Beauvoir

Address:	2244 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39531, USA
Phone:	+1 228-388-4400
Site:	beauvoir.org
Rating:	3.8
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 6

HereAndThereWith PatAndBob

Biloxi was the capital of French Louisiana until 1720, when French fears that something just like Katrina would occur caused them to move their capital to what they believed would be a safer city. Before congratulating the French on their foresight, please be aware that they moved their capital to New Orleans. Biloxi’s main street is Beach Boulevard (US 90) and it runs alongside the waterfront from one end of the city to the other. Prior to the arrival of Katrina, both sides of Beach Boulevard were fully developed. On the beachfront side, casinos and restaurants were very much in evidence. On the opposite side, there were many antebellum mansions. We toured one such mansion. Its name is Beauvoir and was the home of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, for the final years of his life. It subsequently became a retirement home for confederate veterans and, when the passage of time had removed these old soldiers from the scene, Beauvoir became the presidential library of Jefferson Davis. There is also a museum on site and the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier. The room used by Jefferson Davis as his bedroom has spectacular sea views. The sunsets are unforgettable as is shown by the one captured by Pat in the attached photograph. It is ironic to think of the defeated Davis spending his old age enjoying such beauty, when the victor of the US Civil War (Abraham Lincoln) had been murdered a quarter of a century earlier. We also saw the bedroom of Winnie, youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs Jefferson Davis, who had moved into Beauvoir with her parents in 1879. Winnie was a great favorite at confederate rallies, which she would attend with her father in the 1880s. She even became known as “The Daughter of the Confederacy”. She then fell in love with a Yankee attorney from New York City. He was Fred Wilkerson and he travelled to Biloxi to ask Jefferson Davis for Winnie’s hand in marriage. Wilkerson’s family had strong abolitionist connections. The engagement caused such an outcry across the American South that the proposed marriage never took place. Poor Winnie died unmarried at the age of 34.

Jack Lynn

I was at Beauvoir On March 3rd, what happens there so disturbed me that I feel compelled to write this review 3 weeks later. Our guide said, "now I am going to tell you about Katrina" he proceeded to tell us about how they had refurbished the linens and furniture upholstery ,how they had to send it all the way to Virginia to specialists in the field. He then asked"does anyone have any questions?" A woman who was accompanying her elderly Veteran father said" I noticed the wood doors seem to have been repainted and repaired , was that done as well? And the guide looked at her like he HATED her and said in a loud voice " DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT KATRINA ! " She said no, I guess I dont. It was the most hideous behavior . I was just appalled. I was so embarrassed by his behavior but to afraid to speak up ! Not a single person asked a single question after that. This experience has totally drowned out the history of the house, the grave yard, even the beautiful grounds. A woman in the gift shop asked her how she liked the tour and she said she liked it very much but didnt care for the guide, when asked why she said, " I just cant talk about it " and left with tears in her eyes! It may be true, they dont care for you if you are from the north, This lady did nothing , but her accent said Midwest.

Bryant Johnson

An absolutely appalling piece of property idolizing a white supremacist. "If slavery be a sin, it is not yours. It does not rest on your action for its origin, on your consent for its existence. It is a common law right to property in the service of man; its origin was Divine decree." "African slavery, as it exists in the United States, is a moral, a social, and a political blessing." -Davis The Beauvoir is a fantasy land intent on white washing history to present the old, antebellum south in a romantic and endearing light. When you arrive, a row of confederate flags awaits at the entrance with plaques and "historical" markers lining the property. The grounds are well maintained and a significant economic investment has been made by the Sons Of The Confederacy to keep Davis memory alive. A $100,000 JD statue was added a few years back and the library is massive. Funny how the tour guides never mention his military blunders and failed leadership during the last days of slavery in the south. They quietly ignore the truth while meddling line after line about heritage and history. Their version of history that is.

Krystal Franklin

DO NOT PLAN A WEDDING HERE! If youre looking to tour the place, disregard review, as the place is beautiful and the pricings for that are well. However, the pricing to use this place to marry, is outrageous. Its still recovering damage from Katrina and thus, the only place they can offer you for a reception, is just a small strip to the side of the house. The ceremony they hold on the porch. Its a total of $3600 for the use of the porch and that area. Its an additonal $150 just to save the date. And.. an additional $250 for clean up fee. You cant take any photos with flash, you cant do any decor what so ever, you cant use it until after closing hours and must be off the premises by 9pm which doesnt leave much time. Theres a lot of other historical buildings and places that offer you more leeway on where you can set up, and they cost way less, even with the use of security.. and they include the chairs and tables! You can get married in a castle up in raymond for 2600 and that includes catering, chairs, tables, ect. All you have to bring is the people, cakes, and person to marry you! Rediculous!

Jason McDonald

Confederate history amidst the Casino Coast. We ended up in Biloxi, MS, on our way from Dallas to Orlando. One of my goals for our trip thru the Old South was to learn a little about Southern History. Beauvoir is a small museum, but the house itself is very interesting - it was built essentially on stilts, and is a modest window into how rich people lived in the era of Reconstruction. Jefferson Davis, of course, was the one and only president of the Confederacy. He wrote his memoirs at Beauvoir. Unfortunately, as of summer, 2011, the new museum and library are not yet complete. It will be more interesting once those are added. If you are a history buff, interested in the Confederacy, etc., this is worth a visit. Sometimes the smaller places can be more powerful than the larger ones. Beauvoir is a small window onto the tragedy and luxury of the old South.

Chris Fisher

This is a bizarre place. Took the tour of the house which was conducted by an awkward man who rambled on about the history of the house, how it was built, and how it came into J. Daviss hands. No mention of slavery, nor of the role of slavery in creation of the wealth behind the house and grounds, was made. The guide seemed rather obsessed with the "lost South" and by the end of the tour one was left with the distinct impression that he longed for those simple, good ol days. Turns out the house and grounds belong to and are run by the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Apparently their mission, that the property "be used as a memorial to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Soldier", means that they will keep living and thinking as if its 1865. Weird place, weird people.