“The final home of Jefferson Davis”
Beauvoir was the last home of Jefferson Davis and it was the site of his retirement. The house was built by James Brown, a wealthy plantation owner from Madison County, Mississippi. The house was started in late 1848 and was completed in 1852. The house was built as a summer home for his wife and his (eventually 13) children. It was then called Orange Grove, due to the Satsuma Oranges being grown on the property. Mr. Brown died in 1866 and his widow continued to own the property until 1873 when she was forced to sell the property at public auction to pay and satisfy the taxes due on her husband's estate. Frank Johnson, a land speculator purchased the house for taxes and then sold the house and property three months later. Jefferson Davis died in 1889. His daughter, Winnie then inherited the property and when she died in 1898, Varina, Jefferson Davis' widow inherited the property. Mrs. Davis sold the property to the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans with two stipulations. The first was that the property be used for a Confederate Veterans Home for the veterans and or their widows at no charge to them and that was done from 1903 until 1957 when the last three widows were transferred to a private nursing home in Greenwood, Mississippi, when it was no longer practical to keep them at the site. The second stipulation for the sale of the property was that it be used as a memorial to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Soldier; and that has been done from 1903 until the present time.
Great Learning about history in the midst of historical sites. The tour was well worth hearing. My family and I truly enjoyed it.
Beautiful home and lots of things to see on the grounds, cemetery, library, store, museum. The museum seems to highlight Hurricane Katrina damage to the house and area but does feature info on Beavoir and the Jeffersons. Tour guide for the house was not friendly or interesting, you can see a few rooms inside but most you have to look at from the porch looking into the windows! Make sure you go into the little house where Davis lived when he wrote his memoirs - there are some very informative videos playing
Be the first to add a review to the Beauvoir.
Beauvoir
Hours
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The top things to do on an I-10 road trip
- 55 Places
- 56:13
- 3,026 mi
Road trip back in time along the Natchez Trace
- 13 Places
- 12:01
- 598 mi
Road Trip Down the Blues Highway, U.S. Route 61
- 17 Places
- 14:50
- 826 mi
A road trip along the Great River Road
- 35 Places
- 37:29
- 1,907 mi