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 Rowan Oak Posted by:  jopasm
N 34° 21.570 W 089° 31.476
16S E 267817 N 3804905
Rowan Oak, former home of author William Faulkner, is reportedly haunted by Faulkner's spirit. He has been seen writing on the wall in his office and wandering the grounds.
Waymark Code: WM8741
Location: Mississippi, United States
Date Posted: 02/11/2010
Views: 8
Rowan Oak was the home of Nobel Prize author William Faulkner and his family for over 40 years. He purchased the property, then known as "The Bailey Place" in 1930. The house was originally built by Colonel Shegog in the 1840's during the early days of settlement in the Oxford area. Faulkner was fascinated with the history of the house did significant amounts of restoration and repair work himself. There are many apocryphal stories regarding Faulkner's dislike of the University students (the University of Mississippi is nearby) who would use the woods surrounding the house as a spot to meet away from the eyes of authority figures. Supposedly this dislike was channeled into the infamous "corncob rape" in "Sanctuary". Faulkner is buried in Oxford Memorial Cemetery.
Faulkner is supposedly still active on his old homestead. He has been seen writing on the walls in his office. During renovation work a plot outline for a novel was discovered written on the wall in black graphite and red grease pencil. This outline had been whitewashed over, presumably by Faulkner himself. In addition, there are tales of his spirit wandering the grounds, still on the prowl to scare away any students using his woods for night-time activities.
As far as I know no investigations have been carried out on the property. It is a fascinating site to visit and the tour is well worth the small $5 fee. The grounds are extensive with a trail that leads approximately 1/2 mile from the house to the parking lot of the university museum. Visitors are free to wander the grounds during daylight hours and no admission is charged.
While you're in Oxford visit Faulkner's grave. Tradition calls for visitors to leave an offering of whiskey (although Faulkner preferred scotch) but I've seen everything from Jack Daniel to Cointreau bottles left on the grave. Open containers are illegal, as is drinking in driving, so if you partake in this tradition make sure you have a designated driver and leave the bottle at the grave or toss it in the trash!
Public access?:
The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours. The grounds are closed at night. This property is owned by the University of Mississippi and both the Oxford Police and University Police patrol the area.
Visting hours:
House ($5): Tues-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4, Closed Mon.
Grounds: Open till dusk daily
The house is sometimes closed for maintenance and is generally closed for major holidays (4th July, Christmas, Thanksgiving). Check the website or call 662-234-3284 for current hours and schedule.
Website about the location and/or story: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
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