Lewis House (Oldfields)
c. 1845, Gautier,
Jackson County
Oldfields was constructed circa 1845 as the residence of
Alfred E. Lewis, an important Gulf Coast planter, merchant,
politician, and Civil War officer. The Greek Revival house is
illustrative of the Coastal idiom of the style, having columned
undercut galleries across both front and rear elevations. Its
front gallery affords stunning views of the water, taking full
advantage of the picturesque setting facing the Mississippi
Sound.
Perhaps even more significant than its architecture are
the people who inhabited the house. In addition to his extensive
economic enterprises, Lewis at various times served as county
tax collector, postmaster, and state representative. In 1861 he
was a signer of Mississippi’s Ordinance of Secession, financed
the Live Oak Rifles regiment, and was a colonel in the
Confederate service.
In 1906 the house was acquired by the parents of Agnes (Sissie)
and Patricia Grinstead. They both grew up at the house and
latter married renowned artists, and brothers, Peter and Walter
Anderson. Patricia married Peter and Sissie married Walter. For
several years in the 1940s Sissie and Walter Anderson lived at
Oldfields with Sissie’s family, during which time Walter did
some of his most important artistic work.
Because of the house’s location near the water, Hurricane
Katrina’s winds and tidal surge inflicted severe damage. Porch
flooring and clapboards were ripped off, the huge hand-hewn
sills were exposed, many windows were broken, interior floors
buckled, and plaster ceilings and walls were soaked. Despite a
restoration grant offered by the Department of Archives and
History, due to litigation over the property’s ownership, no
restoration or stabilization work has yet been undertaken. Loss
of Oldfields would be another tragic, and needless, casualty of
Hurricane Katrina.
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 Lewis
House - Oldfields Project
Contact:
Martha Duvall
LewisHouseOldfieldsProject@gmail.com |
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Mississippi Heritage Trust
names Gautier
landmark
to 'Most
Endangered List'
A Coast landmark damaged by Hurricane Katrina, Gautier's Lewis
House/Oldfields, has been named to the 'Top 10 Most Endangered
Historic Places list by the Mississippi Heritage Trust (MHT).
The
waterfront Lewis House, aka Oldfields, was built in 1845 and
artist Walter Anderson lived there for a time.
For the past 19
years, MHT has shined a spotlight on historic places in
Mississippi that have been threatened by deterioration, the
wrecking ball and other threats. A jury chose the ’10 Most’
sites from nominations submitted from around the state.
In the past, the Mississippi Heritage Trust has played a major
role in saving such high-profile Mississippi locations as:
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The Irving
Hotel in Greenwood, which appeared on the ‘10 Most’ list in
2000, and after restoration, reopened in 2003 as boutique
hotel The Alluvian.
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The 1924
King Edward Hotel in Jackson, which was abandoned for more
than 40 years and after many failed attempts, was finally
renovated from 2007 to 2009, reopening as a mixed use
building with a hotel, restaurants, retail space and
apartments.
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The Walter
Anderson Cottage in Ocean Springs, which appeared on the ’10
Most’ list in 2007 along with other buildings severely
damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The house, which was
pushed off its foundation by the storm, was stabilized and
completely renovated in 2009.
Complete
details about each location named to the current ’10 Most’ list
can be found at MHT’s web site,
www.mississippiheritage.com after the event.
The Mississippi
Heritage Trust’s mission is to preserve the prehistoric and
historic cultural resources of Mississippi. The group has more
than 700 memberships from 110 Mississippi towns and 19 states.
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Martha Duvall of Pascagoula
celebrates the selection of the Lewis House in Gautier as one of
Mississippi's 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. Martha is a
direct descendant of Alfred E. Lewis who constructed the
building around 1845. She is coordinating efforts to have the
house preserved. Anyone interested in supporting the project may
contact her at
LewisHouseOldfieldsProject@gmail.com.
Artist's Concept of Oldfields by Sykes
Kennon.
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