History of the Lillian E. Jones Museum

Lillian E. Jones

Lillian E. Jones: Her Story

Lillian’s father died in 1921, and several months after that her mother bought the house on the corner of Broad and Broadway Streets. The house was built in 1867 by Horace L. Chapman for his family. Mr. Chapman started the National Bank and was a staunch Democrat in a Republican stronghold.

Mrs. Jones hired Frank L. Packard, who was the architect for the Cambrian Hotel, to completely renovate her newly purchased home. This was completed in the early 1920s. The only change that we know of since that time is the pitched roof over the side porch.

Lillian came home from New York to stay with her mother, who was ill at the time, and was convinced to remain in Jackson. Lillian and her mother spent winters in Sarasota, Florida, a habit Lillian continued until she no longer felt like traveling.

Lillian loved to travel and went four times around the world. Once in Europe, she took a freighter to Sweden because the passage was so cheap. While there, she met and talked with the King of Sweden while admiring flower gardens. She especially loved India and Japan. She would often leave the group she would be traveling with and stay in a place she particularly liked.

She was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, but as far as we know, she did not belong to any other organizations. Lillian never married and regretted to her dying days that she had no family of own to be with her. She died on August 22, 1991, at the age of 97.

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