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

Holly Springs, Mississippi Holly Springs is a city in, and the county seat of, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the southern border of Tennessee. Near the Mississippi Delta, the area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations and was dep ...

, USA.

Location

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

History

The two-storey mansion was built in 1858 for Judge Jeremiah W. Clapp. It was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style, with four

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

columns. The wrought-iron railings on the balconies were designed by the Jones, McElwain and Company Iron Foundry. Inside, the main hall is includes a large spiraling staircase. The dining-room, located behind the stairwell, is oval-shaped. At the outset of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

of 1861–1865, the owner, Judge Clapp, was elected to the

Congress of the Confederate States The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

. As a result, he was in the crosshairs of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. When they ransacked the house, Clapp hid in the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

of one of the Corinthian columns. The house was then occupied by Union General

Andrew Jackson Smith Andrew Jackson Smith (April 28, 1815January 30, 1897) was a United States Army general during the American Civil War, rising to the command of a corps. He was most noted for his victory over Confederate General Stephen D. Lee at the Battle of Tu ...

. It was liberated by Confederate General

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict. A g ...

in 1862. In 1870, the mansion was acquired by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

General Absolom M. West, who served in the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol ...

Architectural significance

As a contributing property to the East Holly Springs Historic District, it has been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

since April 20, 1983.

References

Greek Revival houses in Mississippi Antebellum architecture Buildings and structures in Holly Springs, Mississippi Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Houses completed in 1858 National Register of Historic Places in Marshall County, Mississippi Historic district contributing properties in Mississippi {{Mississippi-stub