Gardens at Monmouth Plantation, Natchez, Mississippi

Monmouth was built by John Hankinson in 1818 and General John A. Quitman purchased the plantation eight years later. Quitman was a hero of the Mexican War and also served as the first governor of Mississippi. Although he was originally from New York, Quitman was a strong advocate of secession. He died before the eruption of the War Between the States. When Natchez was occupied by Northern troops they remembered Quitman’s sympathies and treated Monmouth roughly. His daughters were forced to pledge loyalty to the Union in order to save Monmouth from destruction.

The estate remained in Quitman’s family for almost a century, until just after his daughter Rose died in 1914. The current owners of Monmouth, Ron and Lani Riches, have restored the plantation to its antebellum glory. Visitors see not only the mansion, but also the equally impressive 26 acres of magnificently landscaped grounds, dominated by Southern Live Oaks, draped with Spanish Moss and bejeweled with ponds, statuary and gazebos. Tours are available daily.