01/30/2026
When The Archaeological Conservancy bought Prospect Hill, the front and back of the house were literally falling down. It was owned by someone who no longer lived there or had the means to take care of it. For years, he had resisted offers from people wanting to buy it. In 2011, he finally decided to sell it to us. Our intent was to preserve the archaeology of the grounds and to find someone who appreciated its importance and was willing to buy what we owned and restore the home. While we never intended to restore the house, we knew something drastic had to be done or the house would reach the point of no return. We began raising money for a new roof to halt the water damage. With the help of a $50,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and generous contributions from individuals from all over the country, we raised $114,000 for a new roof that was completed in 2017. That pretty much saved it for a while. Since then, we’ve tried to maintain it as best we could. We’ve had archaeology done on the grounds but nothing more has been done to the house. Even with the new roof, the house was needing attention again.
So now, I have some exciting news! I’m so happy to announce that The Archaeological Conservancy has sold Prospect Hill to Windell Weeden of Natchez. Windell, Steve Cook, and their family have done incredible work restoring historic homes in the Natchez area, including Meadvilla in Washington. They plan to do a complete restoration so Prospect Hill will again be beautiful. They’ve already removed the temporary porch, shored up the front, begun working on the brick piers, and will soon deal with the box gutters. They have a long way to go but they know what they’re doing. They’re wonderful people and I couldn’t be happier to end my time as steward of Prospect Hill by handing it over to them. It’s a special place to so many people for so many reasons. I wish Ann Brown were here to see it but I’m sure somehow, she will know. I want to thank every person who contributed to saving Prospect Hill and every person who offered words of encouragement over the years. To know so many people cared for a place that had so much going against it kept me going when the task of saving it seemed impossible. I especially want to thank the experts at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Heritage Trust and the Historic Natchez Foundation. We were so lucky to always have them in our corner! I hope all descendants connected to Prospect Hill will support Windell and Steve and will be proud of what Prospect Hill becomes. I know in my heart that Prospect Hill has been saved. Of course, now the real work begins for the new owners. Please remember it is private property and respect their privacy while they work. They promised me I’m welcome there any time and I will do my best to keep this page updated with photos and continue to post genealogical information as often as possible. Y’all, we did it!!
