dunleith

I was quite impressed when I learned that my youngest Louisiana nephew was helping with the refurbishing of the antebellum home in Natchez, Mississippi considered by many to be the most impressive.  He had told my sisters and I about the work when we met him for the day in St. Francisville and attended the Audubon Pilgrimage. There he was greeted by name by people all over the place. He was known in the public and private homes on tour. He shrugged it off when I inquired.
Finally, when I pressed him, he said "they are just people I have worked with."
 

Fast forward to last weekend. I had promised the self same nephew that I would attend a family reunion he was coordinating  without fail. The reunion was to be held at Dunleith, the big project he'd mentioned when I'd seen him last Spring. I was going back to Natchez for the second time this year, which did not surprise me, given that I'd rung the bell at Rosalie in March.
What did surprise me, and pleasantly so, was that we had the run of the house. The whole thing, at our disposal, for the reunion. We visited in the parlors, had pizza at midnight in the dining room. From the top floor where the guest rooms have sloped ceilings to the grand foyer and staircases, we were in residence in this grand place, at least for the weekend. What I am trying to say here, is that the nephew hit it out of the park on this deal.




From the excellent family lunch in the Castle Restaurant (located in the old carriage house) to an early dinner downstairs in the pub where I sampled gouda cheese fries, to the rockers on the porches, the whole thing was splendid.
He'd "put us" across from his favorite room on the second floor. I was able to ooh and ahh at the restorative work on the window treatments, the period appropriate grand furnishings, the new custom carpeting.
The staff addressed him as "Mr. Cole" and it kinda of made me want to, also. Marching in tall cotton comes to mind, here. We were. Did I mention it was all just splendid?!