From The Archives

“The Knoll” . . . A Glance Into the Past” by Carol Perkins

The following article, written in 1972, provides historical information about The Knoll as well as a description of the mansion up until that time.


“The Knoll” . . . A Glance Into the Past”

(Excerpts from an article written by Carol Perkins
Published in The Meridian Star, Sunday, October 8, 1972)


Probably no house in Meridian has evoked the curiosity in as many people as the one built by M. R. Grant in the first decade of the 1900’s.

Grant, who was in the building material business, selected the finest materials available for the construction of the four story home situated on a hill above winding Poplar Springs Drive.

He had lived in it only a few years when he sold it to Walter D. and Annie Laurie Meeds about 1912.

The Meeds, who were very active in the community affairs, named the house “The Knoll.”

Among many of Mrs. Meeds’ accomplishments was the organization of the first Junior Club in Mississippi, called the Junior Fortnightly Club, the goal of which was to stimulate young women in securing a college education. . . .

Walter Meeds owned and operated a lumber company, was Potentate of the Hamasa Shrine Temple and among other civic, cultural and philanthropic endeavors, assisted financially with the building of the First Presbyterian Church. . . .

The Meeds sold the house to J. W. Sanders in 1925. The VFW purchased it in the 1950s for a clubhouse but it proved unsatisfactory because of the parking problem and the neighbors’ complaints. They sold it to Charles Mosby. He and his family lived in it until his death in 1970. It was then sold to a family who lived there only a few months before leaving for an extended tour of the United States. [At the time of the writing of this article in 1972, The Knoll was owned by John and Sara Smith.]

The house is entered through a large reception hall which features darkly stained woodwork and formal columns typical of the architecture of 18th century England.

The Corinthian columns are noted for their ornately carved capitals, richly decorated with Acanthus leaves and ram horns.

The parlor, library and music room are to the left of the entrance hall.

The parlor, decidedly French, is dominated by a large built in mirror, at one time graced on either side by 22-inch-tall hand-painted vases. A crystal chandelier complements the overall opulence of the formal room.

The library features a fireplace styled in Shakespearean fashion with high backed seats. A dominant feature of the first floor, this room also has beautiful wood paneling.

The music room with its Gothic arches and a cathedral styled ceiling was built for Mrs. Grant, who was an accomplished pianist and composer. A small dais next to the windows is for the piano.

The trio of rooms are separated by sliding doors to be opened for concerts Mrs. Grant would give. As one sat in the French parlor one could see a carved wood panel in the music room which Mrs. Grant hoped would conceal the pipes to a pipe organ she planned to install but never did.

To the right of the reception hall is the den. The handles of the doors were custom made with the insignia of the 32nd Degree Mason. Both Grand and Meed held this degree. The room also features two large bookcases with richly designed leaded glass doors. . . .

A smaller hall to the porte cochere is graced with a mirror, Corinthian columns and side panels of leaded glass next to the door. A dining room, pantry, kitchen breakfast room and half bath complete the first floor.

The dining room features a ceiling lamp suspended on a heavy chain with a shade of amber and green stained glass. The dado and the door to the large butler’s pantry were both designed to accent the diamond shaped window panes. Lamps on each side of the large brick fireplace are also of green and amber glass. The fireplace shield is of heavy cooper.

Between the pantry and kitchen was a large ice refrigerator reaching from floor to ceiling. The unique feature was that ice could be loaded into it from an outside back porch.

A butler callboard in a wall outside the kitchen has each room in the house listed upon it with an arrow beside the room named. Anyone wanting a servant had only to push a bell located in each room.

The wide stairs of the entrance hall divide on the first landing into two stairways, diamond shaped. The light is lamps on the newel posts appeared to guard the second floor.

A skylight dominates the wide hall of this floor. It has leaded amber glass panels of filtered through from glass windows in the roof. In the attic one can look down upon the leaded glass skylight for it is in a large wooden enclosure covered with heavy wire. The attic floor space is equal to that of the second floor.

There are five bedrooms, three baths and a sewing room on this floor. Several of the bedrooms and the sewing room open onto balconies. From the sewing room a chute was once used to carry soiled clothes to the basement laundry room.

The basement is divided into two sections, each reached by separate stairs. A bowling alley and an adjoining poolroom were designed by the Grants to entertain their guests.

On the other side of the basement is the laundry room, a furnace room with a large coal bin, and a wine cellar and a very large storage room. Mrs. Meeds used the latter to store barrels of flour, sugar and all vegetables and fruit she preserved. Grant was fearful of the Meridian water supply so there was also a large water tank there. . . .