Literary Landmark: William Faulkner House, Rowan Oak
Oxford, Miss.
Dedicated: April 17, 1993
Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, Inc. and the Mississippi Library Commission
On April 17, 1993 during National Library Week, the Friends of Mississippi Libraries, Inc. and the Mississippi Library Commission designated Rowan Oak in Oxford, Mississippi a Literary Landmark.
Rowan Oak was the home of Pulitzer Prize winning author William Faulkner for more than thirty years. Faulkner bought the house in 1930 and lived there until his death in 1962. Faulkner did most of his writing there, including his Pulitzer Prize winning novel A Fable. Faulkner outlined the story on the wall of his office at Rowan Oak where it is still preserved today.
Faulkner name the house for the legend of Rowan tree recorded in Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough. The legend states that Scottish peasants placed crosses of Rowan wood over the thresholds of their homes to ward off evil spirits and give the inhabitants of the house privacy and peace. Faulkner was known to be a private person and always sought out a quiet place to write, think, and be alone with nature. His fame made this search even more difficult. Rowan Oak became his place of solitude and refuge from the world until his death in 1962.
Rowan Oak is now owned and operated by the University of Mississippi. The house has undergone restoration to keep it in shape and is open for visitors and tours.
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