There are conflicting reports of damage to Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis. The Jackson paper reports it "virtually demolished." The Times explains that "By comparison with many of its historic neighbors, Beauvoir is lucky. The main structure of the Davis house, ... still stands." According to the Washington Post, the archives are safe. Beauvoir's own website merely warns that "All preparations have been made to Beauvoir House and the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library for Hurricane Camille."
Like most Confederate museums, Beauvoir displays geologic strata of historical interpretation. It also houses exhibits of the kind of things you might find in a great-aunt's attic. The two I remember from our visit were a tax receipt for five chickens and a crown of thorns hand-woven by Pope Pius IX as a gift for Davis while he was in prison.
Posted by Ben Brumfield at September 11, 2005 07:11 AMBen, The crown of thorns thing reminds me of two of my favorite spiels: one about the affinity of traditional Catholicism and traditional Southern values (alas, the book that I will not have written); and the fact that there is a major thoroughfare in Macon, GA, named Pio Nono, but which is inevitably pronounced "pianona", such that I seriously doubt whether anyone in Macon is aware of its having been named for Pius IX.
Posted by: Ralph Luker at September 11, 2005 06:00 PMI understand David Duke and Trent Lott both lost their houses too. The legacy of racism, however, appears to have remained above water.
Posted by: Martha Bridegam at September 11, 2005 11:30 PMThe National Trust for Historic Preservation now has a weblog on the Gulf Coast recovery.
Posted by: Martha Bridegam at September 17, 2005 10:30 AM