116 A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI NORTH MISSISSIPPI 116 PHOTO BY GREG CAMPBELL NUTT’S FOLLY Construction on Longwood, an octagonal plantation home, began in early 1860 but abruptly stopped when the Civil War began in 1861. Built in the Oriental Revival style, Longwood sits on eighty-seven acres and remains the largest octagonal home in the United States. Only nine of the thirty-two rooms in the plantation home were completed before the Civil War started. While visiting Longwood, guests can see ladders, saws, and even a paintbrush exactly where they were abandoned.