Oxford

Oxford is a center for Southern culture and has been described by USA Today as "a thriving New South arts Mecca." Nestled among the rolling hills, the aroma of wisteria and the historic town square accent life in the town.
    
Oxford is best known for the art and literature produced here. Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner resided in the town and used its people and places as the inspiration for his fictional world of Yoknapatawpha County. Rowan Oak, his antebellum mansion, still remains intact and is open for tours.
    
Oxford continues to serve Faulkner's legacy well. A strong literary community remains here, with a roster including John Grisham and Willie Morris. Each year the town hosts two internationally recognized literary conferences. The Faulkner Conference draws visitors from around the globe, and the Oxford Conference for the Book attracts some of the most respected writers in the United States.

The University of Mississippi (better known as Ole Miss) is an integral part of Oxford life. Ole Miss has seven major schools of study, and students over age 65 can take one class each semester for free. The university's various museums include exhibits ranging from classic Roman and Greek antiquities to B.B. King's personal album collection.
     
The University Artist Series holds several major productions featuring world-renowned classical performers, and the school's Festival of Southern Theater premiers plays to an audience of national theater critics. The campus is also the site of fierce athletic matchups between the Ole Miss Rebels and other Southeastern Conference teams.
    
A major regional medical center is located in Oxford, which draws superb doctors and health care professionals to the area. The town also boasts several home health agencies to meet specialized medical needs.
     
The Oxford Double-Decker Arts Festival rolls into town every spring. You'll find plenty of food, music and arts at this bus stop.
    
The Fourth of July is a real blowout with festivities including a parade, musicians, dancers and artists. And there's always a party at the blues clubs and restaurants on Beale Street a little over an hour away in Memphis.
    
Oxford is also blessed with scenic natural surroundings. One of the best locations for fishing and water sports, Sardis Lake is a 15-minute drive from downtown, and three reservoirs are within 50 miles. Hunters, hikers and other assorted nature lovers can take comfort in the fact that Oxford is almost completely surrounded by Holly Springs National Forest. 
    
Named as one of "The 50 Best Places to Live" by Modern Maturity, Oxford has several area courses, and a local golf course community makes many golfers' dreams come true by making it possible to really live on the fairway.

Read what people like yourself have to say about Oxford:

Doris and Jerry Boone left the mountains of Colorado for the Oxford town square.

Mississippi Living: Why did you pick Oxford, Mississippi, for your retirement?

The Boones: We knew we wanted to live in a university town and really liked the idea of living in the South. Jerry had gone to college at Ole Miss, so we paid a few visits to Oxford and just fell in love with the place.

Mississippi Living: What do you like best about your new home?

The Boones: We feel so at home here, and it's just so safe – people walk everywhere at all hours. You get the ease of small-town life, but Oxford has been graced with more than its share of culture. Art, literature, music – you name it. We're never at a loss for interesting things to do.

Mississippi Living: Have there been any surprises?

The Boones: We'd experienced Southern hospitality before, but the people here have been friendlier than we could've ever imagined. We've been welcomed with open arms in Oxford.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Oxford-Lafayette County Econ. Dev. Foundation
299 West Jackson Avenue
P.O. Box 108
Oxford, MS  38655

Phone: 662-234-4651
1-800-880-6967
Fax: 662-234-4655
E-mail: retire@oxfordms.com
Website: www.oxfordms.com

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