The original structure of Linden was built in 1785, then known as Oaklands, by Alexander Moore. The original structure consisted of a two story house, with 4 rooms. Today, that structure is at the heard of house that is now known as Linden.
In 1818, United States Senator and former Attorney General of Mississippi, Thomas Buck Reed, purchased the property from Moore and renamed it "Reedland". Senator Reed made his mark on the house by adding the stunning frontispiece to the doorway as well as the existing East wing. In 1829, shortly before his death, which occurred while he was en route to take his seat in Washington D.C., Senator Reed sold the residence to Dr. John Ker. Dr. Ker, who had moved to Natchez after his father was appointed to the Supreme Court of Mississippi by President Thomas Jefferson, had become a prominent physician and planter in the area. Once Ker purchased the house, he changed the name yet again, this time to Linden, which is still the homes name today. Like his predecessor, Ker left his mark on the house by making an addition. Dr. Ker would add the living room and the front gallery. These additions made the house look the way that it does today. In 1849, the house changed owners once again. This time, the house was purchased by a woman, Jane E. Connor. Ms. Connor purchased the home after the death of her husband, for her and her 9 children to live in. Although she did not make any structural changes to the house, she left her mark instead on the landscape. Jane planted 7 Cedars of Lebanon in front of Linden, which still stand today. The current owner of Linden is a 6th generation of the Conner family.
Linden was the first house we toured during our stay in Natchez, MS in 2016. After having driven around Natchez before our tour, and seeing the amazing houses, we were very excited to kick off our house tours, and Linden was the perfect start. We had gorgeous weather the day we arrived at Linden. The sun was shining brightly, there was a gentle breeze, and the air was warm but not hot. It was the perfect day to explore the grounds & take photos of the house, which we did since we had a little time before our tour. The trees on the grounds were simply stunning, and all of the landscaping was beautifully manicured. With 7 acres, the property feels private, and it is easy to forget that you are within the city limits of Natchez.
Our tour group was small, just my Mom and I and one other couple. We were excited to have the owner of the home be our tour guide. She had lived in the home her whole life, and was 6th generation Connor. The main use of the house now is as a bed and breakfast, and an event venue, but she still gives tours of the house to guests, although the tour availability is very limited. She was a gracious tour guide, and quickly made everyone feel at home. Hearing her tell stories of her family, and of her life in the house made it truly come alive. I remember her saying that she opens her home up to guests because she feels the house deserves it. However, she did ask that we not take anything from the house, because it was truly her home and everything in it belonged to her. I remember being sad thinking of people stealing from her and the home, but am grateful that despite that risk she was willing to let people tour her home. I can understand why guests who stay at the home say they quickly feel at home in the mansion, and feel like family.
A few things in the house that were of note for me. I loved the punkah fan (or shoo fly) in the dining room. It was the first one I had ever seen, and it was gorgeous. Quick note about punkah fans. They were very popular in well to do homes, especially in the south in the antebellum period. Windows did not have screens on them, so when the windows were open to keep the house cool, insects and flies could come into the home. When people were eating dinner, the food would attract the flies and insects, so the punkah fan was used to keep the insects away from the food, hence the nickname a "shoo fly". Also in the dining room was a wonderful dish warmer that was used to keep dishes warm as most meals were multiple courses. There was also a stunning painting of the current owners daughter. It reminded me of a picture out of a period romance novel. It was hard to believe it was a contemporary painting, and not one done in the 1800s.
Another thing that our guide told us about was one of the beds in the home was built by enslaved people at Linden. She talked about the skilled artisans that were enslaved at the plantation, and how they made much of the furniture for the plantation house. The bed was absolutely stunning, and you could see the quality and craftsmanship that went into it. She also talked about some ghost stories that have happened to her when she slept in that room. I also enjoyed the windows that could be turned into doors for better flow during parties. The bottom sash gets pushed up to turn the window into a door. (There is a name for this type of window, but I cannot for the life of me remember it, so if you know it, please drop it in the comments below!) The last thing our guide told us about was the front door. She claims that the front door on Linden was the inspiration for the doorway on Tara in Gone with the Wind. She was very proud of that fact and told us about it multiple times. Both my Mom and I love Gone with the Wind, and agreed that the door did look like the one on Tara. However, many of the other plantation homes we would visit during our time in Natchez had very similar style doors, so we are not sure if the inspiration story is true or not. Either way, it was a beautiful front door, and we both made sure to have our picture taken in front of it.
After our tour, we were invited to relax on the back gallery and just enjoy the home. We also further talked with our guide which was wonderful. The backyard was also being set up for a wedding that was happening at the home, and it was cool to watch the area be transformed for the wedding reception. After sitting and chatting for a while, it was time for us to leave, as we had another tour scheduled and we did not want to be late.
Linden was a wonderful home to kick off our plantation tour vacation. During the course of our vacation, we would see over 20 antebellum era houses, and Linden remained one of our favorite tours. If you are visiting Natchez, please be sure to put Linden on your list. You can also be a guest at the house, and enjoy true southern hospitality. To plan your trip, and to learn more about Linden, you can visit their website at lindenbandb.com.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from our time at Linden
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