Elson-Dudley House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Elson-Dudley House
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
 |
|
 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
|---|---|
| Area | 5,000 sq ft (465 m2) |
| Built | 1885 |
| Architectural style | Stick/Eastlake Movement |
| Part of | Merrehope Historic District (ID88000973) |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003390 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
The Elson-Dudley House is a historic home located at 1101 29th Avenue in Meridian, Mississippi. It was built in 1894 by Julius and Dora Neubauer Elson, who were among the first people to settle in Meridian. This house is a great example of Victorian Eastlake Movement style, with some touches of Queen Anne design.
This special house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979. This means it's recognized as an important historical building. It's also part of the Merrehope Historic District, which was added to the National Register on September 19, 1988.
Locally, people often call this house the "pink house." It has some cool features like pointed gables above the windows and a front porch, called a veranda. One corner of the veranda has a round tower with a cone-shaped roof, like a wizard's hat! The front porch also has fancy turned railings. Above the main entrance door, there's a beautiful stained glass window called a transom.
The Elson-Dudley House is a very large mansion, about 5,000 sq ft (465 m2) in size. It has 16 rooms and sits on a big lot that's about half a city block wide. Inside, you'll find 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The house also has 10 fireplaces and 5 chimneys, making it very cozy in winter. A grand staircase adds to its impressive look. The outside of the house isn't perfectly even on both sides, which is called an asymmetrical design.
Who Owned the Elson-Dudley House?
In 1989, LaWanda Burke, a retired florist, and her son Barry, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, bought the house. They purchased it from the Dudley family, who had owned it for a long time. The Burkes spent two years carefully renovating the home to bring it back to its former glory.
Renovations and New Features
During the renovation, many improvements were made. They installed a modern heating and air conditioning system. The old roof was replaced with new shingles. They also fixed the foundation to make sure the house was strong. For safety, an automatic gate was added to the driveway.
Behind the house, a new carriage house was built. This building is used for storage and parking cars. They also added storm windows to protect the house from bad weather. Inside, the walls were painted, and outside, the house got a historically correct pink and rose accent paint job. Before this, the house was green! A special marker from the National Register of Historic Places was also placed near the front door. LaWanda Burke even sewed a custom tapestry that can be seen in the front parlor room window. She filled the house with beautiful antique furniture and lived there herself.
Later Ownership Changes
LaWanda Burke passed away in 1992. After that, Barry Burke became the sole owner of the house. He married Karen Keith of Meridian in the home on March 28, 1992. Barry Burke sold the house in 1993 when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
