Merrehope
Encyclopedia
Merrehope, a 26-room Victorian
mansion that currently serves as a historic house museum, was originally built in 1858 by Richard McLemore for his daughter Juriah Jackson. After changing ownership several times, with small alterations from each owner, the house was eventually bought by S.H. Floyd in 1904, who remodelled it into its present appearance. The building was one of few spared by General William Tecumseh Sherman
on his raid of the city in the Battle of Meridian
, and has served many functions throughout its history, including time as a residence, a shelter for Union officers, a Confederate General's headquarters, an apartment building, and a boarding house. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1995.
during the American Civil War
and as a shelter for several of Union General William T. Sherman's officers when they attacked the city in the Battle of Meridian
. The house is one of only six homes in Meridian that remained standing after Sherman's raid.
After the war, John H. and Eliza Gary resided in the house before selling it to J. C. Lloyd in 1881. The Garys had built the main block of the house, to which was attached the ell
that was the original structure. The house took on its current appearance when it was purchased in 1904 by S. H. Floyd, who remodelled the house in the Academic Revival style. The ell was detached and moved back about 20 feet (6.1 m), and a second story containing two servants' rooms, bathrooms, and a hallway was added. On the first floor of the main block, a dining room
, stairhall, bathroom, and guest room were added to the rear of the building while the two rooms on the north side of the hall were transformed into double parlors. The rooms on the south side of the hall were converted into a library
. Upstairs, a bedroom suite was constructed on either side of the new hallway, and over the rear addition were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and another stairhall.
A giant portico
was added to the east and south sides of the building, and the two-story Ionic
columns were placed atop six-foot plinth
s connected by a wall which ran the length of the porticos. Three more plinths were added to the north side of the building without columns, and a fourth plinth supports a one story column under the second story of the ell. This column is all that remains of a former porte-cochère
. When the portico was added, the original front porch was removed, but the balcony remained, supported by smaller columns attached to the ceiling of the new portico.
The home was eventually divided into eight apartments in the 1930s, after which the building served as a boarding house
until the 1960s. The building was purchased by the Meridian Restorations Foundation in 1968 and named Merrehope, a portmanteau for the combination of "Meridian Restorations" and "hope," reflecting the desire of the club to restore the building after decades of neglect. The foundation convinced the Mississippi Legislature
to pass a special act allowing the city of Meridian to assist the group financially with the restoration.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971 while it was still being restored, and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1995.
from a painting in the museum room. Since then, several people have claimed to see or hear the spirit.
Eugenia is one of two ghosts believed to be residing in the building; the other haunts the Periwinkle room. Donna White, Merrehope's current hostess, claims that she was walking into the room when she recognized an imprint of a body on the bed. She ran downstairs and checked the house for intruders but found no one. The ghost also reportedly makes loud crashes and bangs from the room, yet nothing is found broken when the room is inspected.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
mansion that currently serves as a historic house museum, was originally built in 1858 by Richard McLemore for his daughter Juriah Jackson. After changing ownership several times, with small alterations from each owner, the house was eventually bought by S.H. Floyd in 1904, who remodelled it into its present appearance. The building was one of few spared by General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
on his raid of the city in the Battle of Meridian
Battle of Meridian
The Battle of Meridian was fought in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, from February 14 to February 20, 1864, between elements of the Union Army of the Tennessee led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk...
, and has served many functions throughout its history, including time as a residence, a shelter for Union officers, a Confederate General's headquarters, an apartment building, and a boarding house. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1995.
History
Richard McLemore, one of the first settlers of Meridian, deeded the land on which Merrehope now stands to his daughter, Juriah Jackson, in 1858. Juriah and her husband, W. H. Jackson, constructed a small building which was later remodelled extensively into its present state. The house changed hands in 1863 to a General Joseph E. Johnson, who made some architectural alterations to the original building. The building was used as headquarters for Confederate General Leonidas PolkLeonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk was a Confederate general in the American Civil War who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and as a shelter for several of Union General William T. Sherman's officers when they attacked the city in the Battle of Meridian
Battle of Meridian
The Battle of Meridian was fought in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, from February 14 to February 20, 1864, between elements of the Union Army of the Tennessee led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk...
. The house is one of only six homes in Meridian that remained standing after Sherman's raid.
After the war, John H. and Eliza Gary resided in the house before selling it to J. C. Lloyd in 1881. The Garys had built the main block of the house, to which was attached the ell
Ell (architecture)
In architecture, an ell is a wing of a building that lies perpendicular to the length of the main portion.In connected farm architecture, the ell is often extended to attach the main house to another building, usually a barn. It takes its name from the shape of the letter L.-External links:*...
that was the original structure. The house took on its current appearance when it was purchased in 1904 by S. H. Floyd, who remodelled the house in the Academic Revival style. The ell was detached and moved back about 20 feet (6.1 m), and a second story containing two servants' rooms, bathrooms, and a hallway was added. On the first floor of the main block, a dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
, stairhall, bathroom, and guest room were added to the rear of the building while the two rooms on the north side of the hall were transformed into double parlors. The rooms on the south side of the hall were converted into a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. Upstairs, a bedroom suite was constructed on either side of the new hallway, and over the rear addition were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and another stairhall.
A giant portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
was added to the east and south sides of the building, and the two-story Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns were placed atop six-foot plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
s connected by a wall which ran the length of the porticos. Three more plinths were added to the north side of the building without columns, and a fourth plinth supports a one story column under the second story of the ell. This column is all that remains of a former porte-cochère
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
. When the portico was added, the original front porch was removed, but the balcony remained, supported by smaller columns attached to the ceiling of the new portico.
The home was eventually divided into eight apartments in the 1930s, after which the building served as a boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
until the 1960s. The building was purchased by the Meridian Restorations Foundation in 1968 and named Merrehope, a portmanteau for the combination of "Meridian Restorations" and "hope," reflecting the desire of the club to restore the building after decades of neglect. The foundation convinced the Mississippi Legislature
Mississippi Legislature
The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi Senate, with 52 members. Both Representatives and Senators serve four-year...
to pass a special act allowing the city of Meridian to assist the group financially with the restoration.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971 while it was still being restored, and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1995.
Hauntings
After the restoration of the home, many people claimed to have seen ghosts in the building. John Gary, one of the owners of the house who added most of the rooms present today, had a daughter named Eugenia. Eugenia died of underage consumption as a teenager, never having lived in the building itself. John Gary, who lived in the house for many years, had his funeral service there. Many people have claimed to see Eugenia wandering the halls of the building. The first reported sighting was made by a former hostess who recognized the apparitionGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
from a painting in the museum room. Since then, several people have claimed to see or hear the spirit.
Eugenia is one of two ghosts believed to be residing in the building; the other haunts the Periwinkle room. Donna White, Merrehope's current hostess, claims that she was walking into the room when she recognized an imprint of a body on the bed. She ran downstairs and checked the house for intruders but found no one. The ghost also reportedly makes loud crashes and bangs from the room, yet nothing is found broken when the room is inspected.