Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE: (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Mi ssissippi COUNTY: *^ NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES L 1L-I.C111I0 INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM TOR NPS USE ONLY EN TRY NUMBER DATE (Type all entries — complete applicable sections) 70 - & v33 ' d^/^L ££<£:$ "* :::: : :::::;::: : :::: : : ::::: ::::::;:^^ COMMON: / 'P;''' i;""'5$\ Jefferson College AND/OR HISTORIC: /_- "i-, ^" '" <'// V Jefferson College \ •^••;^t^--^^tll^^ lilllll STREET AND NUMBER: I. ... - /':. ," < ,' : ' (J North Street // CITY OR TOWN: Yvv, " .- :->/ Washington STATE CODE C °U NTY: ~""^~lj : ''-^- :> ' CODE Mississippi 23 Adams 001 STATUS ACCESSIBLE CATEGORY OWNERSH.P (Check One) TO THE PUBLIC IjQ District (ji Building SI Public Public Acquisition: D Occupied Yes: ii .1 H Restricted n Site Q Structure D Private D ' n Process a Unoccupied ^* jj-.-j . _ . 1 1 Unrestricted Q Object D Both D Bein 9 Cons laerea r | Preservation work in progress ' 1 PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) I | Agricultural | | Government | | Park O Transportation 1 1 Comments | | Commercial L~H Industrial [jg Private Residence Q Other (Sperify) Q Educational ED Mi itary | | Religious Only two buildings used | | Entertainment 1 1 Museum [ | Scientific as residences ...................... OWNER'S NAME: STATE: Public ownership Mississippi STREET AND NUMBER: State of Mississippi CJ TY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE Mississippi 2^ :•: •.•\-<:-\-:-\'<:-\-<\-\-:: ^:-\'\-:-\-:::-:-^\-:-:-\':^:-\-:^ PI '•\'-'-^-\'^ COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: COUNTY: Adams County Chancery Court Adams STREET AND NUMBER: Market Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE Natchez Mississippi 23 \/ TITLE OF SURVEY: ENTR Historic American Buildings Survey Tl O DATE OF SURVEY: -i Q o/- J7] Federal NUMBERY ~3 State | i County (~~| Loco 73 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: i Z TJ Gu co Division. of Prints and Photographs C STREET AND NUMBER: m O Library of Congress Zr~ CITY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE District ot Columbia nft DATE Washington S (A (Check One) Excellent CH Good | | Fair ^] Deteriorated ( | Ruins | | Unexposed CONDITION (Check One; (C/iecfc One) Altered [~] Unaltered Moved XH Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Jefferson College is located on a campus consisting of approximately 78.5 acres. Two original brick buildings, three stories in Height, were joined by a third building a few years after their erection, giving the appearance of one large building constructed of three different types of bricks in the federal style of architecture. The east wing was probably built in the 1820s, while the west wing was built in 1838-39. Each wing consists of three and a half stories, and each wing has three dormer windows and a hipped roof. The center section was built some time after 1851, and consists of three stories with a flat roof and a small wooden bell tower. Located behind the main buildings are two smaller m out buildings of similar construction and architecture. rn These buildings consist of two stories and a basement or ground floor. Also located on the campus is the President's House, a wooden two story structure built in the early 19th century. It is not known what alterations from the original design may have been made in the interior of the buildings. Form 10-300o UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Mississippi NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUN TY INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM Adams FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) AMENDMENT: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION JEFFERSON COLLEGE WASHINGTON, ADAMS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 7. In 1972, as part of the effort to restore the Jefferson College Campus as nearly as possible to its 1840 appearance, a structurally unsound, three-story gymnasium building which had been constructed in 1894-95 between the two primary original school buildings was removed (see attached photographs). GP O 921.724 PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) n Pre-Columbian! Q 16th Century 18th Century 20th Century D 15th Century D 17th Century 19th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) J. 8(12^1964 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal PX Education [^ Political || Urban Planning O Prehistoric | | Engineering n Religion/Phi­ D Other fSpeci/y; CU Historic | [ Industry losophy [ | Agriculture | | Invention [| Science j^l Architecture || Landscape I | Sculpture D Art Architecture | | Social/Human­ | | Commerce [ | Literature itarian | | Communications [^) Military Q Theater | | Conservation n Music | | Transportation STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Jefferson College r named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, was incorporated by the Mississippi Territorial Legislature on May 13, 1802. This was the first act of in­ corporation passed by the Legislature. The college was es­ tablished on land donated by John Poster, James Foster, and Randal Gibson. Because of lack of funds, the college could not open its doors to students until January 1, 1811. The u school first operated in the frame buildings of Washington ID Academy, previously located on the campus site. Mississippi's first constitution was written and signed in the Old Methodist Church, established by Lorenzo Dow on the Jefferson College campias, in the summer of 1817. Jefferson College is the birtimiace of Mississippi's statehood Distinguished members of the College's Board of Trus­ LJJ tees were Governors W. C. C. Claiborne, Robert Williams, LJ David Holmes, Walter Leake, and Gedfge Poindexter, Senator Thomas¥/Keed, and General Thomas Hinds. Among^the noted faculty members were John James Auc^dbon and Leonard ^fale, who assist­ ed Samuel F. B. Morse in the development of the telegraph. Jefferson Dav^s was a student at Jefferson College in 1818. Other outstanding Mississippians who were students there in­ cluded Congressman J. F. H. Claiborne, Senator and Governor Albert G, Brown, and distinguished geologist B. L, C. Wailes. It was the desire of the founders that Jefferson College should become a southern West Point. In 1829 military science was added to the course of study. The school, however, never became more than a preparatory school for boys. On February 4, 1807, Aaron Burr was arraigned for treason in a court building which once stood near the giant oak trees that still stand on/the Jefferson College campus. In 1815 General Andrew Jackson visited the college, on his way to Nashville after the Battle of New Orleans. The Marquis de Lafayette may have visited the college when he was a visitor in nearby Natchez in 1825. 1. James, D. Clayton, Antebellum Natchez. (Baton Rouae, La. , LSU Press: 1968) t 23£~2J£. 2. Jefferson College papers, Mississippi Department of Ar­ chives and History collections, 3. Marshall, Thomas, They^ Found It in Natchez. (Baton Rouge, La., Pelican Press: I9T9) 156. LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY C ) DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY . OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES ————————— ————————————————————————— ————————————————————————— I CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 31 o 35 , 17 . 91 o 18 • 08 - 0 . - o • » NE 31 035 , is - 91 o 17 . 49 . SE 31 o 34 • 48 - 91 ° 17 • 46 " sw 31 e 34 . 47 . 91 o ig . 05 - APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: "70 C |LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES m STATE: CODE C OU N T Y /(-./^ \ ••-..'• ', * ' - '-••</' / j J^\ /\ ———CODE /.'":V" ;. •••• //.X m —————————————————/ •• ——— 1 ————————— ^^v —————————— STATE: CODE COUNTY: / <:'''':'.'!' r — ;•" \',-' *•• CODE /'! -;;-- • ; ••••.-.•.-..'•••••:; n \ .-'-.. > / -- ' 4-V, '," •' STATE: CODE COUNTY: f ^ <£ *-J/Q ' - '. CODE STATE: CODE COUN TY: ,- . CODE C NAME AND TITLE: Elbert Hilliard, Director, Div. of Hist. Sites and Archaeology n ORGANIZATION DATE Mississippi Department of Archives and History STREETANDNUMBER: 120 North State Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE , CODE Jackson, Miaaiasippi............ .„„„,„.....,„,„„„..,. .,.^31...... flpiliilli^^ iiiiiiiNiiiiiiiWirii^ As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na­ Thereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law National Register. 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been & / /}*, /9) evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended utjuLffjUlm ( ^#//y///A/ Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Pres/fvaTT&N^. level of significance of this nomination is: National Jg] State CXl Local Fjg AUG 2 5 1970 r —X Date Name\<i7/r( ^r L^f/* PSWsyS' '/ '/**-«. —«><-<—— ATTEST: / /> /} / Title Director, Mississippi Dept. JAMljjM; ^l^^l^M of Archives and History Keeper of The^NatTonal Registe// v ... « I 1970 Bate June 16, 1970 Date JUL * * Form 10-300a STATE (July 1969) Mississippi NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM Adams FOR NFS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) Jefferson College Following the 1963-64 session, Jefferson College, which had been a military high school for many years, clos­ ed its doors. The State of Mississippi acquired the Jeffer­ son College property in 1965, by purchase authorized by the 1964 Mississippi Legislature. 9. 4. Swearingen, Mack, Life of George Poindexter* (New Orleans, La., Tulane University