The origins of this once-grand Arlington estate in Natchez, Mississippi – captured here by Abandoned Southeast – are somewhat murky. It may may have been designed by John Hampton White of New Jersey for his wife Jane sometime between 1816 and 1821. Or Jane or her father, a French immigrant, might be behind the imposing design.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!What we do know it that the mysterious mansion became the marital home of John and Jane, although only for a short time…
Unfortunately, John never got to enjoy his new home. In 1819, around the year the house was completed, John Hampton White died of yellow fever. Sadly the bad luck continued and Jane’s gravestone shows that she died just six years later, at the age of 38.
Inside, it’s clear to see how much damage the mansion has suffered over the years, as we can see from this once-grand entryway.
Despite her short time in the house, Jane didn’t hold back when it came to decorating the space. Her ‘golden drawing room’ is said to have contained French mirrors framed in gold leaf, wallpaper decorated with gold flowers and satin damask curtains.
Upon Jane’s death, the property was inherited by her sister Mrs Bingaman before it was bought by Mississippi Supreme Court Judge Samuel Stillman Boyd at sometime in the mid-19th century.
The home was eventually purchased and lived in by generations of the Vaughan family and it has remained in the family ever since.
However, blighted by bad luck, the mansion was partially destroyed by fire in September 2002. Here we can see Natchez firefighters Todd Rymer and David Hugg working to contain the blaze, but despite their efforts almost three-quarters of the building was lost.
Members of the Historic Natchez Foundation worked to save and store the many books, antiques and paintings damaged by the fire – they even replaced the roof. Sadly, the rest of the home and its once impressive gardens haven’t been so lucky.
Legal proceedings began in 2021 with the City of Natchez officials taking action to restore the estate and recover the renovation costs from the owner through fines. Arlington was among a list of 26 blighted properties Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson and the Board of Aldermen voted to take action against.
It was rumoured in local press that a Florida couple with a passion for historic homes launched a fundraising campaign to purchase and restore the home. It’s not yet known if their efforts were successful…