Stevens-Mallison Home in Intruder in the Dust (Location)

It seems likely that the house in Jefferson where the Mallisons live originally belonged to the Stevens family into which Mrs. Mallison was born; that would explain why in this novel Chick's Uncle Gavin lives there now, with him and his parents, and that's how the house is described in The Town and elsewhere. While the narrative does not explicitly locate it, several passages allow us to say with some certainty that it is northwest of and not far from the center of town. In front it sits on a town street within easy walking distance of the Square (88), but in back, beyond the yard, is a pasture "lot," a "stable" and a "woods" (38, 88), which suggests it must be on the edge of town. Chick thinks about walking "through the woods to the railroad depot" (37-38), which puts it west of the Square. When he rides his horse from the stable to the main road, he is clearly north of the Square (88). The property also includes the cabin where the family's servant, Paralee Sander, and her son Aleck live.