The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library of

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

President of the Confederate States The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confed ...

from 1861 to 1865. Designed by Larry Albert of Albert & Associates Architects, the library is located within the Beauvoir historical site in

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...

, United States.

Facilities

The presidential library has the stated purpose of preserving, housing and making available the official papers, records, artifacts and other historical materials of Jefferson Davis. Despite the name, it is not administered by the

National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

, as Jefferson Davis was never

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

. It is, however, supported by the

State of Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississ ...

, as is described on a plaque at the library entrance. The library is managed by the Mississippi Division, S.C.V., and features continually changing temporary exhibits and a permanent exhibit covering Jefferson Davis's life. On August 29, 2005, the first Jefferson Davis presidential library suffered heavy damage from the fierce wind and water of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. The library pavilion, the Hayes Cottage, the Soldiers Home barracks replica, the Confederate Soldiers Museum, the gift shop, and director's home were totally destroyed. Artifacts were photographed, inventoried, boxed and placed in environmental storage while conservation of the items and Beauvoir Historic Site were under way. On January 9, 2007, a bid of $4.1 million was taken to rebuild the library and museum. Because of hurricane damage, renovation of the original Jefferson Davis presidential library was deemed impossible; consequently, the newly rebuilt library was rededicated and opened to the public on June 3, 2013. The

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

paid $4 million to repair Beauvoir and an additional $10 million to construct the new library. The William Beckwith statue of Davis that once graced the rotunda of the library now stands near the entrance, along with a statue by Gary Casteel that was added in 2009.

References

External links

; Official * ; General information
The Jefferson Davis Estate Papers
at the

Mississippi Department of Archives and History Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is a state agency. It is the official archive of the Mississippi Government. Location The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is located in Jackson. The William F. Winter Archives ...

The Papers of Jefferson Davis
at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum 1998 establishments in Mississippi Davis, Jefferson Buildings and structures in Biloxi, Mississippi Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Mississippi Library buildings completed in 2013 Libraries in Mississippi Presidential Library Museums in Harrison County, Mississippi Davis, Jefferson Sons of Confederate Veterans

Facilities

See also

References

External links