William Faulkner (Archives): Rowan Oak (Building)

In 1930, William Faulkner purchased an antebellum house, in Oxford, Mississippi. Later named Rowan Oak, the property and its surrounding woods was home to Faulkner, his wife Estelle, their daughter Jill and Estelle's two children from a previous marriage. In 1972, Jill Faulkner Summers sold the house to the University of Mississippi to serve as a museum. The papers in the collections below detail the restoration and maintenance of the property; for information on the Rowan Oak Papers, see the Literary Manuscripts page of this subject guide.

Rowan Oak Advisory Committee Collection: correspondence related to Rowan Oak following its acquisition by the University of Mississippi. Primarily, the correspondence details the governance of the property and requests for tours as well as miscellaneous printed material regarding the property, all material dated 1963-1968.

William Faulkner Foundation Collection: inventory of the Rowan Oak house and library. Also includes correspondence concerning access to the grounds.

Dorothy Crosby Scrapbooks: collection of two scrapbooks detailing the Dorothy Crosby Appreciation Day, 3 August 1980, compiled by Dorothy H. Crosby. The scrapbooks contain photographs, clippings, programs, biographical information, invitations, invitation list for the Appreciation Day and transcripts of letters. The photographs in these scrapbooks depict Rowan Oak, the Crosby Family, Chancellor and Mrs. Fortune, and the events related to the Dorothy Crosby Appreciation Day.

Faulkner Small Manuscripts: Series XXVIII: Faulkner Historic Sites concerns Rowan Oak primarily.

Rowan Oak Library Inventory
For information on inventories of the Rowan Oak property or library, please contact the University Museums, who oversee the Rowan Oak property; however the Archives and Special Collections hold inventory materials from the Rowan Oak library.

The University of Mississippi Museums maintain Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's Home

Various Archives & Special Collections Past Exhibits and Publications examine Faulkner

For other University of Mississippi Archives & Special Collections Literary Collections, see our Literary Subject Guide