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BURRUS HOUSE (HOLLYWOOD)

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1858–1861; 2010 restored. 77 Burrus Rd.

Although its full-width pedimented portico fits the stereotypical view of southern white-columned mansions, the monumental Greek Revival style of the two-story clapboard Burrus House is rare in the Mississippi Delta. The simplified chunky moldings in place of classical capitals on the fluted columns indicate the hand of a master builder rather than an architect. Smaller columns in antis frame the central recessed entrance, which leads into a wide stair hall. Judge John C. Burrus had the house built for his wife, Louisa, and their large family. Hollywood, their 1,400-acre cotton plantation, was worked by dozens of slaves. According to family tradition, Confederate general Jubal Early stayed here when escaping to Mexico after the fall of the Confederacy. The house declined after J. C. Burrus Jr. moved out in 1914. In 1955, the producers of the movie Baby Doll (adapted from a Tennessee Williams play) stabilized the tilting structure for filming. Temporary patches kept the house standing until 2009, when Burrus descendants began a massive restoration, rebuilding the portico and replicating the original columns using 1930s Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) photographs.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Jennifer V.O. Baughn and Michael W. Fazio with Mary Warren Miller
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Data

Citation

Jennifer V.O. Baughn and Michael W. Fazio with Mary Warren Miller, "BURRUS HOUSE (HOLLYWOOD)", [Benoit, Mississippi], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/MS-02-DR22.

Print Source

Buildings of Mississippi, Jennifer V. O. Baughn and Michael W. Fazio. With Mary Warren Miller. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2021, 112-112.

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