Beauvoir Property Restoration
Call to Action: Beauvoir Needs Your Help!
Beauvoir is over 175 years old and has stood as a testament of time on the beach front in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was devastating to the landmark yet it was renovated to its former glory. In the years following its post-Katrina renovation, attendance to the site has decreased as it has to museums all across the country (particularly to Confederate monuments), including funds for upkeep.
Natural weathering over the years have not been kind to this beautiful home and there are many areas inside and outside of the home that need to be repaired.
The preservation of Beauvoir Mansion and the property is of paramount importance to ensure that the misson of Beauvoir is upheld and while tropical storms and hurricanes have plagued the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina was the worst in living memory. It demolished most of the buildings on the 52 acres of Beauvoir property but the mansion still stands.
With the decline of visitors to Civil War historic sites due to political climates, the rising cost of maintenance that a National Historical Landmark requires has been a struggle and it is more important now than ever that we receive assistance from the public to preserve Beauvoir for future generations.
We have several projects that we are currently working on and need financial assistance with:
Beauvoir Mansion Restoration
Beauvoir is over 175 years old and has stood as a testament of time on the beach front in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was devastating to the landmark yet it was renovated to its former glory. In the years following its post-Katrina renovation, attendance to the site has decreased as it has to museums all across the country (particularly to Confederate monuments), including funds for upkeep.
Natural weathering over the years have not been kind to this beautiful home and there are many areas inside and outside of the home that need to be repaired.
Exterior Renovation
The exterior of the Beauvoir Mansion is in dire need of repainting. Our maintenance crew has repainted the stairs on the front and back of the house, but now it is time for the white exterior of the home to be painted.
We have been reaching out to our supporters to ask for their assistance. We are currently working with our local Sherwin Williams and are in need of high-quality paint that has been pre-approved for use by the Board of Directors and the Department of Archives and History.
Interior Renovation
One of our most important Beauvoir Mansion renovation projects focuses on its interior. We have several rooms in desperate need of attention. As many people well know, the tours of the Mansion are our key attraction here at Beauvoir and we have scores of original artifacts that belonged to the Davis family as well as the Brown and Dorsey families.
In 2017, portions if the ceiling began to visibly collapse, with Miss Winnie Davis's ceiling being the first to fall in. Since then, the damage has spread to Me. Jefferson's and Mrs. Varina's bedrooms as well as to the mansion's formal dining room.
Damage to the house was caused primarily by settling from the repairs done after Hurricane Katrina. There was no way to predict that such settling would cause those kinds of extensive problems, but the house settled much further than expected and put too much stress on the ceiling plaster, which caused it to fall in. Portions of the ceiling have collapsed in Winnie's bedroom and in the formal dining room. If we act soon enough though, we can prevent the same thing from happening to Jefferson Davis's bedroom.
Additionally, there has been no official report on the cause of the mold occurring in Mr. Jefferson's and Mrs. Varina's bedrooms, but the maintenance staff and house staff are doing what they are able to keep the moisture levels down and prevent the spread.
Just like the rest of Beauvoir, the salt air of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and years of hurricanes, tropical storms and the dangers of local traffic have made an impact on our perimeter fence.
We are in need of a full replacement of the wooden perimeter fence, as well as the replacement of the Arch Gate on Highway 90. We also would like to make an addition of an automatic gate at the front entrance of Beauvoir, to make our property safer and more secure.
Hayes Cottage Repairs
The Hayes Cottage, as it stands today, is a replica of the original Margaret Davis Hayes Cottage that was used as a guest cottage over the course of the ownerships of James Brown, Sarah Dorsey and Jefferson Davis. It is known as the Hayes Cottage in memory of Margaret Davis Hayes, the eldest daughter of Jefferson and Varina Davis. Margaret and her family were regular visitors to Beauvoir while Jefferson and Varina resided here. Unfortunately, the Hayes Cottage has seen some damage due to a termite infestation. Our maintenance crew here at Beauvoir has been amazing in their restoration of the porch of the Hayes Cottage, but some spots still need tending to. We are in need of repair to the hardwood floor in the living room and bedroom to keep that area usable as a guest cottage and dressing room for weddings.
Mr. Jessie Sanford, Facilities Chair and Secretary of the Board of Directors, has been working with our Chief Operating Officer and the Maintenance Staff on all of our projects and if you have any questions or would like to make a donation towards any of the repairs needed on Beauvoir, the Hayes Cottage or the Perimeter Fence, you can contact him by email at jessiesanford101@comcast.net.
Without your help, Beauvoir would cease to exist. We greatly appreciate your assistance in helping us preserve our beloved historic treasure for future generations.
To make a donation by check, please send it to:
Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library
ATTN: Beauvoir Restoration
2244 Beach Boulevard | Biloxi, Mississippi 39531
