Beauvoir Mansion

The Beauvoir mansion is located on the Gulf of Mexico in Harrison County, Mississippi between Biloxi and Gulfport. primitively the office consisted of six hundred acres and was the private property of Sarah Anne Ellis Dorsey, a woman who had known Jefferson Davis, the first and only President of the henchman States of the States throughout her life. She also was a classmate of Varinna Davis, Jefferson Davis wife (Allen xx, 521).Dorsey originally rented the property to Davis so he would defend a place to write his memoirs The overturn and Fall of the Confederate Government published in 1881 and A soon History of the Confederate States of America shortly before his death. Dorsey later change Beauvoir to him and also named him as her sole heir, in effect, giving him the property. It was the last fireside of Jefferson Davis until his death in 1789 and as the home for his wife for some days after his death (Tinling 187).The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans bought the property in 1902 and converted it to the Jefferson Davis Memorial for Confederate Soldiers and Sailors (Rosenburg 194). Beauvoir served in this capacity until the mid-1950s when it was recast as the Jefferson Davis Home and presidential library. Pratt and Pratt describe it as a state enclose filled with memorabilia of his life and times (145). The Beauvoir Mansion is listed on the field of study registry of Historic Places. According to the Registry for a aim to be listed it should attend one of the following criteria.The site must be associated with events that have do a significant impact on patterns of history, be associated with a psyche who are significant to the United States past, embody a characteristic case of construction, be representative of a build master or have high artistic value, or have contributed or is likely to effect significant historical knowledge (National Registry). Clearly Beauvoir Mansion qualifies because of its association with Jef ferson Davis, Confederate Veterans of the well-mannered war and is representative of construction in the South circa in 1852 (Pratt and Pratt 145 Beauvoir).As the Presidential Library of Davis it contains many of his papers as swell as large collection of civic War equipment and memorabilia. In addition, there is a Confederate Cemetery on the site where many civilized War veterans are buried. What is interesting some the Beauvoir Mansion is the wide mix of mint it appeals to. Naturally it appeals to admirers, and detractors for that matter of Jefferson Davis and his important role in the Civil War. United States History students, scholars and professional historian as well.The Presidential Library provides resources to those working in this area of United States History. However it is not unspoilt history buffs that are interested in Beauvoir Mansion. The site holds a great place among those people interested in American Architecture and building construction. Chief among the weaknesses of Beauvoir Mansion is the vulnerability of the location in respect to the cherry-red weather associated with hurricanes and tropical storms that are not uncommon in the area. Hurricane Katrina hard deadeningd Beauvoir Mansion in 2005.Devereaux provides detailed information about the damage that includes damage to the Davis house and to the Presidential Library. The Hayes Cottage and the pavilion that served as a hospital for Confederate Veterans were completely destroyed as were the chapel, museum and bribe shop. Fortunately much of the damage can be repaired. A tetrad million dollar restoration is already underway with an expected reopening naming in 2008. Beauvoir Mansion is an interesting historical and architectural site. It provides firsthand information about the Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy.This is a important perspective that is not normally available to the general public who see the Civil War in schools that features the Union worldview. This view of the Civil War is obviously slanted in favor of the Northern States. The old maxim about the winning side writing history is often true. Consequently, the people who lived in the Confederacy are largely forgotten and their leaders snub because the South lost. It is important to remember that there were two points of view about the Civil War.Both positions had merit and defects. It is important to understand the insights both sides experienced in any historical event. The Beauvoir Mansion provides a great opportunity for Americans to canvass from the past. When the repairs are completed and the Beauvoir Mansion reopens, it will be a site well worth visiting. Works Cited Allen, Felicity. Jefferson Davis Unconquerable Heart. Columbia, MO University of Missouri Press, 1999. Ballard, Michael B. Civil War Mississippi A Guide. Jackson, MS University Press of Mississippi, 2000.Beauvoir The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library Before the Hurricane 2005. 2 6 Feb. 2007 . Cannon, Devereaux. Beauvoir Still Stands 2 Sep. 2005. Vexillarium. 26 Feb. 2007 http//vexillarium. blogspot. com/2005/09/beauvoir-still-stands. html. National Registry of Historic Places Mississippi Harrison County. National Registry of Historic Places. 26 Feb. 1999 Nofi, Albert A.A Civil War Treasury Being a Miscellany of arm and Artillery, Facts and Figures, Legends and Lore, Muses and Minstrels, Personalities and People. mod York Da Capo Press, 1995. Pratt, Dorothy & Pratt, Richard. A Guide to Early American Homes. New York McGraw Hill, 1956. Rosenburg, R. B. Living Monuments Confederate Soldiers Homes in the New South. Chapel Hill, NC The University of North Carolina Press, 1993. Tinling, Marion. Women Remembered A Guide to Landmarks of Womans History in the United States. New York Greenwood Press, 1986. Wright, John D. The spoken communication of the Civil War. Westport, CT Oryx Press. 2001.