Beauvoir: Jefferson Davis Shrine

Set against the gentle sweep of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the mansion known as Beauvoir began as the ambitious vision of planter James Brown. Detailed records trace how he assembled the land, commissioned cypress timbers, imported English slate, and oversaw the construction of the main house and its twin cottages—all while employing enslaved labor and skilled New‑Orleans craftsmen. The narrative paints a vivid picture of a Southern estate in the mid‑nineteenth century, from its practical layout—including a schoolroom and a circuit‑rider’s guest house—to the everyday rhythms of plantation life.

When the widowed Sarah Dorsey acquired the property, she bestowed the poetic name “Beauvoir” and soon extended an invitation to Jefferson Davis, the former Confederate president seeking solace and a place to pen his memoirs. The former official settled into the east cottage, transforming it into a modest library and bedroom, while the surrounding rooms echo with the personal hopes and lingering shadows of his final years. This book offers listeners a richly detailed glimpse into the architecture, ownership, and early post‑war chapter of a historic Southern landmark.