Postcards From Oxford’s Past — Round Houses

One of the modular Round Houses built in the 1960s.

We’re all proud of Oxford’s history and love to reminisce about people and places that are part of our collective memories. That’s why from time to time we’re going to post a photograph of something or someone with connections to past.

They were close to campus and a perfect starter home for young Ole Miss married couples. Two generations of students have lived in the Round Houses, located on Hathorn Road near Coliseum Drive. The modular structures are less reverently referred to by younger Oxonians and Star Wars enthusiasts as Ewoc Village. They were constructed in the mid-1960s in Jackson, MS.

“They were the first apartment complexes in this area,” says Ed Meek, local publisher, who helped market the innovative structures at the time. They were the brainchild of former city planner Jay LaCoste. “Jay was an entrepreneur who had a vision for building high-quality, highly affordable student housing.

The green-tone, honeycomb-style homes were built in Jackson to standard construction specifications by a trailer manufacturer and erected on site. Today they’re available to anyone looking for affordable housing close to the Ole Miss campus.