Mount Locust on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Located at Mile Post 15 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, Mount Locust is the only remaining stand on the Natchez Trace. Stands, which are crude inns, were set up about twenty miles apart, the distance a typical traveler on foot could cover in a day. Mount Locust was the first stand that travelers came to on their journey back to Nashville. Today the house is open to Parkway visitors, and volunteers are on hand to show you around and to answer any questions.

A Visitor Center is also at this stop, so if you are coming from Natchez, Mississippi, this is your first opportunity to get information about the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is open year-round, Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Inside the Visitor Center is an information desk staffed by knowledgeable park volunteers, four large maps of the Parkway, and a small souvenir and book store. Restrooms are located on the outside of the building. Be sure to pick up a Natchez Trace Parkway brochure, which includes a map and a list of every stop on the Parkway. A brochure specific to Mount Locust is also available. The Visitor Center building is next to the parking area, so it is best to stop here first, then proceed up a short path to Mount Locust.

Mount Locust Visitor Center

Mount Locust was a plantation farm started by John Blommart in 1780, a time when the area was still under Spanish control. Blommart was jailed after leading a failed rebellion against Spanish rule, and his property was subsequently sold to William and Pauline Ferguson. In 1785, with the number of boatmen coming through the area increasing each year, the Fergusons decided to supplement their farming income by turning their home into a stand. Guests could sleep on the porch or on the grounds and received a meal of corn mush and milk, which was standard for the time. The going rate was 25¢ a night. Business soon outgrew the original house, so the Ferguson’s built a four-room annex known as Sleepy Hollow (this no longer exists).

Once steamboats put an end to foot travel along the Natchez Trace, Pauline, now married to James Chamberlin after the death of William in 1801, promoted the inn as a rural retreat for Natchez residents. The inn continued in operation until 1842. Pauline died in 1849. Five generations of Chamberlains lived at Mount Locust. The last Chamberlain to reside at the home (1944) went on to become the first Park Ranger for the Natchez area parks. The home sat empty until the National Park Service purchased it in 1954 and restored it to its 1820 appearance.