Built in 1859 by William Turner as his personal residence, Cedar Oaks is a Greek revival structure that has survived a tumultuous past. Molly Turner Orr, the builder’s sister, organized a fire brigade to save the house in 1864 after it was set aflame by occupying Union troops. It was also known as “The House That Wouldn’t Die.”
Built in 1859 by William Turner as his personal residence, Cedar Oaks is a Greek revival structure that has survived a tumultuous past. Molly Turner Orr, the builder’s sister, organized a fire brigade to save the house in 1864 after it was set aflame by occupying Union troops. It was also known as “The House That Wouldn’t Die.”
Nearly a century later, Mary Alice Tate rallied Oxford’s women’s clubs to save it from commercial development in 1963 and move it 2.2 miles to its current location. It was named Cedar Oaks because of the stately cedars and oak trees on its new site that was donated by T. E. Avent in honor of his wife. Presently, Cedar Oaks is maintained by the Historic Sites Commission and supported by Cedar Oaks Guild. See more about this historic structure here: Cedar Oaks
