March 28, 2022
BEAUVOIR - The Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Library
2244 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS
“The Beauvoir estate, built in Biloxi, Mississippi, along the Gulf of Mexico, was the post-war home of the former President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis.” - Wikipedia
I will admit I had some trepidation about visiting the home of this prolific figure of the Confederacy, but in the end, my love of old homes and a curiosity about how Davis would be portrayed won out. The site offered two different types of tours, the general tour (a self-guided tour of the grounds and a guided tour of the house), or the presidential tour. I decided to opt for the presidential tour which translated to a private tour of the grounds via golf cart.
The story of Beauvoir, which translates to Beautiful View because of its location on the shore of the Mississippi Sound, is too long for me to put here. I have included two pictures of the story below.
My tour took me to Oyster Bay, once a larger body of water that emptied into the Mississippi Sound, now more of a slough home to herons, ospreys, and geese. We saw the Hayes Pavilion, or guest house, and the Library Pavilion, the first building Davis lived in after moving to the property. Both are reproductions of the original structures which were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. We went to the Confederate Soldiers’ Home Cemetery, which was established in 1903, and the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier, which was dedicated in 1981. And finally, we stopped at the Beauvoir House, which is where my private tour really paid off as I got to step past the rope and get a close up look at some of the furniture. I finished my day with a visit to the Jefferson Davis Museum and Presidential Library.
In the end, I’m glad I decided to visit Beauvoir.
The story of Beauvoir - part 1
The story of Beauvoir - part 2
Beauvoir
Beauvoir
Jefferson Davis' bedroom. The little cabinets on the floor were to keep food warm, one would put food in them closed the door and set them in front of the fireplace.
Varina Davis' bedroom
The Parlor
Portrait of Jefferson Davis hung over the mantle.
Upholstered chair, hand stitched by Varina Davis
On the Presidential Tour I got to see where preservationists have tried to match paint to original colors, inside a book case.
This working Grandfather clock dates back to the early 1770s, is older than the United States.
The view from the front porch of Beauvoir. Beauvoir translates to Beautiful View.
The Library, which was where Jefferson Davis first lived after arriving on the property.
Part of Varina's Rose Garden.
Statue depicting Davis with his son, William, on the right, and Jim Linder, a black orphan the Davis' took in.
Oyster Bay
Marker for Polly, a mule given to the residents of the Confederate Soldiers Home, which operated on the property following Varina's death. The mule of 25 when given to the home, it lived for another 25 years, and got a full military funeral when it died.
The marble arch marking the entrance to the Confederate Soldiers Cemetery.
The Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier.
The Confederate Soldiers' Cemetery
The only non-Confederate Soldier buried in the cemetery, Jefferson Davis' father, who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Each October and Civil War Battle re-enactment is held on the grounds of Beauvoir. This fox hole has been built just as it would have been built during the Civil War.
The Jefferson Davis Museum and Presidential Library
The Library Room
The coat worn by Jefferson Davis when he was captured by Union Calvary at Irwinville, Georgia, on May 10, 1865.
The plaster death mask of Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis
The Jefferson Davis Catafalque, used in the funeral of Jefferson Davis on December 11, 1889, in New Orleans.
Statue of Jefferson Davis. It stood inside the first library until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the building.
The statue faces South (back to the North), with a clenched fist behind him.