Beauvoir | Biloxi

Beauvoir, located on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, is a historic estate most famous as the last home of Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederate States of America. Today, it serves as both a historic house museum and a presidential library, preserving not only the personal life of Davis but also a complex chapter of Southern and national history.

Setting and Architecture

The name Beauvoir means “beautiful view” in French, and the estate lives up to its name. The main house, built in 1852, sits on a rise overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, with sweeping porches designed to capture breezes off the water. Constructed in the Greek Revival style with Creole influences, the home’s wide galleries, floor-to-ceiling windows, and high ceilings reflect both elegance and practicality for the coastal climate.

The property once stretched across several hundred acres, but today about 52 acres remain, landscaped with live oaks, magnolias, and views of the Gulf.

Jefferson Davis at Beauvoir

Jefferson Davis retired to Beauvoir in 1877 after his release from imprisonment following the Civil War. Here, he spent his final years writing his memoir, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, and entertaining visitors. The home offered him both refuge and a stage-Davis remained a public figure, receiving former Confederate soldiers, politicians, and admirers at the estate.

After his death in 1889, Beauvoir continued to serve Confederate veterans, later becoming a home for widows and orphans of the Confederacy in the early 20th century.

The Presidential Library and Museum

The site includes the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library, which houses documents, artifacts, and exhibits related to Davis’s life and the Confederacy. Displays cover:

Davis’s political career before the Civil War, including his service as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of War.

His leadership of the Confederacy and personal correspondence.

The daily life of the Davis family at Beauvoir.

Broader themes of Southern memory, Civil War history, and post-war reconciliation.

The library also holds archival collections for researchers and rotating exhibits that examine aspects of 19th-century Southern life.

The Grounds and Other Structures

The estate includes reconstructed pavilions, guest cottages, and the Confederate Soldiers’ Home Cemetery, where hundreds of veterans are buried. Visitors can stroll shaded pathways, visit the restored gardens, and explore outbuildings that reveal the rhythms of life on the property. The cemetery, in particular, emphasizes Beauvoir’s role as both a personal residence and a communal site of remembrance.

Hurricane Recovery

Beauvoir sustained severe damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with the library building destroyed and the historic home heavily damaged. Restoration efforts were extensive, and today the property has been carefully rebuilt and reopened, maintaining both historical integrity and modern resilience.

Visitor Experience

A tour of Beauvoir usually begins in the mansion, where guides share stories of Jefferson Davis’s life, family, and legacy. Guests then explore the museum galleries and walk the grounds, taking in both the natural beauty of the Gulf-front setting and the layered history preserved there.

The experience is both atmospheric and thought-provoking, offering insight into Davis as an individual while also raising broader questions about memory, history, and the legacy of the Confederacy in the modern South.

Atmosphere and Significance

Beauvoir stands as one of the most prominent Confederate heritage sites in the United States. It embodies the tensions of preservation and interpretation, presenting Davis’s life while also reflecting on the cultural narratives built around him. The site is significant not only as a historic house but also as a place where visitors can confront the complexities of Civil War memory.

Visiting Beauvoir offers a blend of architectural beauty, coastal scenery, and historical interpretation, making it a destination that is as much about reflection as it is about Southern heritage and preservation.