Hundreds of years of history are stored in the walls of Oxford’s oldest buildings; the local Historic Properties Commission is tasked with protecting all of it.
Oxford’s Historic Properties Commission was formed in October 2013 with the goal of repairing, marketing and monitoring Oxford’s historic properties. For the last year, the commission has overseen the Lamar House, Cedar Oaks mansion and Skipwith Cottage. Properties under the commission are owned by the city, so all repairs come from city funds and any generated revenue is returned to the city.
Nancy Dupont, a professor with the Meek School of Journalism, has worked with Cedar Oaks mansion since her arrival in Oxford 10 years ago. She joined the Historic Properties Commission in August when Cedar Oaks became a certified historic property.
“If you want to understand Oxford’s history, you need these sites,” Dupont said.
Dupont is now a part of the long list of Oxford women who have left their mark on Cedar Oaks. She said women have saved the house several times, and even refers to the mansion as “the house that will not die.” When Union troops set fire to Oxford in 1864, the women of Cedar Oaks wet blankets and filled buckets to save their house.
“The preservation of historic sites should be everyone’s priority,” Dupont said. “Once these sites are gone, they can’t come back.”
Dupont said every property under the commission needs work. Cedar Oaks is in need of a new, Americans with Disabilities Act-approved ramp, extended driveway and attic repairs, along with the daily work needed to keep a historic house standing.
The commission views this caretaking as a responsibility, but, sadly, they are not able to fix every issue they come across. They must weigh each property’s needs with their budget and the needs of the other properties.
HPC chairman Jim Pryor said the commission is a product of the Oxford Lafayette County Heritage Foundation, which formed in the 1990s to protect Oxford’s history. Today, the commission is carrying out the Heritage Foundation’s goals of education and preservation.
“We offer at these sites information on one of Mississippi’s greatest statesmen, African American history and a mansion from the 1880s,” Pryor said.
Last month, the commission took the Burns Belfry Museum as a new property under its care. The museum’s popularity is hoped to bring more attention to the commission and more revenue to the city. Operated daily by volunteers, the museum represents the community-strengthening mission of the HPC.
With the help of the Historic Properties Commission, Skipwith Cottage recently moved across town to a new location near the skate park. Chairman Pryor said the cottage is under transformation into a visitor’s center with information on all of the history Oxford has to offer.
– Slade Rand
