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house as domestic servants, the vast majority of the
Quitman slaves worked on the family’s rural plantations
in the backbreaking labor of cotton and sugar production.
Quitman believed that the institution of slavery was
necessary for the well-being of the enslaved. Evidence
suggests that the Quitman family had no understanding
of what the enslaved thought about their plight. John
Anthony Quitman died at Monmouth on July 17, 1858.
He was buried at Monmouth after an impressive funeral,
and later transferred to the Natchez City Cemetery.
The City of Natchez felt the impact of the Civil War
beginning in May 1862 when Union war ships sailed up
the Mississippi River to Natchez. Monmouth’s enslaved
men and women fled at the first sign of Union troops.
Before the war ended, soldiers of the 58th United States
Colored Infantry encamped on the estate grounds.
Impoverished by the Civil War, the Quitmans sold household
possessions to survive. The daughters agreed, to
their utter humiliation, to pledge their loyalty to the United
States. Years later, monetary damages were paid by the
United States government to the Quitman descendants.
Monmouth was sold out of the Quitman family in 1919.
After several brief changes in ownership, Monmouth
was sold to Natchez widow Annie Gwin in 1922. It
remained in her family for more than half a century.
Efforts to revitalize Natchez’s failing economy in the
1930s saw the advent of a newly implemented tourism
industry which centered on the opening of the town’s
antebellum mansions. Monmouth became a curiosity–
a haunting reminder of days past.
The once grand estate sat neglected until a couple
from California, Ron and Lani Rich, chanced upon
Monmouth while traveling to Natchez in 1977. The Riches
initiated restoration plans for Monmouth even before the
purchase was finalized. They encouraged the support of
the Natchez community by using local contractors and
businesses whenever possible. The grounds and gardens
were all restored with plants and flowers common to the
original garden. Inside the house, it was discovered that
many furnishings were original Quitman pieces. With
creative research and a sequence of lucky breaks, other
original Quitman antique pieces have been restored to
their rightful place.
Monmouth Historic Inn is presently owned by
Nancy and Warren Reuther of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Reuther’s purchased Monmouth Historic Inn from
United Mississippi Bank in Natchez on March 20, 2012
Monmouth Historic Inn is fully restored, both
aesthetically and historically, thanks to Nancy Reuther’s
interest in historic properties. Upon entering the main
house, the grand hallway transports one to another era.
Fresh cut flowers and Zubar wallpaper grace the period
drapes surrounded by intricately carved mahogany and
rosewood furniture. The gardens are as exquisite as they
were in the time of Quitman. This small luxury hotel
allows visitors and guests the opportunity to step back
into a time romanticized by such books and films as
Gone with the Wind and So Red the Rose, without
leaving the comforts and amenities of a luxury hotel.
Monmouth’s beauty and elegance have earned it a
four-diamond rating from AAA for twenty consecutive
years. Restaurant 1818 is TripAdvisor’s number one
restaurant in Natchez for fine dining. Monmouth Historic
Inn is placed on the Conde Nast’s Gold List and Travel +
Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels of the World. Glamour magazine
and USA Today have cited the historic antebellum inn as
one of the ten most romantic places in America. Today,
Monmouth Historic Inn continues to be in the forefront of
Natchez hotel community involvement, its dedication to
Natchez, and its unfailing legacy.
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