Cultural Mecca of the South Small-Town Charm and Literary Destination
Oxford was founded in 1837, on land that had once belonged to the Chickasaw
Indian Nation and named after Oxford, England. The Mississippi Legislature
voted in 1841 to make Oxford the home of the state’s first University which opened
its doors in 1848 to 80 students and has since become one of the nation’s
finest public universities.
From the
Civil War to Cultural Mecca in 1864 Union
troops set fire to the Courthouse, most of the Square and many homes. During
the Civil Rights movement, James Meredith entered the University of Mississippi
as the first African American student. The city is now known as the home of
Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner and has been featured as a literary
destination in publications such as Conde
Nast Traveler, Southern
Living and Garden
and Gun. Many writers have followed in Faulkner’s footsteps,
making Oxford their home over the years adding to the literary reputation
Oxford has become renowned for including: Larry Brown, Barry Hannah, Willie
Morris, and John Grisham.
Geography the city is-located-in the North Central Hills region of Mississippi,
known for its heavily forested hills and red clay. Downtown Oxford sits on one
ridge and the University of Mississippi sits on another one, while the main
commercial corridors on either side of the city sit in valleys.
The Square has remained the cultural and economic hub of the city and is home to
a variety of shops, boutiques, the south’s oldest department store and a famous
independent bookstore. Around the Historic Downtown Square there are
restaurants ranging from down-home southern cooking to elegant haute cuisine.
The Circle
Historic District is located at the
center of the Ole Miss campus with eight academic buildings arranged on
University Circle, including the Lyceum Building, Brevard Hall, the Croft
Institute for International Studies, the Carrier, Shoemaker, Ventress, Bryant,
and Peabody dormitory halls. The district also includes the flagpole, the
Confederate Monument, and University Circle.