The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library
2244 Beach Boulevard | Biloxi, MS 39531
(228) 388-4400
Open 7 Days a Week 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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.
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.
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.
