The corner of South Union and Main Streets is home to a fire station, but at one time it was the location for one of the largest and most beautiful postbellum houses in Natchez.
The house was the home of George T. Payne, whose business acumen saw him through the Civil War while remaining of the wealthiest men in town, seemingly untouched by the poverty that struck so many during that troubled time.
George T. Payne, 15 years old, left Ireland for the United States of America around 1847 during the middle of the Irish famine. In 1850 George was living in Natchez, Mississippi, working as a clerk in a merchant store belonging to a French man with the surname Perrault.
In 1853 George applied for American citizenship, which was granted to him in 1854. In 1859 George bought Mr. Perrault's merchant store, and continued to expand it, dealing in cotton buying and selling as well.
By the time of the American civil war, George had bought two other businesses in the area, paying for them with Confederate States of America currency.
Although Natchez, Mississippi was taken by Union forces in 1863, the main City of Natchez was spared any destruction.
George T. Payne was also a “factor” for Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America. A factor was like an overseer or manager of an estate.
George was very great businessman, and within a few years he was a multimillionaire.
In 1873, he built his mansion in the city, and it was one of the first big houses built in the area postbellum. George’s nephew, Richard Thompson, (George’s sister's son), was the head manager of the business from the 1880’s onward, along with Mr W.J.Forster.
In the 1880 USA census, George had his two sisters living with him Lettidia (42) d.1918 and Maria (29) d.1904 (neither sister married), and also two nieces Jane (1) and Emma (12). Richard Thompson married Emma in later years, but she died at the very young age of only twenty.
George gave a lot of money to local charities in Natchez, for the building of schools, etc. for both black and white communities; George also gave large amounts of money to charities that were providing help to his home country of Ireland after the famine.
George T. Payne died in 1891, and is buried in Catholic Hill Cemetery, in Natchez. George never married, and his property was split between his two sisters Lettidia and Maria, and also his three niece’s Miss Lottie E. Payne, Miss Jennie G. Payne (married N.L. Ringo from Monroe Louisiana), and Miss Katie Payne (married Anthony Mulligan from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
*Thanks to Mr. Adrian Payne of Ireland for the history of his Natchez ancestor
*Thanks to Mr. Adrian Payne of Ireland for the history of his Natchez ancestor
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