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In 1955 Laura Jepsen set out to protect a tree by way of purchasing it. In her book, Lichgate on High Road, she describes the trials she faced in buying the land and tree. "To purchase the acres I had to arrange a loan," she wrote. "I
went to the bank. 'I'm going to buy a tree,' I said. Despite the challenges she faced, Jepsen made her dream a reality. She borrowed the money she needed from a friend and bought the tree as well as the 3 acres surrounding it. The construction of her cottage, which began in 1956, took two years to complete. During that time it is rumored that she lived on the land sleeping in her car. Jepsen drew up the floor plans for her house and hired a craftsman to build it. The craftsman, Bascom Hoyle, used wood from a 1700s colonial era ship to build the cottage. When the house was completed it was named after the Lichgate placed around it. During the British middle ages a Lichgate was the resting place for a coffin before entering a church, an object symbolic of the place between life and death. Among other things that were also incorporated into the property from her literary background, were holly plants which were thought to ward off evil. Laura Jepsen was a professor of comparative
literature at Florida State University from 1946 to 1978. In the 70s
Jepsen sued Florida State University because her male counterparts
were both paid more and promoted ahead of her. She won her case
establishing herself a prominent figure in the women's movement. Laura Jepsen was born in 1907 and died at the
age of 88. During her life she was described by her students and
colleagues as a visionary, activist, and intellectual. |
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Lichgate on High Road - (850) 383-6556 - info@lichgate.com Get Directions |
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