First Confederate White House

The second stop on our tour of Montgomery was at the house designated as the Executive Residence by the provisional Confederate Congress in 1861. It served as the official home of President Jefferson Davis until the Confederate Capital was moved to Richmond, VA later that year. The house was built by William Sayre and was originally located at Bibb and Lee Streets. It was moved to its present location across the street from the south side of the state capitol building in 1921.

President Jefferson Davis

The Italianate style home was built in 1835 and is completely furnished with original period pieces from the 1850s and 1860s. Many personal items of President and Mrs. Davis are in the house as well as authentic furnishings of the period. 

It is a Confederate house museum which tells three stories: 1) What happened during the spring of 1861 when a government was formed from few resources except cotton and courage. 2) The story of Jefferson Davis, a renowned American patriot long before The War, and his family. 3) The story of the preservation of the House.