The Beauvoir House

So the focus is not on who lived here but the property and history of the house. Here is brief history of the owners of the house.

James Brown 1848 to 1879 during this time the property was called orange grove.

Sarah Ann Ellis Dorsey 1873 to 1879 when she saw the view from the front porch the name stuck and is still called by this name to this day Beauvoir "A Beautiful View" I would love to tell you all the amazing things Sarah did in her life time but the post is on the house not the people who calling this place home. trust me look her up.

Jefferson Davis 1879 to 1889

Winnie Davis 1889 to 1903 Sarah put it in her will that if Jefferson died prior to his wife Dorsey.

Home for Confederate veterans, their wife and widows 1903 to 1957

Then it was turn in to a landmark to this day. Please don't get stuck on who lived here we just looking at the beauty of the home.

Buildings on the property that James Brown built: Hayes Cottage, House, Library Corrage

Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 hit the house creating massive damage.This hurricane was a category 3 bringing a tsunami like storm surge of 24 foot, that is 12 feet higher than the ground level. The damage to Beauvoir was catastrophic.

The front stairs and porch where ripped off and the back porch had collapsed, 1/3 of the roof was destroyed, 30% of the artifact collections were missing or destroyed, 60% heavily damaged. Only the Library collections remained intact. Damage estimates to Beauvoir property exceeded $25 million in renovation. The loss of the artifacts and the damage artifacts that were recovered are incalculable.

Front Porch also known as the verand

Love the patter on the glass for both front and back door.

The Reception Hall

runs the entire length of the house from the front to back. The corners are round the walls are painted in the Rococo style frescoed on the wall of the hall painted by a German artist named Meuhler.

The two yellow and white seats along with the pier of mirror and the rosewood console table where bought in Paris in 1870. The mahogany secretary and the grandfather clock was during the Davis family time frame.

The marble top table in the center of the house and the large sideboard in the hall was used when there was too guests to use the dining room.

The Painting over the sideboard " La Bella de Veccio" painted in 1525 from a collection of the Baroness Alphonse de Rothschild in Paris.

The Front Parlor

Can you imagine being in this house where the first ever reading of the book The Raven was read out load by the author Edgar Allan Poe taking place here.

This room also has the round corner walls with the frescoed done by the same artist who did the reception hall. The rosewood Knabe piano was owned by Winnie. She had painted the family coat of arms. The rosewood sofa, two armchairs, side chairs, and the white marble squear center table are from the Davis family. The portrait that hangs over the fireplace is of Davis painted after his 81st birthday, by artist G.B Matthews. The small painting near the piano wad painted by Mrs. Davis of the Gramatan Hotel in New York her last home.

The windows go all the way to the top and bottom of the walls, they would open so you can walk out on to the porch. The ten feet tall pocket doors open between the front parlor and the library.

Library

is the place for daily family would gather in.

The book shelf were built as Davies had seen in Washington with grilled doors of heavy wire and cloth coverings. Books were valuable and with the windows open for ventilation and cooling, it would because very dusty in the room. In order to protect the books, the cloth covering would be used or books stored in glass covered.

Many items in this room are original, such as the man's leather chaise lounge, the woman's fabric chaise lounge, the double desk with drawers on each side. Winnie owned the large Webster's dictionary that is dated 1879 that on the desk. The large oriental rug was was returned to the house after many years, it is the only surviving original rug that once belonged to the Davis family.

The fireplace is Italian marble.

Will that is all I can recall from the tour, Ill see if i can find more info. but until then I'm done with this post.

thank you see you on the next one.