NATCHEZ — One of Natchez’s finest ladies needs surgery, and a team of garden club members will see to it that she looks like herself again soon.

Magnolia Hall, built in 1858, is the last house of its kind finished before the beginning of the Civil War. With cracked chimneys, crumbling stucco, banged-up shutters and roof and gutter issues that have led to water damage, ladies of the Natchez Garden Club and Preservation Society of Ellicott Hill want to fix the problems without just covering them up.

So, the Natchez Garden Club’s capital initiative campaign to restore Magnolia Hall has taken off.

“Magnolia Hall is a major revenue source for Natchez,” said Leigh Dickey, chairman of publicity for the club. “We can’t make it look pretty without really fixing the problems.”

Dickey said applying quick, cosmetic fixes over water damage is like putting a Band-Aid on cancer.

“It take a lot of money to keep up maintenance on a house,” Dickey said.

Dickey said Magnolia Hall is a vital piece of Natchez’s history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and exemplifies the height of the Greek revival architectural style in Natchez.

“This is not about the garden club,” Dickey said. “We want people to understand this is about history, Natchez and Mississippi. We don’t want to let it go.”

Magnolia Hall also houses a museum on the history of the house and costumes and queen’s gowns from the Historic Natchez Tableaux.

Dickey said there are countless stories about the history of Magnolia Hall, and one sticks out for her. She said the house was struck by a cannonball fired from the Union gunboat Essex during the Civil War. The cannonball splashed into a pot of hot soup and burned the cook.

Magnolia Hall has also served Natchez in ways besides a historical capacity. Dickey said the house was also a boarding house and was once Trinity Episcopal Day School.

Dickey said restoring Magnolia Hall, which is owned by the club, is a massive undertaking, but the campaign can make the project possible. A come-and-go open house from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday will inform guests of the three-phase restoration plan.

“We want to encourage everyone to come,” Dickey said. “The contractor will give a presentation of the phases, and we want people to come see what our plans are.”

Dickey’s mother, Jo Ann Herrington, is the newly elected president of the Natchez Garden Club. Herrington said phase one includes repair and replacement of the chimneys, roof and gutters. Phase two will fix the stucco and bricks on the exterior, and phase three will refurbish the porch and sidewalks.

Herrington said the final cost of the project is unknown, but phase one is estimated to cost $150,000. An anonymous donor has challenged the club to act quickly by matching donations in the month of June only.

When it comes to a project deadline, Herrington said she hopes the work will be finished in three years.

Even if locals cannot help financially, Dickey said spreading the word about the project is helpful, too.

“Come to the open house, see the plans and know what we’re doing,” Dickey said. “See the house, know the house and enjoy the experience.”