Lyceum-The Circle Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Lyceum-The Circle Historic District is a historic district
in Oxford, Mississippi
that includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle which surrounds "The Circle" on the campus of the University of Mississippi
. The university was established as the flagship institution of the state and generations of leading families' sons and daughters studied here.
The district is significant for its association with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, led by African Americans, and for the increasing role the Federal government took to enforce change. In Mississippi there was both official and informal resistance to court-ordered desegregation of the university in the fall of 1962. The confrontation resulted in intervention by the Federal government to protect the safety of citizens. Ole Miss was integrated by the enrollment of James H. Meredith on October 1, 1962, which was followed by riots. The disturbances took place following court decisions for integration of public institutions, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark
on October 7, 2008, although this may not have been announced publicly until October 14.
and earlier as the "Old Chapel"), and Carrier, Shoemaker, Ventress, Bryant, and Peabody dormitory
halls. The district also includes the flagpole in the center of The Circle, the Confederate
Monument in The Circle, and University Circle.
In the university's early days, the Lyceum Building was the only academic structure, housing a lecture hall, several classrooms, the faculty offices, a geological museum, and the library. The Lyceum is now the home of the university's administration offices, and its columned facade is represented on the official crest of the university, along with the date of establishment. Built in 1848 to the designs of architect William Nichols
, the building is the oldest on campus, dating back to its foundation.
The Circle is surrounded by University Circle, a road designed for one-way traffic. The area contains oak
and magnolia trees, pansies, and green grass. A metal flagpole stands at the center of the green and serves as a hub for the sidewalk
paths through the area. Since the mid nineteenth century, The Circle has been the focal point and historic core of the Ole Miss campus.
The flagpole has stood in the center of The Circle since 1962. Its brick
base was constructed in 2000. During the famous desegregation riot
s, a former Ole Miss football player climbed the pole in an effort to attract rioters' attention and convince them to go home.
Occupying the same position in The Circle since 1906, the Confederate Monument contains a sub-column fashioned in the likeness of a castle containing the inscription "To Our Confederate Dead, 1861-1865, Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter 379 U.D.C." and a Confederate soldier looking off into the distance with a rifle
at his side.
University Circle is a 50 ft (15.2 m) wide roundabout
with outlets between the "Y" Building and Bryant Hall, and on either side of the Lyceum, providing access to other parts of the campus.
The Old Chemistry Building was built in 1923. During the desegregation riots on September 30, 1962, students broke into the building and aimed Molotov cocktail
bombs at federal and civilian vehicles parked around The Circle.
Carrier Hall was one of several buildings students searched for riot material in 1962. Branching off from the two-story main section is a rear section connected by two covered passageways. This section also contains two stories and is slightly inset and setback from the main section.
During the 1962 riots, four-story Shoemaker Hall was under construction, and students used construction materials including loose bricks, metal conduit pipes, and a bulldozer
to attack federal officers. The dorm hall was the site of one of the two fatalities associated with the riots.
Two-story Ventress Hall, built in 1889, appears in a famous photo of James Meredith
walking in the commencement procession on August 18, 1963.
The Croft Institute for International Studies, known as the "Y" Building at the time of desegregation and earlier as the Old Chapel, harbored many people escaping the tear gas and the general melee in 1962. Others crowded into the Y to watch United States President John F. Kennedy
's televised speech regarding the desegregation of Ole Miss.
After housing the university's library from 1911 to 1952, Bryant Hall has been home to the Fine Arts Center. During the riots, much of the battle was fought in front of the hall.
During the riot, Peabody Hall offered people a safe harbor from tear gas. While trapped in the building, faculty member Russell Barrett documented the riot.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
that includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle which surrounds "The Circle" on the campus of the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. The university was established as the flagship institution of the state and generations of leading families' sons and daughters studied here.
The district is significant for its association with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, led by African Americans, and for the increasing role the Federal government took to enforce change. In Mississippi there was both official and informal resistance to court-ordered desegregation of the university in the fall of 1962. The confrontation resulted in intervention by the Federal government to protect the safety of citizens. Ole Miss was integrated by the enrollment of James H. Meredith on October 1, 1962, which was followed by riots. The disturbances took place following court decisions for integration of public institutions, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
on October 7, 2008, although this may not have been announced publicly until October 14.
Elements of the District
Located at the center of the Ole Miss campus, the district contains eight academic buildings arranged on University Circle which encompasses an interior common area dubbed "The Circle," a historic site in the district. The eight buildings include the Lyceum Building, the Old Chemistry Building, the Croft Institute for International Studies (known as the "Y" Building at the time of desegregationDesegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
and earlier as the "Old Chapel"), and Carrier, Shoemaker, Ventress, Bryant, and Peabody dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
halls. The district also includes the flagpole in the center of The Circle, the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Monument in The Circle, and University Circle.
Lyceum Building
34.365494°N 89.536037°WIn the university's early days, the Lyceum Building was the only academic structure, housing a lecture hall, several classrooms, the faculty offices, a geological museum, and the library. The Lyceum is now the home of the university's administration offices, and its columned facade is represented on the official crest of the university, along with the date of establishment. Built in 1848 to the designs of architect William Nichols
William Nichols (architect)
William Nichols, Sr. was an English-born architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his early Neoclassical-style buildings in the American South...
, the building is the oldest on campus, dating back to its foundation.
The Circle
34.36533°N 89.53498°WThe Circle is surrounded by University Circle, a road designed for one-way traffic. The area contains oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and magnolia trees, pansies, and green grass. A metal flagpole stands at the center of the green and serves as a hub for the sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
paths through the area. Since the mid nineteenth century, The Circle has been the focal point and historic core of the Ole Miss campus.
Flagpole
34.365311°N 89.535051°WThe flagpole has stood in the center of The Circle since 1962. Its brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
base was constructed in 2000. During the famous desegregation riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s, a former Ole Miss football player climbed the pole in an effort to attract rioters' attention and convince them to go home.
Confederate Monument
34.365284°N 89.534085°WOccupying the same position in The Circle since 1906, the Confederate Monument contains a sub-column fashioned in the likeness of a castle containing the inscription "To Our Confederate Dead, 1861-1865, Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter 379 U.D.C." and a Confederate soldier looking off into the distance with a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
at his side.
University Circle
34.365222°N 89.533962°WUniversity Circle is a 50 ft (15.2 m) wide roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
with outlets between the "Y" Building and Bryant Hall, and on either side of the Lyceum, providing access to other parts of the campus.
Old Chemistry Building
34.364677°N 89.535968°WThe Old Chemistry Building was built in 1923. During the desegregation riots on September 30, 1962, students broke into the building and aimed Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
bombs at federal and civilian vehicles parked around The Circle.
Carrier Hall
34.364226°N 89.535222°WCarrier Hall was one of several buildings students searched for riot material in 1962. Branching off from the two-story main section is a rear section connected by two covered passageways. This section also contains two stories and is slightly inset and setback from the main section.
Shoemaker Hall
34.364677°N 89.533431°WDuring the 1962 riots, four-story Shoemaker Hall was under construction, and students used construction materials including loose bricks, metal conduit pipes, and a bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
to attack federal officers. The dorm hall was the site of one of the two fatalities associated with the riots.
Ventress Hall
34.365417°N 89.533672°WTwo-story Ventress Hall, built in 1889, appears in a famous photo of James Meredith
James Meredith
James H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...
walking in the commencement procession on August 18, 1963.
"Y" Building
34.365842°N 89.534305°WThe Croft Institute for International Studies, known as the "Y" Building at the time of desegregation and earlier as the Old Chapel, harbored many people escaping the tear gas and the general melee in 1962. Others crowded into the Y to watch United States President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's televised speech regarding the desegregation of Ole Miss.
Bryant Hall
34.366236°N 89.534949°WAfter housing the university's library from 1911 to 1952, Bryant Hall has been home to the Fine Arts Center. During the riots, much of the battle was fought in front of the hall.
Peabody Hall
34.366174°N 89.535780°WDuring the riot, Peabody Hall offered people a safe harbor from tear gas. While trapped in the building, faculty member Russell Barrett documented the riot.