St. Mary's Episcopal Chapel
St. Mary's Episcopal Chapel
4
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
3 reviews
Excellent
2
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,510 contributions
Sept 2019
The more I travel through the South and the more I read about the antebellum era, the more I learn and discover about historic sites that you don't often find in history books or travel sections or guidebooks. Like St. Mary's Episcopal Chapel. It is a one-of-a-kind Gothic style church adorned with spires and an iron cross on the outside and impressive features on the interior, including a massive glass window rosette, a unique marble floor and extraordinary woodwork. Unfortunately, the plantation home it belonged to was destroyed by fire in 1967, leaving the church as one of few reminders of an expansive operation that is long gone. Richard Ellis established Laurel Hill plantation in 1775 about 12 miles south of Natchez, Mississippi, at 1054 Lower Woodville Road, on the cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River. One of Ellis' daughters, Anna, inherited the plantation. To memorialize her family, she and her husband, Dr. William Mercer, built St. Mary's Episcopal Chapel between 1836-1839. It was constructed with brick made from slave labor and stucco-covered with a Gothic spire made of iron. The floor is tessellated white and black marble. The chancel floor, of dark wood with a heavy carved railing separating the nave, is raised about 18 inches above the common level of the nave, and under the chancel is a brick vault in which the bodies of the Mercer women have been placed. Records show that 118 slaved were baptized in the church in 1842. By 1854, the parish was unoccupied. Today, the church rests on private property and is accessible by private appointment only. It is also open for public tours twice a year, in March and October. Fortunately, after inquiring about St. Mary's Episcopal Chapel, my wife and I were able to gain access through the aid of an intermediary at the Natchez Visitor Center. It took some time but it was worth the effort.
Written 18 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Climber27998132505
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Was really nice to see, would like to see it restored. Only available to see a couple of times a year. Single lane road to get to the chapel.
Written 1 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hunter M
Atlanta, GA2 contributions
Nov 2022
This place was beautiful, but I recently visited and the main live oak tree that was closest to the chapel was destroyed by a storm. After they cut it down the place doesn't look the same. The chapel is still nice to see but it's just not the same.
Written 13 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I know this church is on private land but do the owners have a website you can contact them to view the church, have a wedding there, or a photo shoot… Thanks
Written 18 October 2023
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing