Homes in Corinth from the antebellum period.

Corinth was a young town when the Civil War rushed upon it. Not many larger homes had been built. Below are four examples of antebellum homes that remain standing in Corinth. The Oak Home, Fish Pond House and Duncan House are all privately owned. The Verandah/Curlee House is a public property but is currently closed to the public for repairs (see Preservation Efforts).

1. Oak Home, located on Fillmore Street, was built in 1856 by Judge W.H. Kilpatrick, an attorney and future Confederate colonel. When Confederate troops assembled in Corinth in early spring of 1862, the house served as headquarters for General Leonidas Polk, also known as the “Fighting Bishop.” After the Siege of Corinth (April/May 1862), Federal General Alfred Pleasanton occupied the home until after the Battle of Corinth in October 1862. Judge Kilpatrick sold the home in 1866 to Mrs. Thomas Quincy Martin, a Civil War widow, and her six small children. The house has remained in the Martin Family for the last 140 years.
   
   
2. The Fish Pond House on Kilpatrick Street was built in 1857 by I. P. Young for his daughter, Mattie V. Neeley. The name “Fish Pond” comes from a non-extant architectural feature on the roof which collected rainwater in a container similar to a cistern. An ornate wooden railing surrounded it. Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and John C. Breckenridge used the home as headquarters at different times in 1862 before Confederate forces withdrew from Corinth. (privately owned)
   
   
3. The Verandah/Curlee House on Childs Street was built in 1857 by Martin Siegrest for surveyor, Hamilton Mask. During the Civil War, the home was headquarters for a number of generals such as Confederate Generals Braxton Bragg and Earl Van Dorn and Federal General Henry W. Halleck. It was in this house that Order Number 8 (calling for a Confederate offensive on Pittsburg Landing) was finalized. By late October 1862, the house was returned to civilian use. It is now owned by the City of Corinth and is awaiting renovations for use as a house museum.
   
   
4. The Duncan House, located on Polk Street, was building in 1860 for William L. Duncan. This five room house originally stood on Jackson Street. Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard headquartered here in 1862 until he moved to the Fish Pond House after the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862). Federal General William S. Rosecrans is believed to have occupied the dwelling for a time before taking command of the Army of the Cumberland.