the Santa Claus Committee. Durkin also served on the board of First Natchez Bank for years.
Myrtle Terrace was purchased in 2018 by Jim Johnson and Rev. Canon Geoffrey Butcher, and it now called the Myrtle Terrace and Carriage House. Rev. Butcher is a retired Episcopal minister but remains active in assisting roles across south Mississippi. His parish emphasis has been on music in the church.
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