The history, tales, and ghosts of Rowan Oak
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Dec. 30—OXFORD — Nestled in the hills of Oxford, Mississippi, lies Rowan Oak, an antebellum style home built in 1844 by Irish immigrant Colonel Robert Sheegog and mostly known as the longtime residence of William Faulkner.
The world-renowned writer and Nobel Prize winner bought the home in 1930 and called it home until his death in 1962. Since then, the iconic property has gained a reputation as a home for some ghostly inhabitants ... a reputation almost entirely created by the author himself.
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The history of Rowan Oak
Rachel Hudson is Rowan Oak's assistant curator. She said, despite the property's appearance, the grounds were never a plantation. Instead, it mainly served as a townhome for the Sheegog family. However, Sheegog did have a plantation a county over.
"The Bailey family purchased the home after the Sheegogs," said Hudson. "There were three owners: the Sheegogs, the Baileys and then Faulkner. The house was actually abandoned for seven years before Faulkner bought it in 1930," Hudson said.
Faulkner was born in New Albany but moved to Oxford when he was 5. He grew up in the town and was in his 30s when he bought the property he would name Rowan Oak.
According to Hudson, in the author's wry fashion, Faulkner named the property after two types of trees that have never grown there.
"The rowan tree was to symbolize peace and security, and the live oak was to symbolize strength and solitude," she said. "There's no such thing as a rowan oak."
Upon purchasing the home, Faulkner made quite a few renovations, adding a wing to the house just for himself that included his office. Written on the walls of Faulkner's office is the outline for his book "A Fable."
Hudson said that Faulkner wrote his bestselling novel "Sanctuary" to pay off the house. Throughout his 32 years at Rowan Oak, the Nobel Prize-winning author added rooms and spaces for storage.
"There's only two antebellum features that are still here, and one is the post oak barn that Faulkner repurposed for himself when he was here," Hudson said.
The second antebellum structure that remains is a brick building that once served as an outdoor kitchen.
"We actually now know more recently that the building did indeed serve as a slave dwelling as well as an outdoor kitchen," Hudson said.
Faulkner later repurposed the brick structure and used it as a smokehouse.
Hudson said the house, now a historical attraction, features mostly Faulkner-era furniture. It's a near-replica of the space the author occupied for the latter half of his life.
"We try to keep the rooms exactly like they were when he lived here," Hudson said. "I think that is definitely still the draw to this place."
The ghosts of Rowan Oak
Although the atmosphere surrounding the famous home, with its long and storied history, often has an eerie effect on its visitors, Rowan Oak has never actually harbored any ghostly residents. At least, none on record.
That said, the tale of Judith Sheegog often comes to mind whenever the subject of Rowan Oak is brought up.
In true eccentric, southern uncle fashion, Faulkner would often craft ghost stories to entertain his nieces and nephews.
The tragic tale of Judith Sheegog is one of those stories.
"Judith was unlucky in love and so heartbroken that she flung herself over the second-story balcony of Rowan Oak and died on the brick walkway," Hudson said, citing Faulkner's wholly fabricated tale.
Faulkner convinced the children that Sheegog was buried underneath a magnolia tree that sits on the front of Rowan Oak's property, overseeing an overgrown and now dilapidated antebellum garden.
"Faulkner said that's why the garden is in a ruined state," Hudson said. "It was a ghost story to not have to do grueling restoration work on an antebellum garden."
About the series
Legends have a way of making humankind second-guess what we know as truth. In Mississippi, legends weave their way into every corner of the state, infiltrating even the smallest, one-stoplight towns. Legend or Legendary is an ongoing series exploring these tales and the stories behind them. Contact series author Brooke Burleson at brooke.burleson@djournal.com.
According to Hudson, Faulkner's niece, Dean Faulkner Wells, penned her book "The Ghosts of Rowan Oak: William Faulkner's Ghost Stories for Children" to share the many spooky tales her uncle told her as a child. The story of Judith Sheegog is featured in the book.
As for any documented paranormal activity, Hudson said official ghost hunters visited Rowan Oak some years ago but found no sign of restless spirits wandering the grounds.
"I wish this place was haunted but nothing on record has legitimately happened here that we can interpret as haunted," she said.
Hudson isn't alone in wishing the walls of Faulkner's famous home held more than just his writing.
"Faulkner wanted this place to be haunted too," she said. "So, he made up a ghost story to go along with the house."
