The History Behind The Dixon Building
History of The Dixon
Built by Robert Smith Dixon beginning in 1868, The Dixon exemplifies the best in classic postbellum Natchez architecture.
Continuously operated by the Dixon family until 1975, The Dixon housed generations of proprietors in the same location on 514 Main Street. Beginning in 1874, Dixon and Houghton moved their business to The Dixon. The Natchez Weekly Democrat described the location as “an elegant establishment”.
Throughout the decades, the services undertaken in The Dixon included “house, sign, and ornamental painters; imitators of woods and marbles; gilders; glaziers; paper hangers; and wall colorers.” The firm’s records provided the single most important written source for studying the interior decoration of the city’s nineteenth-century buildings.
From the 1920’s to the 1950’s, Dixon’s evolved into a gift shop, specializing in china, silver, crystal and gifts, as reflected in the wall mural on Locust Alley from the 1960’s and recently restored.
Over the last 150 years, the businesses under The Dixon roof operated under many different names: “R.S. Dixon” “Dixon Bros.”
“J. Foggo Dixon’s” “Dixon’s” and, more recently, “Dixon Loft” and “Dixon Books”.
Empty since the 1970’s, Brad and Dorie LeMay undertook an extensive renovation in 2018 to bring The Dixon back to life.
In April 2022, the present owners of The Dixon unveiled Dixon Loft, an elegant, luxury accommodation upstairs. Building on that success, in October 2025 they launched Dixon Books, ensuring that this cherished address continues its vibrant legacy as a hub of culture and community.