Desolate and forlorn, the once-glorious Arlington estate in Natchez, Mississippi, is considered one of the most important heritage buildings in the area. Yet despite its historical significance, the grand Federal mansion is crumbling into ruin, as Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast discovered on a recent visit. Unravel the home's tragic tale and discover why this alluring Southern belle has been left to languish.

Approaching the derelict brick mansion, which stands on 55 acres of untended grounds, it's hard not to be moved by the mansion's sorry state. Details of the property's early history are sketchy to say the least but according to local legend, the land on which Arlington sits was acquired by local sheriff Lewis Evans in the early 1800s and reportedly sold on in 1814 to a real estate speculator called Jonathan Thompson.

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The origins of the home are somewhat unclear. According to Arlington's nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places, the estate may have been designed by New Jersey native John Hampton White for his wife, Jane Surget White, sometime between 1816 and 1821. Other sources think Jane herself or indeed her father, Pierre Surget, a French immigrant, could be behind the opulent design. In any case, the property became the marital home of John and Jane, albeit for a short time.

Foreshadowing the sad events to come, the two-storey redbrick mansion (pictured here in 1934) was the scene of tragedy in 1819, around the year of its supposed completion, when John Hampton White died in a yellow fever epidemic. One story recounts that his widow Jane passed away suddenly on her first night in the property, but the tale is contradicted by her gravestone, which shows that she died in 1825 at the age of 38.

It's only upon entering the property that the full extent of the damage becomes apparent. The entry foyer is littered with discarded wooden door frames and other debris. Graffiti has been scrawled across the walls and the ceiling is severely damaged, a far cry from its grand heyday and the soirees hosted by Janet Surget White, who was part of one of Natchez's most affluent families.

This photograph, which is thought to have been taken sometime during the 1970s, shows how elegant the space once was. Exquisite antique furnishings from France adorn the hallway, along with paintings by Old Masters including Baroccio, Carlo Dolci, Coccanari and Vernet, which would have no doubt impressed the many visitors that graced its halls.

The floor plan of the house consisted of a sweeping central hall stretching from the front of the property to back, flanked by two rooms on each side, with a staircase located in a secondary hall between two of the rooms. The ornate structure echoes the design of other fine antebellum mansions in the area, including Melrose and Rosalie.

After Jane Surget White's death in 1825, the property passed to her sister, Mrs. Bingaman, and stayed in the Surget family until it was bought by Mississippi Supreme Court Judge Samuel Stillman Boyd around the mid-19th century. Many of the treasures of the house were passed from owner to owner.

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These include the Surget clan's French antiques and Old Master artworks, while Judge Boyd added a formidable collection of books to the house. This old photograph shows Arlington's legendary library, which was renowned far and wide for its extensive collection of tomes, including numerous first editions and an array of Roman and Greek classics.

Just off the central hall adjacent to the library is the property's drawing room. Like the central hallway, the space is in a dreadful state of disrepair, but glimpses of its past grandeur can be discerned from the high ceilings, fine window frames and wood panelling below the large sash windows.

Jane Surget White spared no expense decorating the opulent space. Dubbed 'the golden drawing room', the spectacular chamber is said to have wowed with a rich carpet, French mirrors framed in gold leaf, gilded cornices, wallpaper decorated with gold flowers and satin damask curtains.

Later owners of the house were keen to preserve the room for posterity and this picture shows the lengths to which subsequent residents went to retain the gilded look of the space, as well as the countless antique furnishings collected by Mrs. Surget White.

While the estate is now a shadow of its former self, it was once home to an array of priceless possessions. Arlington's music room, located off the main hall next to the dining room, featured one particularly sought-after piece – an antique spinet (a small harpsichord or piano) dating back hundreds of years.

Following Judge Boyd's death in 1867, Arlington is thought to have sat vacant for a long period. The mansion was purportedly snapped up in 1917 by a Mrs L. S. Gillette, who lived there until 1924. Framed by a grand columned archway, this old photograph shows how the home's staircase looked before it went to wrack and ruin.

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Crumbling and structurally unsound, the staircase is now almost unrecognisable. In the following years, Arlington passed to Hurbert Barnum who purportedly presented it to his wife, Annie Barnham, as a wedding gift. Part of an affluent Natchez family, Annie was also the owner of the city's beautiful Monmouth mansion, however, she continued to reside at Arlington after her husband's death in 1939.

Annie Barnum is said to have diligently conserved the property and added to its prestigious collection of books by purchasing prized first editions, which she displayed in the library along with the other prized volumes. Mrs. Barnum also owned a famous doll and glass collection, pictured here in this postcard from the 1950s.

Tragedy descended on Arlington again in 1945 when Annie Barnum's one-year-old grandchild, Gwin, died in a tragic accident at the property. Mrs Barnum passed away in 1960 and Arlington was then left to her daughter Anne Gwin Vaughan. She lived at the property for several decades with her husband Jack and their family.

In recognition of its exceptional history, Arlington was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was designated a National Historic Landmark the following year. At this time, the property was in excellent condition, having been lovingly preserved by the Vaughan family.

Anne Gwin Vaughan and her husband Jack both passed away in 1991 and Arlington was handed down to their son Dr. Thomas Vaughan, who is the current owner of the property. The Jackson-based doctor chose not to live at the property and according to local residents, the house started to deteriorate in the 1990s following Anne and Jack's deaths. This image is said to show the mansion's kitchen and possibly the slaves' and later servants' quarters.

Disaster struck once more in September 2002 when a devastating fire ripped through Arlington, destroying the roof and much of the upper floor. The ground floor, while not completely gutted, sustained serious damage too. Fortunately, many of the home's precious antiques and books were salvaged and later restored.

Unlike the saved antiques and books, the house itself hasn't been quite so lucky. While the roof has been replaced courtesy of the Historic Natchez Foundation, the building remains little more than a crumbling shell. The once-manicured grounds surrounding the palatial property have been reclaimed by Mother Nature and debris from the fire still litters the overgrown estate.

When it went up in flames, the property lacked adequate insurance and an extensive renovation would likely cost a fortune. Left to languish, the Natchez Preservation Commission even went as far as to bring legal action against Dr. Vaughan for demolition by neglect, as reported by The Natchez Democrat. 

According to City Planner Riccardo Giani, who spoke with The Natchez Democrat, Dr. Vaughan has been unresponsive to requests to overhaul the mansion. Consequently, legal proceedings have begun that could result in City of Natchez officials taking action to restore the estate and recover the renovation costs from the owner through fines. As Arlington's fate hangs in the balance, here's hoping its fortunes change and the antebellum landmark is restored to its former glory once more.

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