NATCHEZ — The group that took over management of The Angeletty House a year ago has big plans for the coming year — plans to involve the community.

The house on St. Catherine Street has been in the care of the Southwest Mississippi Chapter of 100 Black Women since June 2006.

The chapter hopes to turn the building, built in 1850, owned by the prominent black Angeletty family and renovated in 1980, into a museum and forum for the community.

For 17 years, the building was home to the Mostly African Market, a market and art gallery, until the market closed in 2005.

Harris and her husband, Isiah, have taken up the role of caring for plants on the land surrounding the house. The building had its sign repainted last month.

“We’ll be open for tours Tuesday and Thursday afternoons” starting this month, she said. “We’ll have local artists that will come and display their work, and we’ll have authors come in for book signings and readings.”

The chapter will also start an after-school tutoring program for students.

In February, the house and the chapter will play host to a celebration of author Richard Wright’s 100th birthday.

Harris said the chapter is asking people to donate artifacts, too. Right now, the rooms are mostly empty, decorated with a few photographs of Natchez history, such as employees of the first taxi company and students.

Harris said she wants to fill the rooms with furniture and decorations to give a feeling of what it was like when the house was the Angelettys’ home.

Overall, the house is the community’s to use and share, she said. Any organization that wants to host an event there is welcome to, she said. She said she’d love for visitors to Fall Pilgrimage to drop by the house for a tour when it’s open.

“We just want to get people involved and use the building,” she said.