The Burt-Stark Mansion, also known as Armistead Burt House, in

Abbeville, South Carolina Abbeville is a city and county seat of Abbeville County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located west of Columbia and south of Greenville. Its population was 5,237 at the 2010 census. Settled by French Huguenot settlers, it was n ...

was the site of the last Council of War of cabinet members of the Confederate government. On May 2, 1865,

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

, hoping to continue the struggle, met unanimous opposition and realized the Confederate independence cause was lost. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1992 for being where Davis had his last council of war.

History

The property has had seven owners. The original owner, David Lesley, owned it until he died in 1855. He had hired Johnson, an English landscaper, to organize the property. The next owner was a Presbyterian pastor, Thomas A. Hoyt, who owned it until 1859 when he was sent to another church in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. A banker from

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, Andrew Simonds, bought it from Hoyt and, in 1862, sold it to

Armistead Burt Armistead Burt (November 13, 1802 – October 30, 1883) was a planter, slaveholder and U.S. Representative from South Carolina. Database at Born at Clouds Creek, near Edgefield, Edgefield County, South Carolina, Burt moved with his parents t ...

, who owned it when Jefferson Davis used the building. Davis' wife,

Varina Davis Varina Anne Banks Davis ( Howell; May 7, 1826 – October 16, 1906) was the only First Lady of the Confederate States of America, and the longtime second wife of President Jefferson Davis. She moved to the presidential mansion in Richmond, ...

, had met Armistead Burt when Jefferson Davis first entered the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in December 1845. Burt invited Varina Davis and her children to his house, as Varina was sent away from

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. Varina suggested to Burt that U.S. soldiers might eventually burn the house for harboring her, but he said there would be no greater cause than for his house to be burnt for. Varina moved to the mansion on April 17. Days later, after Varina fled further south, Davis came to the house. On May 2, 1865, between four and six in the afternoon, Jefferson Davis held his final war council, with Secretary of War

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861. Assuming office at the age of 36, Breckinrid ...

, Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin, and several military officers, most notable of them

Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army Officer (armed forces), officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate General officers in the Confederate States Army, general in th ...

and Basil W. Duke. Davis wanted to continue the fight, using the forces west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, but the others disagreed. When Davis asked the men why they were still there, they replied it was to ensure Davis got to safety. After fuming for several minutes, Davis resigned himself to the decision of the others, effectively ending the existence of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

. However, the last land Confederate force to surrender would not be until June 24, when

Stand Watie Brigadier-General Stand Watie (; December 12, 1806September 9, 1871), also known as Standhope Uwatie and Isaac S. Watie, was a Cherokee politician who served as the second principal chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1862 to 1866. The Cherokee ...

surrendered in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

; the last Confederate naval vessel surrendered at Liverpool later that year. After the Abbeville meeting, the cabinet, Davis, a 3,000-strong protective force, and the Confederate treasury dispersed.Gipson, Steve. ''The Great Civil War Exposition and Living History Show'' videorecording 1996 After the war, in 1868, Burt sold the house in bankruptcy. A local planter, James R. Norwood, bought it; when he died in 1875, his widow and daughter inherited it. James Samuel Stark and his wife bought it from them in 1900 and restored the building. On their death, their daughter Mary Stark Davis inherited it. After Davis died in the fall of 1987, the Abbeville Historic Preservation Commission was given control of the house and has operated tours of it ever since.

Construction

The house is a white

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style two-story house with a frame structure and lap siding. A front pedimented

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

, also two stories high, is supported by four square columns. Underneath this is a small wooden latticework second-story balcony. It has a

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

foundation with wooden walls. The roof is made of

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

and

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

, with both

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

and

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

shingles Shingles, also known as herpes zoster or zona, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. T ...

. The shutters on all the windows are original. There were several exterior buildings, but the only one still standing was the kitchen; the other buildings on the property were a carriage house, cow barn, milk house, smokehouse, and well house. Spacious rooms and high ceilings mark the interior. A central great hall with an Adam fanlight is the main entrance to the domicile, with a drawing room on each side. Jefferson Davis held his final war council with

, his Secretary of War, and senior military officials in the left drawing room. Before the war, the wide double doors would open to create a ballroom from the entire front area. After the war, the only additions to the house were a bathroom and a northwest corner wing, which provided extra kitchen space. Most of the furnishings are from the 1850s and 1860s. It was built in the 1830s by David Lesley, a local attorney, judge, planter, and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Church elder. Lesley had seen a house in the Northern United States that he liked and chose that house as the prototype for his own. He sent Cubic, an enslaved man who was a master carpenter, to look at the prototype house, and he then oversaw the construction of Lesley's reproduction.

References

External links

Official site
* {{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Museums in Abbeville County, South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Historic house museums in South Carolina American Civil War museums in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Abbeville County, South Carolina Houses in Abbeville County, South Carolina