Merrehope Historic District

Infobox_nrhp2 | name =Merrehope Historic District
nhd = yes


caption = Merrehope historical home
location= Meridian, Mississippi
locmapin = Mississippi
lat_degrees = 32
lat_minutes = 21
lat_seconds = 58.9
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 88
long_minutes = 42
long_seconds = 35.7
long_direction = W
area = 350 acres [ [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MS/Lauderdale/districts.html NRHP Meridian, MS Historic Districts] ]
architect= Unknown
architecture= Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian
added = September 19, 1988
governing_body = Local
mpsub= [http://www.nr.nps.gov/multiples/64000416.pdf Meridian MRA]
refnum=88000973cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Merrehope Historic District is a historic district in Meridian, Mississippi. The district was originally subdivided around 1853 by city founder John T. Ball, but started developing after the Civil War. Following the war, Meridian's economy boomed through railroading, logging and textile enterprises. As Meridian began to grow northward, so did the need for housing. The housing development period for this district was late 1860 through 1940. [ [http://www.meridianms.org/com_historicneighbor.html City of Meridian, MS - Historic Neighborhoods] ] The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1988 and is rectangular, bounded by 33rd Ave, 30th Ave, 14th St, and 8th St.

The district is home to the Merrehope home, a stately 20-room Victorian mansion, restored and furnished by the Meridian Restorations Foundation, Inc. Originally, part of the home was used as headquarters for Confederate General Leonidas Polk and was spared by Union General William T. Sherman and his troops when they attacked the city in the Battle of Meridian during the Civil War and burned much of it to the ground.cite web |url=http://www.visitmeridian.com/ |title=Lauderdale County Tourism |publisher=VisitMeridian.com |accessdate=2008-06-09] The home is located at 905 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Drive and is one of few homes in Meridian that remained standing after Sherman's raid. [cite web |url=http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?id=2 |title=Mississippi History - Sherman's Meridian Campaign |accessdate=2008-06-07 |publisher=Mississippi Historical Society |year=2007 |month=April]

Another historic home in the district is the Frank W. Williams Home. Built in 1886, the home is a fine example of the Queen Anne style of residential architecture, with stained glass, oak paneling, parquet floors and detailed gingerbread. Many original features and antique furnishings are in the home. The house is located on the same lot as the Merrehope Historical Home.

References