Encircled by 26 stately white columns, Dunleith is one of the most beautiful mansions in Natchez. Yet it has a history of tragedy.
The site was originally occupied by another mansion called "Routhland," built during the late 1700s by Job Routh and his wife. They both died and left the house to their daughter, Mary, who was 15 years of age and already a widow. Mary took Charles Dahlgren as her second husband and inherited the house.
In 1855 Routhland was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Dahlgren built a new mansion (the present one) in its place in 1856. Mary, still a very young woman, only enjoyed the new house for three years when she tragically died. The property was sold for $30,000 in order to settle the estate. The new owner, Alfred Vidal Davis, gave the house the Scottish name of Dunleith.
There has been a succession of owners at Dunleith over the past 150 years. In 1999 it was purchased by Mrs. Edward Worley and her Son, Michael who have done extensive restoration and renovation. The home is presently operated as a bed and breakfast. The 18th century carriage house behind the mansion houses the Castle Restaurant, where Karen and I enjoyed a very good lunch. The forty-acre estate also includes a dairy barn, poultry house and a three-story brick dependency. The dependency has features that were considered rare amenities at the time of their installation - a toilet and bathtub.
Dunleith is open daily for guided tours. Admission for adults is $7.00.
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