bedroom, as well as other structural changes. In the 1950s, he oversaw other updates, including the enclosing of the rear porch on the ground floor for use as a study or office. Faulkner's years at spent at Rowan Oak were productive as he set stories and novels to paper, ultimately winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, and the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for A Fable in 1954. Preservation In 1972, the University of Mississippi purchased Rowan Oak. The home is preserved as it was at the time of Faulkner's death in 1962. The university maintains the home in order to promote Faulkner's literary legacy, and it is open to visitors year-round. The home has been visited by such writers as John Updike, Czesław Miłosz, Charles Simic, Richard Ford, James Lee Burke, Bei Dao, Charles Wright, Charles Frazier, Alice Walker, the Coen brothers, Bobbie Ann Mason, Salman Rushdie, and others. Writer Mark Richard once repaired a faulty doorknob on the French door to Faulkner's study. Rowan Oak was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1968. The current curator of Rowan Oak is William Griffith. Past curators include the novelists Howard Bahr and Cynthia Shearer. The original curator was Bev Smith, an Ole Miss alumna, who was responsible for finding a large number of Faulkner's original manuscripts hidden within the closet under the stairs in the home. References External links Official Website, includes visitor information, business hours, and more Inside Rowan Oak: short video about Faulkner and Rowan Oak, with Close-Ups of a Novel Draft that Faulkner Wrote on His Office Wall A Photo Tour of Rowan Oak, With Commentary William Faulkner on the Web – Includes detailed, interactive map of the grounds "Writings of William Faulkner", broadcast from Rowan Oak from C-SPAN's American Writers William Faulkner Houses completed in 1844 Houses in Lafayette County, Mississippi National Historic Landmarks in Mississippi Historic house museums in Mississippi Buildings and structures at the University of Mississippi Museums in Lafayette County, Mississippi Biographical museums in Mississippi Literary museums in the United States Mississippi Landmarks National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette County, Mississippi Homes of American writers