Lyman Harding (1772-1820)
of "Auburn" Natchez; 1st Attorney General of Mississippi
He grew up in Massachusetts and was appointed the first Attorney-General of Mississippi Territory under the administration of John Adams and his governor Winthrop Sargent, for whom he named his son. He was an old and trusted army friend of Aaron Burr and served as Burr's defense counsel after some frontier adventurism saw him tried for treason. He made a fortune through investing significantly in cotton and became a director of the Bank of Mississippi. In 1811, he built the core of "Auburn" (see images) designed to be the "most magnificent building in the state." The house was the first in Natchez to follow an established architectural plan and has influenced the design of numerous similar houses across the South. He was married twice and had one son.
