At first glance, Longwood looks like any other antebellum mansion. However, that’s not exactly the case, and that’s because unlike other grand estates from the past, Longwood stands unfinished, just as it has since the 1800s. As if frozen in
Looks can be deceiving - and Longwood in Natchez serves as proof.
Michael McCarthy/Flickr
From the outside, it looks like the epitome of luxury; however, the interior tells a different story.
Hugo_Nina/Trip Advisor
The massive 35,000-square-foot estate was being built for Haller and Julia Nutt.
Michael McCarthy/Flickr At the time, the home and furnishings would’ve cost about $200,000, which is $35 million in today’s money.
It’s based on the architectural design of Howard Sloan.
Samuel Sloan/Wikimedia Over-the-top in opulence, Sloan never expected anyone to actually build the design.
Construction began in 1860, but abruptly came to a halt in 1861 with the start of the Civil War.
Misha703/Trip Advisor Had Longwood been completed, it would’ve been the grandest home in Natchez.
The craftsmen hired to build Longwood were from Philadelphia and returned home once the war broke out.
Janis H/Trip Advisor When they left, only the first floor of Longwood was completed. Assuming the war wouldn’t last long, the Nutt family moved into the finished portion of the home.
Tools, paint buckets, and nails used by the workmen remain on the main floor of Longwood, more than a century after construction came to a halt.
luvtarheelstate/Trip Advisor
Scaffolding and a temporary staircase also serve as reminders of Longwood’s abrupt abandonment.
Janis H/Trip Advisor
Today, Longwood is open for tours, giving the public a chance to peer inside the eerily unfinished home.
GreenUnicorn/Trip Advisor
In addition to informative tour guides, there are diagrams to help visitors envision just how luxurious Longwood would’ve been.
GreenUnicorn/Trip Advisor
time, it’s eerily fascinating.
Michael McCarthy/Flickr
Hugo_Nina/Trip Advisor
At the time, the home and furnishings would’ve cost about $200,000, which is $35 million in today’s money.
Samuel Sloan/Wikimedia
Over-the-top in opulence, Sloan never expected anyone to actually build the design.
Misha703/Trip Advisor
Had Longwood been completed, it would’ve been the grandest home in Natchez.
Janis H/Trip Advisor
When they left, only the first floor of Longwood was completed. Assuming the war wouldn’t last long, the Nutt family moved into the finished portion of the home.
luvtarheelstate/Trip Advisor
GreenUnicorn/Trip Advisor
Want more info on this unfinished piece of history, including tour times? Visit the Natchez Pilgrimage Tours website.
This isn’t the only intriguing abandoned site on Mississippi. There’s also this massive model, which took 23 years to complete and was then left to decay.
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Address: Longwood, 140 Lower Woodville Rd, Natchez, MS 39120, USA
