Lafayette County Courthouse, County courthouse in Oxford Square Historic District, Mississippi.
The Lafayette County Courthouse is a three-story white stuccoed masonry building with Italianate design standing on Oxford Square in Mississippi. It features a central portico with three arches, a distinctive cupola crowned with a clock on the roof, and four columns rising toward a pediment.
Construction took place in 1872 to replace an earlier courthouse destroyed by Union forces during 1864. The decision to rebuild in Italianate style represented the region's recovery and renewal following the Civil War.
The courthouse serves as the social heart of Oxford Square, where locals and visitors naturally gather and use the surrounding area as a meeting point throughout the day. Its central position makes it a natural focal point for community life and public interaction.
The building sits at the center of Oxford Square and is easily accessible on foot from downtown. Visitors can view the exterior freely anytime, with the second-floor balcony and surrounding courtyard offering the best views of the building and plaza.
The second-floor balcony featured prominently in William Faulkner's novels set in his fictional Jefferson County, blurring the line between real and imagined landscape. For readers of Faulkner's work, visiting this specific vantage point connects them directly to scenes from his stories.
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