Community House (Former) – Oxford MS

City:
Oxford, MS

Site Type:
Civic Facilities, Community Centers

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, National Youth Administration (NYA)

Started:
1937

Completed:
1938

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Unknown

Description

The B. and P.W. Club of Oxford, the National Youth Administration and local citizens funded the construction of a community house for the use of Lafayette County. Home Demonstration clubs solicited funds from county communities to assist. The house was proposed to be located on North Lamar street, one block north of the courthouse. W. P. 5160 #896 for Oxford Community House, Lafayette County was constructed of 8 inch stone veneer laid random ashlar. Stone was quarried by NYA and the cypress shingles were cut at the Longview NYA sawmill. It contained a woodwork shop in the basement and was two stories. Cost was $15,000 and dedication was set for November 1938. Labor and materials were supplied by NYA. It was the third building of its type in Mississippi, second largest, and housed home demonstration clubs, county library, dining room, kitchen, auditorium and manual training school for boys. It also included a carpenter’s apartment.

The building is still extant, and located in a different place than originally proposed. Currently occupied by the Oxford Park Commission Offices, the one-story with exposed basement, frame with stone veneer Craftsman bungalow was constructed 1938 by the National Youth Administration. It is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District for Oxford. The community house sits on a small rise south and east of the courthouse square.

Source notes

Civic project funds assured. (July 23, 1937). Clarion-Ledger, p. 18.

County center dedication set. (September 10, 1938). Clarion-Ledger, p. 11.

Series 2018-National Youth Administration Work Projects Photograph Album, 1937-1939. W.P. 5160 #896 Oxford Community House, Lafayette County. NYA I-B2-36. Retrieved June 12, 2020 from https://www.mdah.ms.gov/arrec/digital_archives/series/2018/detail/3735

Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Historic Resources Inventory. Oxford, Inventory 071-OXF-0069. Retrieved from: https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=publicPropSearch&Name=&StreetNo=&StreetName=&City=Oxford&County=Any

Series 2018 National Youth Administration: Work Projects Photograph Album, 1937-1939. W. P. 5160, Application #896: Oxford Community House, Lafayette County. Retrieved from: https://da.mdah.ms.gov/series/federal/2018/detail/3735

Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on June 13, 2020.

Location Info


North Lamar Street
Oxford, Mississippi 38655
Lafayette County

Location notes: General location marker

Coordinates: 34.3762056, -89.5124833

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