Oakleigh (Holly Springs, Mississippi)

Oakleigh (a.k.a. Fant-Clapp House, Athenia, or West Home) is a historic mansion in Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA.

Oakleigh
The home in 2014
Location330 Salem Avenue, Holly Springs, Mississippi, U.S.
Coordinates34°46′20.02″N 89°26′27.8″W
Built1858
Architectural styleGreek Revival
Part ofEast Holly Springs Historic District (ID83000960)
Added to NRHPApril 20, 1983

Location

The house is located at 506 Salem Avenue in Holly Springs, a small town in Marshall County, Northern Mississippi.[1][2]

History

The two-storey mansion was built in 1858 for Judge Jeremiah W. Clapp.[2][3][4] It was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style,[2][3] with four Corinthian columns.[4] The wrought-iron railings on the balconies were designed by the Jones, McElwain and Company Iron Foundry.[4] Inside, the main hall is includes a large spiraling staircase. The dining-room, located behind the stairwell, is oval-shaped.[1][4]

At the outset of the American Civil War of 1861-1865, the owner, Judge Clapp, was elected to the Congress of the Confederate States.[5] As a result, he was in the crosshairs of the Union Army.[5] When they ransacked the house, Clapp hid in the capital of one of the Corinthian columns.[5] The house was then occupied by Union General Andrew Jackson Smith.[5] It was liberated by Confederate General Earl Van Dorn in 1862.[5]

In 1870, the mansion was acquired by Confederate General Absolom M. West, who served in the Mississippi State Senate.[4][5]

Architectural significance

As a contributing property to the East Holly Springs Historic District,[2][3] it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 20, 1983.[6]

References
  1. Kempe, Helen Kerr (1977). The Pelican Guide to Old Homes of Mississippi: Columbus and the North. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 93.
  2. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form: East Holly Springs Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  3. ""Athenia" ("Oakleigh") (Clapp-Fant House)". Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  4. Kempe, Helen Kerr (1998). Marshall County: From the Collection of Chesley Thorne Smith. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 32.
  5. Deupree, N.D. (1903). "Some Historic Homes of Mississippi". Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society. Mississippi Historical Society. VII: 340–342.
  6. "East Holly Springs Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved September 12, 2015.


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