NATCHEZ — Much of the history of Adams County can be found by simply taking an elevator ride at the Historic Natchez Foundation.

Many local residents got a peek at that history Thursday evening when the foundation opened the “catacombs” located in the basement of the old Institute Building for the first time to the public at the foundation’s 40th birthday celebration.

The basement houses Adams County records dating back to the 18th century. The foundation began renovating the basement in 2003, first installing an elevator to make it handicap-accessible and pouring concrete floors, HNF Executive Director Mimi Miller said.

The foundation recently received $134,000 from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History that will be used to install a fire-suppression system to protect the records.

The foundation has partnered with the National Park Service, which will store artifacts from the Natchez National Historical Park and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Natchez National Historical Park Superintendent Kathleen Jenkins said the partnership with the foundation will ensure the park’s artifacts are protected, easily accessible and will allow the park to move the storage building that is in the middle of the historical landscape at Melrose.

“This is a wonderful partnership to have,” she said. “Most superintendents would kill for this kind of partnership.”

The basement restoration is part of the foundation’s long-term plans to renovate the building to house museum and exhibit space on the first floor, offices on the second floor and storage on the basement floor.

The basement is armed with a security system to protect the records, which can be accessed by researchers with the help of HNF staff.

David Dreyer said he has used the records housed in the basement for genealogy and other research for the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture Museum.

“These records are invaluable,” Dreyer said, looking around at the stacks of records books on the basement shelves. “It’s so important that they are protected.”

Miller said many people may be skeptical about the plans the foundation has for the building.

“For some people, they may think this is the impossible dream, but we’ve inched along little by little, and we will continue to do that,” she said.

Foundation supporters also toasted the foundation’s 40th birthday and honored members with preservation awards Thursday evening.

The foundation honored Jan and Dan Shiells for their restoration of The Jackson House on North Union Street and Dr. William and Gay Austin for their work on the Pritchartt House on Clifton Avenue with the George and Ethel Kelly Restoration Award.

The Mary Postlethwaite History Award went to Stanley Nelson of The Concordia Sentinel.

Adrian Bernotti, William K. Lee and Ralph Vicero were recognized as volunteers of the year.