Cultural Inventory : Oxford Mississippi Convention & Visitors Bureau, Oxford, MS

Historic and Cultural Resources in the LOU Community: Lafayette Oxford University

HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IN OXFORD

COURTHOUSE SQUARE HISTORIC DISTRICT

National Register 1980
Architectural styles of the 46 buildings include late 19th and

20th -century revival, late Victorian, and art deco. Courthouse Square

has been the center of Oxford commerce and social life since the city

was founded in 1837. A Confederate monument faces South Lamar Avenue, as depicted in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. The Square remains the cultural and economic hub of Oxford. Its historical buildings (alphabetically arranged) include the following:

Downtown Grill (ca.1870)

110 Courthouse Square

This building was built on the site of early settler Dr. Thomas Isom's

original office to house his medical practice and drugstore. It is home

to a prominent restaurant since 1988.

Duvall’s (ca. 1900)

103 Courthouse Square

The location of First National Bank, founded in 1910 by Col. J. W. T.

Falkner, and used by William Faulkner as his fictional Sartoris Bank.

It housed Duvall’s, a women’s clothing store, for many years before

recently becoming a toy store.

The J. E. Neilson Co. (1897)

119 Courthouse Square

Founded in 1839 as a log cabin trading post north of the Square, the

present building was built in 1897 and expanded in 1970. Neilson’s

is the South’s oldest continuing department store. A history of the store can be found at http://www.neilsons1839.com.

Jennie’s Hallmark (ca. 1870)

114 Courthouse Square

Originally built as the city hall and federal court, the building’s side upstairs gallery is an example of the Square’s original look. It was the

location of Gavin Stevens’ law office in the film Intruder in the Dust, an adaptation of a William Faulkner story.

Lafayette County Courthouse (1871)

National Register 1977

The original courthouse, built in 1840, was destroyed in 1864 by Union

troops led by General Andrew Jackson Smith.

Oxford City Hall (1885-87)

107 Courthouse Square

Located on the northeast corner of the Square, city hall was Oxford's

first federal building. City government moved into the Romanesque Revival structure in 1975.

Skipwith Cottage (1876)

Next door to City Hall is the Skipwith Cottage. This frame

outbuilding was moved from the Skipwith property to the Square in

1974 when the main house was demolished and the University

Museum was built on its grounds. The Cottage serves as a tourist

information center on the weekends.

Square Books (ca. 1866)

160 Courthouse Square

This independent bookstore, located in the old Blaylock Drug Store,

opened September 14, 1979. The original corner bookstore, along

with Off Square Books for bargain books and Square Books Jr. for children, offer the Square weekly opportunities to meet authors and to enjoy Thacker Mountain Radio, a live weekly broadcast during the fall and spring semesters that features authors and musicians. Check the store website for a calendar of events: http://www.squarebooks.com

Thompson House (ca. 1870)

100 Courthouse Square

Construction began on Oxford’s first hotel around 1866. It was an elaborate three-story hotel for over 100 years and later a boarding house. Law offices and a private residence now occupy it.

Additional restaurants, clothing stores, and specialty shops, along with banks, business offices, and an art gallery occupy other architecturally interesting buildings on the Square constructed between 1875 and 1920.

Freeland Law Office (1870)

1013 Jackson Avenue

Just off the Square, this is said to be one of the oldest continuing law office structures in Mississippi. Once the office of Phil Stone, an early admirer of Faulkner's writing who encouraged him to pursue his craft, it is now the office for the law firm Freeland & Freeland.

HISTORICAL BUILDINGS ON THE

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI CAMPUS

Barnard Observatory (ca.1857-1859)

National Register 1978

Location: Corner of Grove Loop and Student Union Drive After visiting the observatory at Harvard, Chancellor Barnard designed the plans for this observatory, which would house his collection of physics instruments and a new telescope deliberately built to be four inches larger than the one at Harvard. Due to the Civil War, the telescope was never delivered to Oxford. The east wing became the residence for the professor of physics and astronomy, and the west and middle sections were classrooms and laboratories. Barnard Observatory is now home for the Center for the Study of Southern

Culture.

Lyceum (1848)

Location: Circle Loop

Designed in the Ionic Greek Revival style famous for its fluted columns, the oldest building at the University of Mississippi housed most of the classrooms and faculty offices in 1848. Today the Lyceum is the principal administrative center. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War for both Union and Confederate soldiers.

It was the site of rioting during the desegregation crisis in 1962 centered on the admission of James Meredith. In October 2006, a Civil Rights Monument, including a statue of Meredith, was dedicated in a grassy area between the Lyceum and the J.D.Williams Library.

Memory House (ca. 1855)

Location: 406 University Avenue

This was the home of John (William Faulkner’s brother) and Lucille Ramey Falkner. The first community Christmas tree was erected in the parlor in 1865. The original Greek Revival portico was replaced with a Victorian facade in the 1880s. It is now the home of The University of Mississippi Foundation.

Oxford Depot (1872)

Location: Between the Gertrude C. Ford Center and West Jackson Avenue

The University of Mississippi purchased the dilapidated depot in 1983 and in 1992 successfully lobbied to have it declared a Mississippi Landmark. With a grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation and matching funds from the University Foundation, the depot was restored and adapted to modern use in the fall of 2003 as a multipurpose facility. Space for groups of up to 60 people allows for meetings, lectures, and other events. The Oxford Depot is once again a place where students, locals, and visitors gather on a daily basis. Past and present photos can be seen at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/general_library/files/archives/depot/.

Rowan Oak (1848)

National Historic Landmark and National Register 1968

Location: Old Taylor Road

Open for Tours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

and Sunday 1 - 4 p.m.

Built for pioneer settler Robert Sheegog, Rowan Oak was home to Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner from 1930 until his death in 1962. Faulkner christened the house “Rowan Oak” after the legend of the rowan tree, believed by Celtic people to harbor magical powers

of safety and protection. While residing there with his family, he wrote such masterpieces as Absalom! Absalom!, Light in August, and A Fable. The house is now owned and maintained by the University of Mississippi for memorial and educational purposes. Call 662-234-3284

for more information check http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/u_museum.

University Museum

Location: SE corner of 5th Street and University

Avenue

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

and Sunday 1- 4 p.m.

First endowed by the estate of sisters Mary Buie and Kate Skipwith and conveyed by the City of Oxford to the University in 1971, the complex contains the Mary Buie Museum (1939) and the Kate Skipwith Teaching Museum (1975). At the rear, a walking trail leads through Bailey's Woods to Rowan Oak, home of William Faulkner. The Millington and Barnard Collection of Scientific Instruments, the David M. Robinson Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, and Southern Folk Art including works by Oxonian Theora Hamblett are the principal collections. Museum closed university holidays. Call 662-915-7073 or

check http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/u_museum.

Ventress Hall (1889)

Location: Entrance to the Circle

This beautiful Victorian structure served as the library from 1889 to 1911, as home for the Law School until 1929, and thereafter for a variety of purposes. In 1985, the building was named for James Alexander Ventress, who is listed as the first trustee in the University of Mississippi's Charter and was designated in 1938 as the "Father of the University of Mississippi."
In 1993 the State Legislature appropriated funds for the restoration of the building, which became home for the College of Liberal Arts in 1997. A significant feature is the original Tiffany stained glass window

that honors the University Greys, a company comprised of Ole Miss students that suffered 100 percent casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Walton-Young House (1880)

Location: SW corner of 5th Street and University Avenue

Open for Tours: Fridays 10 a.m. – 12 noon

and 2 – 4 p.m.

The Walton-Young House, a registered Mississippi Landmark, is a typical middle-class home of the Victorian era. Horace H. Walton, who owned a hardware store on the Square, lived here with family. After his death in 1891, his wife Lydia began boarding university

students upstairs. She later remarried a country physician widower, Alfred A. Young, whose son Stark Young became a well-known ovelist, playwright, and critic. The University bought the house in 1974 from First Presbyterian Church, which had used the house as a parsonage

since 1925. Confirm hours at 662-915-7073. More details at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/u_museum.

The Chapel (“Y” Building) (1853)

Location: Circle Loop

This is one of three remaining antebellum structures on campus. Designed by M. J. McGuire to accommodate 2,000 people, the three-story high building has seen many uses. It currently houses the Croft Institute for International Studies.

HISTORICAL HOMES IN OXFORD

Ammadelle (ca.1859)

National Historic Landmark and National Register 1974

637 North Lamar

Designed by well-known architect Calvert Vaux and begun by Thomas Pegues in 1859, this exceptional Italianate villa retains its landscaped seven acres and unique cast-iron fence. It is an excellent model for the Benbow house in William Faulkner’s Sartoris. The house was featured prominently in the 1960 MGM movie Home from the Hill. Private residence.

Carter Residence (ca. 1842)

1005 Fillmore Avenue

Records indicate that the land was patented to the Chickasaw man, E Ah Nah Yea. It served as a stagecoach stop and post office and later as an adjunct classroom for nearby Union Female College. Private residence.

Cedar Oaks (ca. 1859)

601 Murray Drive

This Greek Revival home, designed and built by William Turner for his own family, was used as headquarters for General McPherson during Grant’s occupation of Oxford in 1862. Molly Turner Orr gathered a fire brigade to save the home in 1864 after being set aflame by occupying Union troops. Nearly a century later, Cedar Oaks was moved 2.2 miles from its original location when it was threatened with demolition by an incoming Holiday Inn. The house is maintained by Oxford-Lafayette

Historic Homes, Inc. and is available for meetings, receptions, weddings, and prearranged tours. Call 662-234-1532 for more

information.

Eades-Thompson House (ca. 1858)

1106 South Lamar

This home was built by Buck Spencer for James Eades,who later sold it for $6,000, an enormous sum in those days. Private residence.

Elma Meek House (1878)

803 University Avenue

In 1896, Elma Meek, a student at the university and daughter of the home’s owner, submitted the name “Ole Miss” in a contest to name the yearbook. This soon became the affectionate name for the University of Mississippi. William Faulkner and his wife lived in this neoclassical home for a short while after their marriage in 1929. Private residence.

Falkner, J.W.T., Jr. House (1902)

706 South Lamar

This Queen Anne structure was home to Judge John W.T. Falkner, Jr., uncle of William Faulkner.

Falkner, Maud Butler House (1932)

510 South Lamar

Home of Murry and Maud Butler Falkner, parents of William, it is the only remaining portion of the Col. J.W.T. Falkner estate. The original gate stone lies at the northeast corner of the property with the Falkner name inscribed, the N carved upside down. Private residence.

Fiddler’s Folly (1878)

520 North Lamar

In 1875, prominent attorney Charles Howry commissioned James Stewart to design this elegant Italianate house using pre-cut materials shipped by boat and assembled on site. It has been featured in books on Southern architecture. Private residence.

Gatekeeper’s Lodge (ca. 1847)

802 Old Taylor Road

Jacob Thompson, one of Oxford’s most influential and best-known citizens, built the original part of this house for his Scottish

indentured servant, McDonald, a landscape gardener who also designed the gardens of the home that would later become Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner. Thompson’s mansion was burned by Union troops, but the servant’s cottage was left intact. Private residence.

Goza Residence (ca. 1840)

1004 South 11th Street

The original house was probably a two-room farmhouse, its construction similar to that of “Lindfield.” The back rooms have twelve-inch-wide heart-pine plank flooring, twelve-foot high ceilings,

and square nails. The front rooms and porch were added to enlarge the house, probably in the early 1970’s. Private residence.

Howry-Wright-Purser Home (ca. 1858)

824 University Avenue

Judge James M. Howry built a small house and law office on this site in 1838. After prospering as a planter, he built this Greek Revival house in 1858 and died here in 1884. His son Charles lived here next and

connected his father’s law office to the house. Most of the fine old trees surrounding the home were felled by soldiers to use for campfires when Grant’s soldiers camped on the grounds during the Civil War. Private residence.

Isom Place (1843)

National Register 1980

1003 Jefferson Avenue

In 1847 Thomas Isom purchased this two-storied home that had risen from crude, double-pen log house origins. The University of Mississippi’s charter was signed in its dining room. General Ulysses

Grant placed officers in the house to protect it in 1862. Isom House is now owned by the University and houses the Barksdale Reading Institute.

Kennedy-Price-Shaw House (ca.1848)

1701 Jackson Avenue

This home was built by Dave Kennedy, an Oxford brickmaker, with 14-inch thick exterior walls and 10-inch-thick interior walls. Private residence.

L. Q. C. Lamar House (1870)

National Historic Landmark and National Register 1975

616 North 14th Street

A teacher and administrator at the University of Mississippi, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (1825-1893) lived in this home until 1888.

Lamar drafted Mississippi’s 1861 Ordinance of Secession, but he is best remembered for his 1874 eulogy of Massachusetts Senator

and former abolitionist Charles Sumner, which called for reconciliation between North and South. John F. Kennedy included Lamar in his book Profiles in Courage. One of the South’s most distinguished statesmen, Lamar died while still serving on the U.S. Supreme Court. The house was purchased by the Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation and will be restored with grant money from the Save America’s Treasures program. Later it will be opened as a house museum.

Lindfield (ca. 1837)

1215 South 11th Street

Believed to have been built by David Craig, brother of one of the three founders of Oxford, the home’s large center hall was originally an open gallery. Private residence.

Longstreet-Carter-Cobb House (ca.1865)

634 North Lamar

Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, second Chancellor of the University of Mississippi and father-in-law of statesman L.Q.C. Lamar, built this house as a one-story frame house with four columns in front. In 1910 the house was enlarged as had been originally planned by adding the second story, the large columned porch, and the red brick veneer. Private residence.

The Magnolias (ca. 1842)

1012 University Avenue

Believed to have been built by William H. Smither, this house was later bought by the Nabers family as a wedding gift for their daughter Jennie and was long known as the “Honeymoon Cottage.” In 1905, it was purchased by the widow Mary Pegues from one of Oxford’s oldest families and has remained in her family ever since. Private residence.

Neilson-Culley House (ca. 1857)

712 South 11th Street

Attributed to designer William Turner and built by W. S. Neilson, founder of Neilson’s Department Store on the Square, the home has entrances with columns and porticos on both the north and east sides. Architectural artifacts from Lafayette County's first courthouse are utilized in the house and yard. Private residence.

Roberts-Neilson House (ca.1870)

911 South Lamar

This home is believed to have been built for merchant Charles Roberts. It was designed with a mansard roof by a Swedish immigrant named G. M. Torgerson. Private residence.

Rowan Oak (ca. 1848)

National Historic Landmark and National Register 1968

Old Taylor Road

Open for Tours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

and Sunday 1- 4 p.m.

Attributed to designer William Turner and built for Robert Sheegog, Rowan Oak was home to Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner from 1930 until his death in 1962. Faulkner christened the house “Rowan Oak” after the legend of the rowan tree, believed by Celtic people to harbor magical powers of safety and protection. While residing there with his family, he wrote such masterpieces as Absalom! Absalom!, Light in August, and A Fable. The house is now owned and maintained by the University of Mississippi for memorial and

educational purposes. For more information, call 662-234-3284

or go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/u_museum.

Farmer Residence (ca. 1850s)

611 North Lamar

Because early land records cannot be found, local lore suggests that this house originally stood on property that is now Ammadelle. It was moved on rolling logs to its present location. Private residence.

Stowers-Longest House (ca. 1895)

1003 South Lamar

This house was built by the Stowers family on the southern half of the site of a home burned in 1864. It was later owned by Professor Christopher Longest and used in the film version of William Faulkner’s Intruder in the Dust. Private residence.

Theora Hamblett House (1872)

619 Van Buren

An example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, this home was designed and built by Swedish immigrant G. M. Torgerson, who designed numerous other homes in Oxford. In 1939, the house was purchased by Theora Hamblett (1895-1977), a self-taught artist who gained

national recognition as a primitive painter. Private residence.

Thompson-Chandler House (ca. 1859)

923 South 13th Street

John Martin, one of the three founders of Oxford, built a cottage here in 1838. After William Thompson purchased the property, he was building a Greek Revival mansion that was only half complete when war broke out. The Martin cottage was then attached to the unfinished rear of the house where it remained until being demolished in the late 20th century. While owned by the Chandlers (1877-1950),

the house became the model for the Compson place in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. Private residence.

Thompson-Elliott House (ca.1869)

910 Old Taylor Road

Two rooms from the original outbuildings of former Congressman Jacob Thompson’s 20-room mansion remained after it was destroyed by Federal troops in 1864. After the war, new construction included two large rooms joined to his former office. The Elliott family, who lived here 1913-1960, connected brick slave quarters to enlarge the house. Private residence.

Trigg-Doyle-Falkner House (ca. 1855)

910 Buchanan Street

This house is believed to have been built around 1855 by James G. Trigg, Oxford’s first “clothing only” merchant. In the 1870s, the Doyles added Victorian ornamentation. The house passed next to William Faulkner’s grandfather and then father. It remains much as it was when the famous author lived in it as a child. Private residence.

Williams Residence (ca. 1876)

535 North Lamar

The original part of this Victorian cottage was built by Samuel W. E. Pegues for his bride, Eliza Dobyns, on land inherited from his father, Alexander H. Pegues, one of Oxford's most prominent land owners. The present structure was completed in the late 1890s by Charles Myer,a local businessman. Private residence.

Yates House (1892)

1008 University Avenue

Built by Thomas Yates, owner of a livery stable and later a garage next door to what is now the Bottletree Bakery, this house stayed in the Yates family until 1980. It is now operated as a bed and breakfast called Puddin’ Place, which opened in April 1992.

HISTORIC CHURCHES

Antioch Primitive Baptist Church

South 15th Street

Organized in 1836, this congregation has been meeting in its current building since 1949.

Old Burns Church/Belfry Building

West Jackson Avenue

Oxford’s first African American church, organized by former slaves in 1869-70, was first called Sewell Chapel and renamed Burns Methodist Episcopal Church in 1900. An original wooden building was replaced in

1910 with this handsome brick structure when Jackson Avenue was called Depot Street. In 1973 the congregation moved to its new home on Molly Barr Road and Washington Avenue. New owners renamed the building the Belfry. Sometime later, author John Grisham purchased the building for use as his office. After his move to Virginia, Grisham donated it to the Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation with the stipulation that it be used as a cultural center

for the African American community. After needed restoration work, it will be developed as a museum and cultural center. Check http://www.oxfordheritage.org for more on the building’s history and renovation progress.

Nearby Burns Belfry: After the Civil War, many freedmen from Lafayette County moved into Oxford and settled in the area bounded by present Jackson Avenue, Price Street, the railroad, and 9th Street. Residents bought land, built houses, schools, and churches, and named their neighborhood Freedmen Town.

College Hill Presbyterian

National Register 1979

Highway 314 North out of Oxford, right on County Road 102

The congregation organized in 1836, and the church was finished in 1846. The Union army of General Sherman used the church for living quarters in 1862. William Faulkner and Estelle Oldham Franklin were

married here in 1929. For more information: 662-234-3399.

First Baptist

800 Van Buren Avenue

Organized on May 8, 1842, the church purchased the current site in 1881. The current building was dedicated in 1952. For more nformation: 662-234-3515.

First Presbyterian

924 Van Buren Avenue

Founded in 1837 by early settlers of Scottish descent, the church built its present structure in 1881 to replace the original 1847 frame building. For more information: 662-234-1757.

Hopewell Presbyterian

National Register 1999

2070 County Road 10

Established between 1839 and 1840 as Hopewell on Woodson Ridge, the original logstructure was accidentally burned after the Civil War.

The current building has been used as a chapel for Camp Hopewell since 1951.

Oxford-University United Methodist

University Avenue

Founded in 1836 as Oxford Methodist Episcopal Church, circuit rider William Craig served as its first pastor. The current site was purchased in 1936 with services beginning in 1937. For more information: 662-234-5278.

Oxford-University United Methodist Campground

2 miles east of Oxford

The first campground meeting was held in August 1870. The annual assembly continues to draw families back to its revival/reunion each year.

Sand Springs Presbyterian Church

National Register 1993

Junction of CR 354 and CR 399 in the Orwood Community

Organized in 1850, the congregation moved into its building in 1854, which has changed little since its beginning.

Second Baptist

611 Jackson Avenue

The Second Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1869 by the Reverend Ned Johnson. Its nucleus began with both Baptist and Methodist ex-slaves building a brush arbor at the lower edge of the “Old Pegues Estate.” For more information: 662-234-7868.

St. Peter’s Episcopal

National Register 1975

113 South 9th Street

The building was completed in time for Easter Sunday services 1860. It is the oldest religious structure in Oxford, having survived the burning of the town during the Civil War. In 1976 the state of Mississippi erected a historical marker to denote the church’s historical significance. For more information: 662-234-1269.

HISTORIC CEMETERIES

Saint Peter’s Cemetery (ca. 1871)

A few blocks northeast of the Square at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and North 16th Street, this old Oxford cemetery is nestled in the rolling hills of a quiet neighborhood. Saint Peter’s is the final resting place for novelist William Faulkner as well as many of Oxford’s most prominent citizens. L. Q. C. Lamar—a former U.S. Congressman, Secretary of the Interior under President Cleveland, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice—is buried here. Beside the circle of cedars

lies a Revolutionary War veteran, as well as a Confederate general.

Confederate Cemetery

Just to the south of the University of Mississippi’s Tad Smith Coliseum is a modest walled grassy area,with a single monument at the center. Here lie some 700 Confederate and Union dead from the battle of Shiloh in 1862. During the Civil War, the buildings of Ole Miss became hospitals for the wounded, with casualties also buried here.

College Hill Presbyterian Cemetery

Located about three miles northwest of Oxford (Hwy 314 North, right on CR 102), College Hill Church (1846) witnessed the marriage of William Faulkner and Estelle Oldham Franklin in 1929.

In 1862, the Union army of General Sherman invaded the community and used the church for living quarters. In 1864, his troops camped near the church. Union soldiers are buried behind the main cemetery, near or in the Buford Plantation's slave cemetery. Wooden crosses mark most of the slave graves after the cemetery was recently restored.

Lafayette County Cemeteries

An extensive record of all known cemeteries in Lafayette County can be accessed in the Skipwith Historical and Genealogical Society room in the Lafayette County-Oxford Public Library. Call for times the

room is open at 662-234-5751.

CULTURAL EVENTS

Blues Today Symposium

Sponsors: Living Blues Magazine, Center for the Study of

Southern Culture

http://www.livingblues.com or 800-390-3527

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south or 662-915-5993

Every year in February

The blues symposium attracts scholars and fans from all over the world and features panels, roundtable discussions, live concerts, interviews with musicians, and jam sessions for the participants.

Double Decker Arts Festival

Sponsor: Oxford Tourism Council

http://www.doubledeckerfestival.com or 800-758-9177

Last Saturday in April

This annual festival celebrates music, arts, and food on the historic Courthouse Square. National music acts, regional artists, and local food vendors come together each year, along with over 50,000 fans of music and the arts. During the Double Decker Festival, Oxford’s double-decker bus, from the city’s namesake in England, provides tours around Oxford. The bus is also available for sight-seeing groups on a per-hour basis.

Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference

Sponsors: Department of English and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south or 662-915-5993

Every year in late July

For more than 30 years, the University of Mississippi hosts an annual week-long conference devoted to the study and appreciation of William Faulkner. Scholars, students, and Faulkner fans from around the world converge on Faulkner's hometown to better understand both the Nobel Prize-winning author’s writings and the world in which he lived.

Music of the South Symposium

Sponsors: Center for the Study of Southern Culture and Division of Outreach and Continuing Education, both at the University of Mississippi

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south or 662-915-5993

Every year in September

This annual weekend event explores the origins and influence of Southern music. Scholars, professionals, and music enthusiasts gather to discuss and listen to the music of the South, past and present.

Oxford Conference for the Book

Sponsor: Center for the Study of Southern Culture

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south or 662-915-5993

Every year in March or April

Since 1993, this event celebrates books, writing, and reading, while also delving into the practical concerns on which the literary arts and the humanities depend. Notable authors, editors, and publishers join

together with educators, literacy advocates, and book lovers on the Ole Miss campus toparticipate in or listen to panel discussions, addresses, and readings. Each year the conference is dedicated to a different author.

Oxford Film Festival

Sponsor: Yoknapatawpha Arts Council

http://www.oxfordfilmfest.com or 662-236-6429

Dates vary. Next festival is February 7-10, 2008.

This celebration of the art of filmmaking accepts over ninety films from across the country and around the world. Categories for competition include Feature, Short, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, Youth,

and Music Video. The festival also features workshops and panels moderated by industry leaders, allowing for interactions with some of the directors.

Piano Series at Ole Miss

Sponsor: University of Mississippi Department of Music with community support

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/music/piano.html

or 662-915-7268

Several times each semester, a renowned pianist performs at Ole Miss.

Porter L. Fortune, Jr. History Symposium

Sponsors: Department of History and Center for the Study of Southern Culture

http://olemiss.edu/depts/history/symposium/Events_Symposium.htm

or 662-915-7148

Every year in October

This annual conference on southern history began in 1975. In 1983, it was named for Porter L. Fortune, Jr., chancellor emeritus, to honor his

contributions to the success of the symposium. Past events have examined topics such as the southern political tradition, childhood, religion, and the role of gender in shaping public power. It is a three-day event that is free of charge to the general public.

Summer Sunset Series

Sponsors: Lafayette County (L), Oxford (O), and the University of Mississippi (U)

http://www.olemiss.edu/sunsetseries/ or 800-758-9177

Every Sunday in June

The LOU Summer Sunset Series offers free Sunday evening concerts during June in the beautiful Ole Miss Grove. Performances include jazz, big band, blues, gospel, symphony, and more. Other annual

events associated with the Summer Sunset Series are the Oxford Shakespeare Festival and the community Fourth of July celebration.

Summer Writers’ Workshop

Sponsors: Department of English and Center for the Study of Southern Culture

http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/summer/yokna_writers/

or 662-915-5814

Every year in June

This three-day event taught by faculty in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program is designed to give poets and fiction writers

experience in the art of creative writing. The workshop features writing practice and critiques, as well as readings, panels, and talks

on the craft. There are panel discussions, book signings, readings, and Southern catfish at its finest.

HERITAGE RESOURCES

Blues Archive

Location: J.D. Williams Library, Department of Archives and Special Collections

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/general_library/files/archives

or 662-915-7753

Open: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Established in 1984, the Blues Archive at the University of Mississippi acquires and conserves blues and blues-related materials in a variety of formats for use by scholars of the blues, African American studies, and Southern culture. It consists of more than 50,000 sound recordings, (in most audio formats), 15,000 photographs, 350 videotapes, and 3,000 books, periodicals, and newsletters, in addition to numerous manuscripts and ephemera. It is undoubtedly one of the largest collections of blues recordings, publications, and memorabilia

in the world. The noncirculating collection includes B. B. King’s personal collection. The Blues Archive is open to the general public to view rotating exhibits and listen to historic recordings.

Center for the Study of Southern Culture

Location: Barnard Observatory on the Grove Loop

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/ or 662-915-5993

Open when classes are in session.

This prestigious center promotes research and educational pursuits by publishing books and sponsoring conferences and other events throughout the year. The Gammill Gallery displays ongoing photographic exhibits.

John Davis Williams Library Special Collections

Location: Third floor of the J.D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/generallibrary/files/archives/index.html

or 662-915-7408

Open: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The John Davis Williams Library’s Department of Archives and Special Collections, located on the third floor of the Williams Library, houses important collections of Mississippiana. Since 1975, its primary urpose has been to acquire, conserve, and make accessible rare Books, manuscripts, maps, visual and audio materials, and ephemera related to the University of Mississippi and the state of Mississippi.

Lafayette County-Oxford Public Library

Location: 401 Bramlett Blvd.

http://www.first.lib.ms.us/page10.html or 662-234-5751

Open: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.,

Friday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

and Sunday 2 - 5 p.m.

The library’s Mississippi Room contains many first editions and works by local authors. An impressive art collection, which includes the work of primitive painter Theora Hamblett and other local artists,

is housed here, as well as a photography collection of old Oxford.

Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation
http://www.oxfordheritage.org/history.asp

The OLCHF is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and stewardship of the Oxford-Lafayette County historic environment, both natural and manmade. This environment includes historic and important buildings, cemeteries, personal property, and other culturally significant sites and byways.

Since its founding in 1996, the OLCHF has undertaken the preservation of several buildings: the old College Hill store, an authentic country store that was featured in the film adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel Intruder in the Dust; the Oxford Depot, which was used as a railroad depot until 1941; Burns Church, founded by slaves and their descendants as one of Oxford’s first African American congregations; and the antebellum home of Mississippi’s famous statesman L. Q. C. Lamar. They have also erected several markers to identify sites of historical significance, including the home of primitive artist Theora Hamblett, the Hilgard Cut for the railroad, and the

burial site of Cherokee Indian Chief Toby Tubby. In addition, OLCHF was instrumental in the designationof the first historical district in Oxford and is working with the Oxford Preservation Commission to establish other historic districts.

Skipwith Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.

The extensive Skipwith Collection of books, periodicals, and legal and church records is housed in the Kerin Coffey-Magnovitz Roomin the Lafayette County-Oxford Public Library at 401 Bramlett Blvd. Call 662-234-5751 for special hours.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts

Location: University Avenue and Old Taylor Road

http://www.olemiss.edu/fordcenter or 662-915-2787

Completed in December 2002, this state-of-the-art facility serves the University of Mississippi’s performing arts needs and fulfills its commitment to cultural enrichment and outreach service. Standing six stories tall, the Ford Center seats 1,200 in its regal main hall.

Check the website for current events, tickets, and tour information.

Powerhouse Community Arts and Cultural Center

Location: 2 blocks from Courthouse Square on South 14th

Street and University Avenue

http://www.oxfordarts.com or 662-236-6429

Opened in 2006, this renovated Depression-era, former Oxford Electric Department building is headquarters for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and offers a 160-seat theater, exhibit space, studio space, classrooms, and meeting space. Check thewebsite for scheduled events. Established in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) is the official arts agency for the City of Oxford and

Lafayette County.

Southern Foodways Alliance

Location: Center for the Study of Southern Culture

http://www.southernfoodways.com or 662-915-5993

Each year in October the Southern Foodways Symposium seeks to celebrate, preserve, promote,and nurture the traditional and developing diverse food cultures of the American South by bringing together scholars, cooks, students, and food enthusiasts for a

weekend of discussion panels, addresses, and plenty of meals, centered on the University of Mississippi campus. The Alliance also sponsors events at other times of the year, as listed on their website.

Additional Web Sites of Interest

Oxford Tourism Council: http://www.oxfordcvb.com

Oxford Chamber of Commerce: http://www.oxfordms.com

Natchez Trace Parkway: http://www.nps.gov/natr/

National Register of Historic Places for Lafayette County http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MS/Lafayette/state

The University of Mississippi: http://www.olemiss.edu

Heritage Tourism Plan for Oxford, Mississippi

2007-2009