The John Ford Home (also known as Ford Stockade or Ford's Fort) is a historic landmark located in

Marion County, Mississippi Marion County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,441. Its county seat is Columbia, Mississippi, Columbia. Marion County is named ...

, approximately 20 miles south of the city of Columbia, near the community of

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern en ...

. Built in 1809 by an early settler of the area, Reverend

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

, the home is recognized by the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as an example of an "elevated frontier-style" structure that was common at the time in the

Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

along the

Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...

. The home is currently preserved by the Marion County Historical Society, and is available for public view.

History

Reverend John Ford, an early settler of

, built an elevated frontier-style home in 1809, 20 miles south of

Columbia, Mississippi Columbia is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Mississippi, United States. Formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood, Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had mig ...

, on a parcel of land that would eventually encompass approximately 2,000 acres. Ford and his wife made their home available to travelers, most notably General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

who stayed in the Ford's home in 1814 in advance of his involvement in the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815, between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

. Ford's home was the site of two Mississippi Methodist Conferences in 1814 and 1818, and the Pearl River Convention on statehood. The home was purchased by the Marion County Historical Society in 1962, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971

Tourism

The John Ford Home is preserved in its original condition by the Marion County Historical Society, and is available for public view by appointment., Marion County Development Partnership (website); ''The John Ford Home''

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places Houses completed in 1809 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Houses in Marion County, Mississippi Historic house museums in Mississippi Museums in Marion County, Mississippi National Register of Historic Places in Marion County, Mississippi