Aug 17, 2023 | 8:24 AM
 |
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/
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