The University of Mississippi Power House was located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The original building was constructed in 1908 as a central power plant for the entire campus.[1][2]

Author William Faulkner was employed by the University of Mississippi in the Power House through the winter of 1929 as a night supervisor.[3] At that time, the plant would supply power during the night for both the University of Mississippi and the town of Oxford, Mississippi. The low power demand during the evening and the redundancy of the supervisory position offered Faulkner time to write, which he did using the back of a wheelbarrow. The resulting work was published in 1930 as As I Lay Dying.[4]

The University of Mississippi Power House was demolished by the University in the spring of 2016. The University of Mississippi plans to construct a commemorative space near the same location using a $5 million donation from the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation.[5]

References

  1. Mejia, Paula. (28 November 2015). "Power Plant Where Faulkner Wrote 'As I Lay Dying' Will Cease to Exist". Newsweek. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  2. "Ole Miss to demolish power plant where Faulkner wrote 'As I Lay Dying'". Associated Press. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  3. Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography. New York, NY: Random House, 1974, Vol 1., p. 631
  4. Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography. New York, NY: Random House, 1974, Vol 1., p. 633-635
  5. Sawyze, Royce. "Ford Foundation to give $25M to Ole Miss". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 10 January 2016.

34°21′50″N 89°32′00″W / 34.363931°N 89.533283°W / 34.363931; -89.533283

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