ASHTON DAWES | The Daily Mississippian
The historic Lamar House is only a short walk from North Lamar Boulevard.
On 14th Street, just a minute or two away from North Lamar Boulevard, is a white house facing away from the road. It’s quite inconspicuous, or it would be, if not for the two signs proclaiming its historical value. The house is titled L.Q.C. Lamar House Museum, and it was formerly inhabited by the only Supreme Court justice to hail from Mississippi: a man by the name of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II. Before he was a Supreme Court justice, Lamar was also a U.S. congressman and a U.S. senator.
Built in 1869, the modest Greek Revival house was slated for demolition by neglect before the Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation became its guardian angel. In 2011 it was officially restored as an exhibit.
When thinking of such a house, one might expect a complete remake of a former glory or a place falling to bits and smelling of mold and lost stories. The reality is neither of these options.
When approaching the house from the back, as that’s where parking is located, one is immediately drawn to a statue of Lamar. The plaque at the statue’s base gives a quick history lesson on why Lamar was important.
When turning from the statue, one is presented with something of a classic Southern home: large steps leading up to the front porch, a grand front door and huge windows with navy shutters open against a white-painted cedar exterior.
On the day I visited, a woman stood in the doorway, greeting visitors with a smile and beckoning them inside.
Entering Lamar House is like taking a step back in time, revisiting an age that was previously beyond even memory. The ceilings are high, crown molding thick around the edges. The woman, who introduced herself as Teresa Spears, gestured around the entrance hall, pointing out the faded but original and still beautiful paint on the walls. Some restorations have been done to show the original hue of the paint, but at least two-thirds of the house is completely original.
“I think the reason people come visit this house is that is has been restored,” Spears said. “Yet the original beauty and purpose of it is still here.”
The hardwood floors creak slightly in the first room, and the deep voice of a storyteller greets visitors. The voice belongs to Jack Mayfield, a kind of unofficial historian at Lamar House. He can talk for ages about anything in the house and about Lamar. That day, he was there with an answer or a funny story for any question.
Old tea sets, a locked chest and Lamar’s old writing desk reside inside the Lamar House. It’s to be expected — it is a museum after all.
Just as visitors are preparing to leave, Spears leads them back outside to the champion tree. The tree has character of its own, enough to match Lamar House.
Of course, Mayfield was right there with an anecdote.
“The former lady of this house tried to get rid of this tree,” Mayfield said. “She tied a stick of dynamite to it and tried to blow it up.”
But the tree is still there, a testimony to its resilience — a champion tree indeed.
Lamar House is open Thursday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $5, but it is free for students and children.
