Beauvoir
FREELY TRANSLATED “BEAUTIFUL VIEW”
JEFFERSON DAVIS SHRINE
BEAUVOIR HOUSE—LAST HOME OF JEFFERSON DAVIS
ON UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 90
MIDWAY BETWEEN BILOXI AND GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI
Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Davis
BEAUVOIR
Jefferson Davis Shrine
Beauvoir, freely translated “beautiful view,” is located onU. S. Highway 90 about halfway between Gulfport and Biloxion the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was originally part of a tractof land that James Brown, a prosperous planter of MadisonCounty, Mississippi bought September 2, 1848, by Contractand Agreement from John Henderson of Pass Christian, withthe right to build a family residence on it before the titlewas cleared. Acting upon this legal agreement, Brown paidHenderson $900.00 in cash toward the purchase price of$2,000.00, and gave him a note for the additional $1,100.00,which was to be paid on receipt of a deed proving his titleto the land had been cleared.
Although the residence and outlying buildings were completedby 1852, James Brown did not obtain a deed to theproperty until July 16, 1855, when he bid it in for $3,000.00at a Harrison County Court Auction. To this tract of landhe had added, in the meantime, a small piece bought fromthe Tegardens for $250.00.
James Brown was said to have been his own architectand building superintendent for both the Mansion and thecottages he built on his new home site. He brought slavesfrom his plantation in Madison County to do much of thebuilding; but, for the higher grade of work needed, he employedcarpenters and decorators from New Orleans. Thecypress used was from the Back Bay swamp section, withmost of the timber cut at Handsboro and on the place. Theslate for the roof was imported from England. The buildingsthus planned and constructed were the Mansion, aLouisiana plantation type house known as Beauvoir Housesince the time of its occupancy by the Davis family, onecottage to the east of this main building and one to the west.A four room cottage in the rear, which was on the propertywhen purchased, was used by the owner and his family while4the other buildings were being constructed, and later becamethe kitchen and servants’ quarters for the families of bothJames Brown and Jefferson Davis.
Information from Mrs. Hobart D. (Olive Brown) Shawof Gulfport, Mississippi, granddaughter of James Brown andthe daughter of Joseph W. Brown who was born in this, thefamily home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, explains the practicaluse her grandfather made of the two cottages on thegrounds, formerly identical in structure—the one on theeast, the plantation office, used also as a school room for theyounger children who were taught by a governess; the oneon the west, the Guest Cottage, often called the CircuitRider’s House from the frequent use made of it by the travelingMethodist minister i