Griffin–Spragins House

The Griffin–Spragins House (first called the Refuge Plantation House) is located in Refuge, Mississippi, approximately 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Greenville.

Griffin–Spragins House
Griffin–Spragins House is located in Mississippi
Griffin–Spragins House
Griffin–Spragins House is located in the United States
Griffin–Spragins House
Nearest cityGreenville, Mississippi
Coordinates33°17′47″N 91°8′5″W / 33.29639°N 91.13472°W / 33.29639; -91.13472
Arealess than one acre
Built1850
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.84002445[1]
Added to NRHPApril 5, 1984

Built in approximately 1850, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[2]

Francis Griffin purchased land in 1831 on a high ridge bordering the Mississippi River where he established "Refuge Plantation".[2] By 1850, Griffin had 150 slaves working on his plantation.[3] The "Refuge Plantation House", shaded by oak trees and protected from the river by a levee system, was erected with a view of the river.[2]

The Griffins lost much of their fortune during the Civil War, and were forced to sell the property. A subsequent owner was Edmund Richardson, one of the wealthiest cotton growers in the south.[4]

The home remains today one of the best examples of a mid-nineteenth-century plantation house in Washington County.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Tomas R. Blackwell and Ana Gordon (January 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Griffin–Spragins House / Refuge Plantation House". National Park Service. Retrieved November 8, 2016. with three photos from 1983
  3. ^ Griffin Halloran, Mary Helen (2009). Mississippi Family: The Griffins of Magnolia Terrace, Griffin's Refuge, and Greenville 1800-1950. iUniverse. p. 87. ISBN 9781440142246.
  4. ^ Fraiser, Jim (2005). The Majesty of the Mississippi Delta. Pelican. p. 53. ISBN 9781455608249.