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
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
The home in 2014
Location	330 Salem Avenue, Holly Springs, Mississippi, U.S.
Coordinates	34°46′20.02″N 89°26′27.8″W
Built	1858
Architectural style	Greek Revival
Part of	East Holly Springs Historic District (ID83000960)
Added to NRHP	April 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.