By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., Visit Natchez
The pink house at the corner of N. Dr. M.L. King and Madison streets is now home to The Legacy of Madison, an interpretive center dedicated to sharing Natchez’s untold and under-told history. (Photo by Roscoe Barnes III)
A long-vacant pink house on the corner of Madison and N. Dr. M.L. King streets has been reborn as The Legacy of Madison, a new tourism attraction and interpretive center dedicated to sharing the untold and under-told history of Natchez.
The site, located at 516 N. Dr. M.L. King St., is co-owned and managed by retired educator Bettye Bell and her daughter, Brittany Bell Surratt. The two said the new venture will provide a cultural and educational experience for residents and visitors.
It provides a quiet, welcoming environment where visitors can discuss Natchez history over coffee, tea, and traditional tea cakes, said Bettye. The experience also includes a full three-course meal.
“Natchez has a lot of untold and under-told history,” said Brittany. “While Mississippi is often associated with the blues, Natchez has made significant contributions to jazz and hip-hop as well.”
She said much attention has focused on antebellum homes and the Civil War, while African American history remains underrepresented.
“We want to tell those stories,” Brittany said.
Bettye agreed. “We look forward to sharing how African Americans helped build Natchez and went on to make nationally and internationally recognized contributions,” she said.
Brittany’s vision for the house stems from her love of history, literature, and travel. “I meet people from all around the world. When they visit Natchez, they’ve only learned one side of Natchez’s history.”
Bettye Bell, center, and her daughter, Brittany Bell Surratt, recently opened The Legacy of Madison to share Natchez’s history. They are pictured with Brittany’s daughter, Chozyn Channell Bell. (Photo by Roscoe Barnes III)
The mother-daughter team hopes to inspire local youth. “The historic property serves as both a tourism destination and a training center designed to prepare local youth for careers in hospitality and tourism,” Bettye said. “Young people can develop customer service, public speaking, cultural awareness, and leadership skills while gaining firsthand experience.”
The team believes Natchez has important stories that deserve greater attention. Among those stories is the connection between rapper Nas and Natchez through his father, world-renowned jazz musician Olu Dara Jones, who was born and raised in the city.
“That is an under-told story and key contribution to music history,” Brittany said. She noted Natchez has deep-rooted music contributions to national music history that goes beyond the blues.
Another celebrity with Natchez ties is actress Yara Sayeh Shahidi, best known for her role on the ABC sitcom, “Black-ish,” Brittany said.
This site features four rooms that provide visitors with an immersive experience through story-telling, music, historical artifacts, and cultural displays.
The interpretive center highlights a range of notable figures, including Greg Iles, Hiram Rhodes Revels, John R. Lynch, Robert H. Wood, Richard Wright, Ellen Douglas, Alexander O’Neal, Geeshie Wiley, Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders, Judge Mary Lee Davis Toles, Dr. Albert Woods Dumas Sr., and others.
Themes include such topics as Reconstruction era leadership, African American political history, Natchez writers and authors, music legends, cultural contributors, educational trailblazers, and local “firsts” in leadership.
Each tour concludes with a Southern soul food experience inspired by traditions of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The house was built in the late Queen Anne style between 1901 and 1904, according to Mimi Miller, executive director emerita of the Historic Natchez Foundation.
Brittany purchased the house from Alvin Garrison, mayor of Ferriday. It was previously owned by Frederick David Todd, whose father, Dr. J.R. Todd Jr., was a respected community leader and historian known for his contributions to healthcare and civil rights.
Tours are available Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $55 for adults and $25 for children ages six and older.
Group tours are available by reservation with a minimum of 12 people.
For more information, call 601-334-4104.