Original Cottage

In 1859, Richard McLemore, one of the founding fathers of Meridian, gifted 160 acres to his daughter Juriah McLemore and her husband, W.H. Jackson, who built what we refer to as the “Original Cottage” for her. Jackson sold the property in 1859, and it switched hands many times between 1859 and 1867.

In November 1862, the Cottage was used as the headquarters for Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, who was appointed to command the Department of the West, the principal command of the Civil War Western Theater. When Johnston was sent to Georgia in December 1863, the new commander, Lt. General Leonidas Polk took control of Merrehope. During this time U.S. General W. T. Sherman began his march across Mississippi to Meridian, arriving February 1864 with plans to destroy railroads and anything that could be used by the Confederate Army.

Polk did not have enough soldiers to fight Sherman’s troops, so he left Meridian and went to Alabama. Sherman’s troops stayed in the area for two weeks. When they left, Sherman declared that Meridian no longer existed. When Sherman left Meridian, the citizens and Confederate troops rebuilt the railroads in 26 days!

The Original Cottage was one of the few structures that survived Sherman’s march. The Cottage and other out buildings (smoke house, outhouses, etc.) were not burned by Sherman when his troops made their 1864 destructive march through Meridian.

Entering the Cottage, you are in the Sitting Room. The exterior door in the Sitting Room and most of the window moldings in the Cottage are of Greek Revival architecture. On the left wall as you enter the room, note where the door to the Back Porch used to be. Also, notice that the flooring changes between the rooms. The Bedroom was the original Kitchen in 1859. That was later changed when the Cottage was turned into an apartment. The furniture in the Bedroom (the bed, wash stand, dresser and wardrobe) is on loan by the Lloyd Family. The portrait is of Margaret Lloyd Vaughan, a granddaughter to JC and Caledonia Lloyd. She visited but never lived at Merrehope.