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Burns knew they would be the right people to see<br />
Auburn into the future. “The building and the surrounding<br />
222 acres were donated to the City in 1911,” says Burns.<br />
“The City developed Duncan Park to include tennis courts,<br />
ball fields, and more for public recreation. For years, Auburn<br />
was run by volunteer groups, but when the last group<br />
aged out, the City asked us to manage it.” An agreement<br />
was reached with the Berrys to restore and operate Auburn.<br />
The 7,000-square-foot home was designed and built by<br />
Levi Weeks for Lyman Harding, the first attorney general<br />
of Mississippi. When Harding died in 1820, Dr. Stephen<br />
Duncan purchased the home and expanded it with<br />
symmetrical wings on either side. He later abandoned the<br />
home just prior to the Civil War and the house was placed<br />
in the care of his descendants. One of the most prominent<br />
features of the home is a magnificent freestanding<br />
staircase. Weeks’ exquisite woodwork stands out as well.<br />
The restoration won’t be an easy one. “To the average<br />
person, the home appears to be in good shape, but there’s<br />
a lot of work to restoring and maintaining an old home<br />
like this,” says Laine. There are added challenges because<br />
the home was declared a National Historic Landmark in<br />
1974, and a Mississippi Landmark in 1984. “That adds a<br />
whole layer of approvals. We’re coordinating with the<br />
Mississippi Department of Archives and History.” When<br />
finished, the home will be open to tours and special events.<br />
Laine says she and Kevin love working together.<br />
“We will be involved in much of the hands-on work on the<br />
home. We get to share our passion for old homes,” she<br />
says. “Our culture exists in these built structures. One of<br />
the things that makes Natchez so special is that all the<br />
built environments over the centuries in this country can<br />
be found in Natchez, from the Colonial period to midtwentieth-century<br />
modern. I don’t know of any other city in<br />
the country that has such a wealth of architectural history.”<br />
The Berrys will be videoing the restoration process at<br />
Auburn for their show, Our Restoration Nation, on YouTube<br />
and Instagram.<br />
2024 VISIT NATCHEZ 33
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