Historic home to become spa

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, September 17, 2015

Work will begin soon to transform a historic building on Oxford’s Square into a spa.

As part of the Chancellor’s House hotel, the enterprise has purchased the “Brown Building” at 409 South Lamar Blvd.

The hotel, currently under construction at the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and University Avenue, will open in summer 2016 and boast many amenities, and the Brown home and property was “ideal” for the development.

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“The Spa will offer a full line of beauty services to include facials and massage, as well as special treatments to enhance a youthful appearance and a branded line of beauty products,” according to Amanda Brown Olmstead, who is representing the owners. “A stay at Chancellor’s House can offer a full day of beauty treatments, relaxation and spa cuisine.

The spa will be available by reservation to guests, as well as local citizens and visitors to Oxford and Ole Miss.”

Olmstead said a goal is to renovate the Brown building in line with historic and national guidelines and take advantage of the charm of the 1930s-era home that has housed the Brown Insurance Agency since the 1950s.

“We will bring decades of hotel spa experience to transform this building into a gem that will respect the historic significance of the building, but also add to the charm and ambiance of the Oxford community,” said Fred Alias, president and COO of the Chancellor’s House Management Group. “We will spend whatever it takes to give our guests a five-star spa experience.”

R.L. Brown and Sathelle Brown, now deceased, founded the Brown Insurance Agency.  Ownership of the building and operation of the company has been in the family for three successive generations, including the current owners.

“As Oxford has grown, so has our business and we need more office space to satisfy the growth of our agency,” said Tatum Brown. “We are delighted that our building will play a significant role in the luxury services to be provided by the Chancellor’s House Hotel.”

The purchase price was not disclosed and details are still in the works on how soon the spa will open.