The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum is the library of

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 ...

President of the Confederate States of America The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate A ...

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 Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

, United States.

Facilities

The 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 agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

, 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. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

. It is, however, supported by the

State of Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, as is described on a plaque at the library entrance. The library is managed by the Mississippi Division,

Sons of Confederate Veterans The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers that commemorates these ancestors, funds and dedicates monuments to them, and promotes the pseudohisto ...

, and features continually changing temporary exhibits and a permanent exhibit covering Davis's life. On August 29, 2005, the library suffered heavy damage from the fierce wind and water of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

. The library pavilion, the Hayes Cottage, the Soldiers Home barracks replica, the Confederate Soldiers Museum, the gift shop, and the 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 underway. On January 9, 2007, the library accepted a $4.1 million bid to rebuild the library and museum. Because of hurricane damage, renovation of the original library was deemed impossible; a 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. A statue of Davis by sculptor William Beckwith is on display outside the museum.

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 founded in 1902. It is the official archive of the Mississippi Government. Location The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is located at 200 North St., Jackson, ...

The Papers of Jefferson Davis
at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

{{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 Monuments and memorials completed in the 2010s

Facilities

See also

References

External links