Historic Natchez Foundation’s 50th anniversary: Edelweiss

Published 4:47 pm Thursday, September 26, 2024

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Located on South Broadway Street, Edelweiss is Mississippi’s premier example of the Swiss Chalet style of architecture and the most picturesque of the Victorian houses built in Natchez during the post-Civil War period. Built in 1883, the design of the house was probably inspired by a drawing (page 171) in an 1875 pattern book entitled Illustrated Homes by E. C. Gardner. The house was built as the residence of Joseph O’Brien, a dealer in Pittsburgh coal on the Natchez waterfront. Edelweiss deteriorated during the first half of the twentieth century and was converted to apartments. The house was rescued by Margaret and Theo Wesley in the mid-twentieth century and was purchased and further restored in 2008 by bestselling author Greg Iles of Natchez. The Historic Natchez Foundation completed the historic tax credit application for the project. These pictures are part of a series of before and after photographs that will run in The Natchez Democrat every Wednesday during 2024 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Historic Natchez Foundation.

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