Cephas Burns

Born in 1871, Cephas Burns was raised by his father, Richard Burns and his mother, Della Burns. Learning from his father, Cephas quickly acquired a reputation as a master stone mason. In 1907, Cephas worked with his father to lay the foundation of Hall Auditorium. His meticulous work encouraged the president of Western Female Seminary at the time to hire him to replace all of the wooden bridges on their campus with stone. These stone bridges give a modern Western Campus its aesthetics and Cephas’ legacy lingers in every stone. Cephas’ legacy is also present through his many descendants in Oxford and his impact on the local community as an involved member that many knew.