First White House of the Confederacy
Encyclopedia
The First White House of the Confederacy was the executive residence of President Jefferson Davis
and family while the capital of the Confederate States of America
was in Montgomery, Alabama
. Completely furnished with original period pieces from the 1850s and 1860s, the 1835 Italianate
-style house is open to the public. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1974.
In February 1861, shortly after selecting Davis as president, the Provisional Confederate Congress
, meeting in Montgomery, authorized the leasing of an executive mansion. An offer came from Colonel Edmund S. Harrison of nearby Prattville, Alabama
, who had recently purchased a newly renovated house in Montgomery that had previously been owned by a series of prominent citizens of the city. He offered to rent the house fully furnished and staffed for $5,000 per year.
The house served as the first White House of the Confederacy from February 1861 until late May 1861, when the Confederate capital moved to Richmond, Virginia
. During that time, the White House was the setting for many lavish parties and receptions hosted by Mrs. Davis.
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
and family while the capital of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
was in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. Completely furnished with original period pieces from the 1850s and 1860s, the 1835 Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
-style house is open to the public. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1974.
In February 1861, shortly after selecting Davis as president, the Provisional Confederate Congress
Provisional Confederate Congress
The Provisional Confederate Congress, for a time the legislative branch of the Confederate States of America, was the body which drafted the Confederate Constitution, elected Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy, and designed the first Confederate flag...
, meeting in Montgomery, authorized the leasing of an executive mansion. An offer came from Colonel Edmund S. Harrison of nearby Prattville, Alabama
Prattville, Alabama
Prattville is a city in Autauga and Elmore counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 33,960. Nicknamed "The Fountain City" due to the many artesian wells in the area, Prattville is part of the Montgomery metropolitan statistical area and serves as...
, who had recently purchased a newly renovated house in Montgomery that had previously been owned by a series of prominent citizens of the city. He offered to rent the house fully furnished and staffed for $5,000 per year.
The house served as the first White House of the Confederacy from February 1861 until late May 1861, when the Confederate capital moved to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. During that time, the White House was the setting for many lavish parties and receptions hosted by Mrs. Davis.
External links
- Visiting information - Montgomery Convention & Visitor Bureau
- First White House of the Confederacy: Alabama Tourism Department