Reuben Davis House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Reuben Davis House
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Aberdeen, Mississippi |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Built | ca 1847 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001622 |
| Added to NRHP | 16 November 1978 |
The Reuben Davis House, also known as Sunset Hill, is a historic home in Aberdeen, Mississippi. It's a large, two-story house built between 1847 and 1853. This house was once the home of Reuben Davis, a famous lawyer, politician, and writer. The house is an important part of the history of both Aberdeen and Mississippi.
Contents
A Look Back: The House's Story
Building a Grand Home
The Reuben Davis House is a great example of the Greek Revival style. This style was very popular in the southern United States in the mid-1800s. The first part of the house was built in 1847 by D.F. Alexander. Later, in 1853, William Cunningham made it bigger and added more details. The house's design was inspired by popular building books of the time, like those by Asher Benjamin.
Aberdeen: A Busy Cotton Town
The city of Aberdeen became an official town in 1837. It was known for having many old homes from before the American Civil War. In the mid-1800s, Aberdeen grew quickly because it was a busy port for shipping cotton on the Tombigbee River. By 1850, about 5,000 people lived there. However, the town's growth slowed down after 1850. This happened when a new railway line was built eight miles west of Aberdeen.
Reuben Davis: A Life of Service
Reuben Davis (1813–1890) was a very important person in Mississippi during the 1800s. He worked as a lawyer and a judge. During the Mexican–American War, he was a colonel in the army.
Later, he became a politician. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1855. Then, in 1857, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1861, he left that job to join the Confederate Congress. During the American Civil War, he was a general in the Confederate Army.
After the war, Davis returned to Aberdeen and continued his law practice. He bought Sunset Hill in 1869. He lived there with his second wife and family. While living at Sunset Hill, he wrote a book about Mississippi's history called Recollections of Mississippi and Mississippians. He lived in the house until he passed away in 1890. He was buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. His wife passed away in 1912. She had a special wish to be laid on the grand piano in her living room, surrounded by roses, which her family honored.
The House in Recent Times
After Reuben Davis passed away, the house had many different owners over the years. From 1937 to 1943, one of the owners was Mrs. Edmonia Nichols, who was Reuben Davis's grandniece. In the 1940s, the house was divided into apartments and started to show its age.
In 1948, Drs. Chester and Catherine Brummett bought the property. Then, in 1961, Mr. & Mrs. W. Emerson Jones bought Sunset Hill. The Jones family made many important improvements and fixed up the house.
In November 1978, the U.S. Department of the Interior officially added Sunset Hill to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a very important historic site. In February 1987, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History named it a Mississippi Landmark. The house was sold again in 1992 and 1997 to its current owners. They have continued to restore the house, including Reuben Davis's old office.
House Design and Style
The Reuben Davis House is a two-story home located on Commerce Street in Aberdeen. It was built in two main stages, first in 1847 and then expanded in 1853. You can still see clues about these two building times inside the house, like different types of wood trim and slightly uneven floors.
The front of the house has a grand porch with eight large, fluted columns. This porch is a key feature of the Greek Revival style. The main entrance is also very detailed, inspired by designs from Asher Benjamin's building books.
The house has a central hallway that runs through its entire length on the first floor. This hall connects to four main rooms. A large staircase leads up to the second floor. Many rooms have beautiful fireplaces with detailed designs. These designs often include patterns like the "Greek key" or "Benjamin-meander fretwork," which were popular in the Greek Revival style. The doorways and windows also have fancy trim.
In the past, the kitchen was in a separate building connected by a walkway. There were also other buildings on the property, like a carriage house, barn, and cabins. These are no longer there today.
Visiting Sunset Hill
Because of its rich history, Sunset Hill attracts many visitors. The house has been part of local tours, like the Aberdeen Pilgrimage and Christmas Holiday Home Tour in 2013. In the future, the owners might open some bedrooms for guests to stay, like a "bed and breakfast."
Gallery
-
The front of the house, looking southwest.
-
The back of the house, looking north.
-
The detailed main entrance, inspired by Asher Benjamin.
-
A fireplace in the southeast parlor.
