NATCHEZ — Change is inevitable — even in Natchez.

And lately one of Natchez’s most unchanging institutions has been seeing what many agree is a highly unusual amount of change.

On July 2 Jim Coy unexpectedly resigned from his position as director of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours.

Coy’s wife, Ruthie, also unexpectedly resigned from her position as President of Pilgrimage Garden Club.

And just before the Coy’s disassociated themselves with the garden club community several new properties were added to, and removed, from the roster of homes to be toured during Fall and Spring Pilgrimage.

Interim director of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours Marsha Colson said this amount of change in such a short perioud of time is anything but normal.

“It’s highly unusual,” she said. “Any change can be stressful.”

But while Colson said change has the potential to cause stress in the home tours community, things are going smoothly.

“We’re doing well,” she said.

New houses on the Fall Pilgrimage will include the Stone House, Oak Hill, Rip Rap, Pleasant Hill and Texada.

For the Spring Tour, The Elms, Texada, The Burn, The Governor Holmes House and Airlie have been added to the lineup.

The Natchez Pilgrimage Homeowners Association decides which houses are put on, and taken off, of the fall and spring lineup.

Acting President of the homeowners association Anne MacNeil said all of the new additions have their own unique offerings.

“Each one is special,” she said.

While MacNeil also acknowledged the unusual aspect of all the recent changes, she said the new lineup of homes on tour would strengthen the tours.

And the new lineup runs the really runs the gambit.

Some have not been on tour for years, some will pull double duty on fall and spring tour and some are on tour after newly completed renovations.

MacNeil said houses removed from the tour like Monmouth and Bontura, were removed at the request of the homeowners.

The Governor Holmes House, owned by Michael and Eugenie Cates, will be on both the fall and spring tour for the first time since the mid 1970s.

“It’s going to be challenging to keep it tidy all the time,” Eugenie said, since her family lives in the house. “But we’re happy to be selected.”

Colson, like MacNeil, said the new houses on tour like the Holmes House should serve as an attracting factor for Pilgrimage Tours.

“It’s going to be good,” she said of the upcoming seasons.