Today’s post from the November 1963 issue of the Mississippi Architect introduces us to a house I’ve never seen and don’t even know where it is to look for it. The information presented locates it on a “private lake north of Jackson” which could be a lot of places. I do know that Robert Overstreet designed a “Roy Champion Lodge” on a lake north of Jackson in the late 1950s, and I wonder if it’s the same lake. If so, I’ve been to where I think that lake is, but never saw Overstreet’s lodge and became discouraged. I’ll have to go back up there–it’s off Highland Colony Parkway–and see if I see anything that resembles the LaRue house.
RESIDENCE
This residence is one of three constructed on a private lake immediately north of Jackson. The land surrounding the lake is being developed as a park-like setting with the three residences dispersed along the shore line.
The family is large and busy. Both parents and the five children engage in many activities and it was this personality of the household that governed its design. The organization of the plan is essentially that of a cross with each of the four major wings accommodating the living area, the service section, the master bedroom suite and the children’s wing respectively. The concept was one of informality with the aim that the building be unobtrusive in the landscape.
The owners do a great deal of entertaining and this consideration governed the arrangement of the living room, play room. and the two intervening courts all linked by a covered way. On occasion of large groups these four areas may be used together to form a useful succession of spaces.
This article is reprinted from the November 1963 issue of the Mississippi Architect, with permission from the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. View the full November 1963 issue of Mississippi Architect in a digitized format, or for other articles in this ongoing series, including the pdf version of each full issue, click on the MSArcht tab at the top of this page.
Could this be the house on Old Canton Rd. just north of Fondren? I think it’s owned by the Striblings now. It’s on the left as you go north and the yard has a white fence surrounding it. “Just north of Jackson” could still be in the city limits but just north of the urban area. Back in the 50′s and 60′s, most of that land was still very undeveloped.
Posted by crpiii | April 6, 2011, 8:11 amWas/is this house on one of the Eastover lakes?
I imagine this is the same Fred LaRue as the one who worked for the Nixon campaign: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00EFDB103DF93AA15754C0A9629C8B63
Posted by Susan T. | April 6, 2011, 12:46 pmWell, isn’t that an interesting twist! It does say they had five children and I count five children in the obituary. I’m going to have to follow this story a little farther I see.
I’ll drive by that house on Old Canton, but the story says it was a “private lake” with three houses total on it. I don’t know of any place in Fondren that matches that description. Eastover is another matter, and it very well could be over on that side. I’m going to make a run to the library to look at the city directories and see what I find (should have done that first).
Posted by ELMalvaney | April 6, 2011, 6:45 pmHe is the very same person as the one they called “Nixon’s bagman.” His son, Ike III, was the previous tenant of the house in which I now dwell.
Posted by Carunzel | April 7, 2011, 10:40 amAccording to the 1964 city directory, Fred LaRue’s residence was at 3600 Old Canton Rd. You have a good eye, crpiii.
Posted by Carunzel | April 7, 2011, 11:05 amWell knock me over with a feather, I’ll have to drive down there this afternoon and look at it with new eyes!
Thanks, Carunzel, you retain the title of “Crack Researcher.” “Crack” in a good way, not in a drug way, of course. :-)
Posted by ELMalvaney | April 7, 2011, 2:51 pmDid you go? The house that crpiii is talking about is actually at 3901 or so Old Canton. Suppose it’s possible that the street number changed?
Posted by Carunzel | April 8, 2011, 12:16 pmWho knew that the homes of racist Fascists looked just like the homes of normal people? Normal, rich people, that is. The life of a totalitatian Republican can be hard; what with all the punishments for subverting American Democracy, like badminton on volleyball courts.
At least the Robber Barons had good taste, not like Nixon Fascists.
Posted by W. White | April 7, 2011, 6:23 pmI don’t know for sure where this house is, but I know where Lake LaRue was. You can find it on a city map circa 1960. It was north of Beasley Road, east of the Woodhaven subdivision that is across the street from Callaway High School. It was a favorite motorboating spot for my father after he bought his first boat in 1957. I grew up in Woodhaven in the 1970′s. We explored the woods where Dad said the lake used to be. I understood the lake had been drained for development, like Cook’s Lake off of Westhaven Blvd. (a totally failed project to this day.) Anyone have info on that one? But there was a nice Country Club-type clubhouse with a large pool still in operation as late as 1978 or so. I betcha this is the lake, and perhaps one of the homes ended up being this clubhouse I refer to.
I will definitely check this out for this board – it will give me a chance to get back “home.”
Posted by John Caldwell | April 8, 2011, 5:42 amI don’t know the number, but it was sleepy hollow drive off eastover drive. The house is still there.
Posted by Boyd Campbell | April 24, 2011, 4:48 pmBoyd, I think that was LaRue’s “City” house.
Posted by John Caldwell | April 26, 2011, 3:28 amAlright, I have settled this once and for all. I found the Fred LaRue house from the Mississippi Architect last weekend. Actually, I found two of them, and posted pics on my Flikr page. The house we’ve been talking about is indeed just north of Beasley Road. The Wesley Biblical Seminary uses the property now. More impressive, I think, is another house owned by the LaRue family just down the road. It is now a retreat for a Muslim community. As you enter the driveway, you notice a concrete boat-house that leads to nothing but forest now as the lake was drained years ago. The house is almost Wright or Van der Rohe inspired. The flat stonework at the entry and around the back is in need of attention but more or less intact. The front facades have been updated with muslim motifs. Fascinating that a Nixon-Republican’s home is now very different!
Posted by John Caldwell | April 26, 2011, 3:27 amSo you’re saying it’s on Old Canton, just north of Beasley? Could you post your Flickr link?
Posted by ELMalvaney | April 26, 2011, 7:18 amOh, never mind, I see you’ve posted it in the MissPres group that shows up on the sidebar here. Looking at your map on Flickr, I’m glad I didn’t spend too much time trying to track this down–I would have never found it! Thanks for finding and sharing!
That addition definitely doesn’t do the building any favors, but otherwise, it looks pretty intact.
Posted by ELMalvaney | April 26, 2011, 7:22 amI added links to your Flickr pics within your comment, just for future reference.
Posted by ELMalvaney | April 26, 2011, 7:47 amCool – I enjoyed tracking the places down
Posted by John Caldwell Jr | April 26, 2011, 11:08 pmwow, what a curious twist of fate for those structures. Great job tracking them down!
Posted by Boyd Campbell | April 27, 2011, 8:08 pm