Lyceum–The Circle Historic District
Historic district in Mississippi, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lyceum–The Circle Historic District is a historic district within the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Mississippi. It includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle, and surrounds "The Circle" on the campus. The university was established as the flagship public institution of the state, and generations of leading families' sons and daughters have studied here.
Lyceum–The Circle Historic District | |
Location | University Circle, Oxford, Mississippi |
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Coordinates | 34°21′57.6″N 89°32′5.7″W |
Area | 10 acres (40,000 m2) |
Built | 1848 |
Architect | William Nichols |
Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 08001092 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 7, 2008[1] |
Designated NHLD | October 7, 2008[1] |
The district is also significant for its association with the civil rights movement during the Ole Miss riot of 1962 and the increasing role the Federal government took to preserve constitutional rights of minorities. Ole Miss was integrated by the enrollment of James H. Meredith, an African-American military veteran, on October 1, 1962. In Mississippi in the fall of 1962, there was violent resistance to court-ordered desegregation of the university. The violence required intervention by the Federal government to protect the safety of citizens.
Meredith's admission was followed by riots on the campus, by both white students and outside segregationists who gathered there from around the state. The disturbances took place following court decisions for integration of public educational institutions, during the civil rights movement. This historic district was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on October 7, 2008. (This may not have been announced publicly until October 14.)[1][2]