On our second day of our honeymoon road trip, we set out for Biloxi, Mississippi from Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Biloxi is a nice little town on the shores of Mississippi Sound/The Gulf of Mexico. I did not know much about it except for two things:  Keesler Air Force Base and Beauvoir.

Beauvoir?  Yes, Beauvoir.  It is the lovely little beach home of Jefferson Davis and his family that became his permanent residence on the shores of Mississippi Sound.  (A little French lesson here:  Beauvoir is a compound French word that means “Beautiful View.”)

Mais oui, mes amis!

Why Beauvoir?  Well, the short of the long story is that some time ago we set upon ourselves what we call “The Dead Presidents Tour.”  Our goal is to visit every deceased American President’s physical impact on our world – whether it be birthplace, abode, speech, et cetera and you get my drift. 

Yet, why Beauvoir and Jefferson Davis?  Well, we are counting every President who has a link to American history, and Jefferson Davis, even though he was President of the Confederate States of America, he fits the bill.  In addition, so does Sam Houston (President of the Republic of Texas), and he’s on our list, too.

Beauvoir was built for another family, but in time, Davis purchased it after the American Civil War (a.k.a. The War of the Rebellion), and after his death it became a veterans’ home, and now it is open to the public. 

It is one hot little beach house.  Hot in that it is beautiful.  But not so hot temperature-wise because although it gets hot down here, the tall windows and wide doors left open embrace the breezes from the waters across the front yard.  Beauvoir was in effect, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but love and diligence and respect of history restored it to its original loveliness.  And what a beauty she is –

It’s all on one level, although you must climb a few stairs to reach the main living area.  Words are ineffective in describing its beauty.  Handsome and I are currently in the process of looking for a place to buy and live, and I mentioned to him that if we could find a house with the floor plan of Beauvoir, but one-third the size, it would be perfect.  Why? It’s a simple plan and its front yard at one time touched the shores of Mississippi Sound.  Today, U.S. Route 90 cuts in front of it.

Ah, the romance of it cries out to me –

©2022, excerpt from ”The Dead Presidents Tour”