Natchez On-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District, National Register Historic District in Natchez, United States.
Natchez On-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District is a historic area in Mississippi on elevated terrain roughly 200 feet (60 meters) above the Mississippi River with many residential and commercial buildings from different periods. The streets contain structures dating from the early 1800s through the late 1900s.
The area became important in 1799 when Andrew Marschalk opened the first printing office in Mississippi and produced the territory's first published book. This made the city an early center for printing and information in the American Southwest.
The district's name comes from its siting on the loess bluffs above the Mississippi River. Its streets hold Greek Revival landmarks such as Rosalie and Stanton Hall, plus the 1858 Magnolia Hall and the 1882 St. Mary's Cathedral. Glen Auburn, built around 1875 by Christian Schwartz, is cited as Mississippi's best Second Empire house.
Visitors can walk through the area and view the historic buildings from outside, with many sights found along the streets. Local organizations offer guided tours that explain more about the architecture and stories behind it.
Andrew Marschalk's printing office in the district produced the first book printed in Mississippi in 1799. The same district also holds the state's first bank and the traditional site of the earliest Sunday school south of Philadelphia, held at a Methodist church.
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