| "Castle Crest" was built in 1930 for Jackson businessman I.W. Merrill. Merrill retained Memphis architect J. Frazer Smith to design the home. Smith, who designed a number of other homes in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, employed Tudor Revival style architecture for the residence. Castle Crest exhibits many elements of the Tudor Revival style on both the exterior and interior. One of the most prominent Tudor Revival elements is the two-story stone turret capped with a crenellated battlement. Other Tudor Revival elements include half-timbering, the steep tile roof and a massive chimney with decorative pots. The interior design also reflects Tudor influence in such elements as arched openings, exposed timber framing and lead glass windows. The mantel in the living room is a replica of the mantel found in the Knight’s Hall of England’s Warwick Castle. Castle Crest is architecturally significant as one of the most accomplished examples of Tudor Revival residential architecture in Mississippi. It was designated a Mississippi Landmark, at the owner’s request on 8 Aug 2006, and it was listed on the National Register on 22 March 2010. This house is included in "Jackson Landmarks" (1982) (pp. 138, 140) and "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (p. 262, JM50). |