William Johnson House reopens September 1

Roscoe Barnes III

Natchez, MS, USA/ListenUpYall.com
Aug 17, 2023 | 8:24 AM

The William Johnson House is pictured on the right; the building on the left is the McCallum House, Johnson’s neighbor’s house which is used as the Visitor Contact Station. The first floor of both buildings will be open on Sept. 1. (Click on photo to enlarge image)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The William Johnson House will reopen Friday, Sept. 1, according to Lead Historian Jeff Mansell of Natchez National Historical Park. He said only the first floor will be open.

“The upper family living quarters will remain closed,” he said. “We have to rebuild the back galleries of both houses (William Johnson and McCallum House). The renovation in that area needs to be completed because structurally, it’s not safe.”

As in the past, the house will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p. m. Tours are free to the public. Space for visitors and the bookstore will be on the first floor.  A guide will also be available.

“We are in the process of doing the A and E (architect and engineering) work for the rebuilding of the galleries,” Mansell explained. “We are improving accessibility to the site and to the kitchen. We will install new exhibits in the kitchen downstairs.”

The William Johnson House is located at 210 State St., between South Canal and South Wall streets. It is one of five sites owned and operated by the Natchez National Historical Park. The house initially closed in 2020 because of COVID-19, and it remained closed temporarily because of the need for property maintenance.

Johnson reportedly built the house in 1842 using bricks taken from buildings destroyed in an 1840 tornado.

“We’re happy to have this first floor open to the public,” Mansell said. “We invite everyone to  come in and learn about William Johnson’s life and writings.”

Johnson (1809 -1851) was known as “The Barber of Natchez.” According to Mansell, Johnson trained many barbers, and he took in lots of children of mixed race relationships and trained them to become barbers.

Johnson is probably most famous for his 16-year diary, which was discovered in the 1930s in the attic of his house, said Mansell. His family sold the diary to Louisiana State University, and it was published in 1951. It remains in print to this day.

“It is considered the most important account of the antebellum south from the perspective of a free man of color,” Mansell said.

One of the things that people find controversial about Johnson is the fact that he was born a slave, and he became a slave owner himself, Mansell said. Even so, he left a legacy that is rich in history, and his house is one way to learn more about his interesting life.

For more information, on the William Johnson House, call 601-442-7047. For a look at excerpts from William Johnson’s diary, visit the Natchez National Historical Park Facebook page.

Source: https://listenupyall.com/2023/08/17/william-johnson-house-reopens-september-1/