NATCHEZ — The Natchez organization dedicated to preserving the past stepped into the future with a new website this week.

The Historic Natchez Foundation unveiled its newly redesigned natchez.org site last weekend.

“We really needed a better presence online,” HNF Executive Director Carter Burns said Tuesday. “The new site will help us reach a broader audience.”

The site will also provide more online information and resources about Natchez and historic preservation than ever before, Burns said.

The site includes a map of the city’s various historic districts, with comprehensive definitions and descriptions for each district.

The information has been widely available at the HNF headquarters on Commerce Street and is now available 24-hours-a-day online, Burns.

The website also makes available links to resources available through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the National Park Service.

Carter said residents might also be particularly interested in the site’s updated list of news and educational articles, including some never-before-seen photographs from the some of HNF’s collections of historical photographs.

“You can also become a member online,” Carter said.

Since the new site was unveiled, several people have already used the site to become a member and donate, Burns said.

The site also includes a section dedicated to the foundation’s properties that are available for redevelopment, including the Prentiss Club and the Ritz Theatre. Included is a link to photographs and historical descriptions of each property.

“We wanted a way to get a lot of information out to people,” Burns said.