Elijah Mixon
1785 - 1873
Elijah Mixon was an expert cabinetmaker, carriage-maker and builder of the early 19th century. He was born in Beaufort County, North Carolina and moved to Georgia in 1820. He married Charlotte of Hancock County in 1823.
When they moved to Georgia, they moved into almost unbroken wilderness and built a simple, dirt floor cabin that was later converted into a blacksmith shop.
Simple country folk, Mrs. Mixon was accustomed to going barefoot – except in church. She would walk to church carrying her shoes and stockings in a bundle to wear during the service; however, she took them off again right after the meeting.
The Mixons had eight children and moved to Oxford in 1838 as Mr. Mixon wanted his children to attend the newly opened Emory College and get a good education. He established a workshop in Oxford where he made furniture. He also built many of the early homes in the town. His shop was so busy, his work often spilled out onto the sidewalk.
Mixon’s son, Asbury Coke Mixon graduated from Emory College in 1845 and lived in Oxford until his death in 1919.
Elijah Mixon’s handmade furniture pieces are collectors’ items today. The decorative arts called “plantation craftsmanship” refers to handmade furniture made in the Antebellum period that were typically found in farmers’ homes of that period. They are pieces of high quality craftsmanship using inexpensive materials, such as white pine wood, that were neither veneered nor polished.
When they moved to Georgia, they moved into almost unbroken wilderness and built a simple, dirt floor cabin that was later converted into a blacksmith shop.
Simple country folk, Mrs. Mixon was accustomed to going barefoot – except in church. She would walk to church carrying her shoes and stockings in a bundle to wear during the service; however, she took them off again right after the meeting.
The Mixons had eight children and moved to Oxford in 1838 as Mr. Mixon wanted his children to attend the newly opened Emory College and get a good education. He established a workshop in Oxford where he made furniture. He also built many of the early homes in the town. His shop was so busy, his work often spilled out onto the sidewalk.
Mixon’s son, Asbury Coke Mixon graduated from Emory College in 1845 and lived in Oxford until his death in 1919.
Elijah Mixon’s handmade furniture pieces are collectors’ items today. The decorative arts called “plantation craftsmanship” refers to handmade furniture made in the Antebellum period that were typically found in farmers’ homes of that period. They are pieces of high quality craftsmanship using inexpensive materials, such as white pine wood, that were neither veneered nor polished.