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, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the border with Tennessee to the north. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 6,96 ...

, 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 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, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

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

Congress of the Confederate States The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly/legislature of the Confederate States of America that existed from February 1861 to April/June 1865, during the Ame ...

. As a result, he was in the crosshairs of the Union Army. When they ransacked the house, Clapp hid in the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

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 ...

. It was liberated by Confederate General

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) was an American Major General who started his military career as a United States Army officer and became famous for successfully leading two defenses of a Native American settlement from the Comanch ...

in 1862. In 1870, the mansion was acquired by

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

General Absolom M. West, who served in the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Represen ...

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 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 ...

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