First White House of the Confederacy

The First White House of the Confederacy is a historic house in Montgomery, Alabama. It was the first home for President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis and his family in early 1861. This house, built in 1835 in an Italianate style, was moved to its current spot in 1919. Today, it is filled with original furniture from the 1850s and 1860s and is open for people to visit.

The house was important because it was where President Davis worked and lived when the Confederate States of America was just beginning. It helps us learn about life during that time. The house has been recognized for its history, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 2012. It stands as a reminder of a significant period in American history.

Layout

The First White House of the Confederacy is a large, two-story wooden house painted white and green. It has five sections across the front and four on each side. The main part of the house has a smaller wing at the back with chimneys on the ends. The house sits on brick supports and has a special design around its slanted roof. In the middle of the front is a covered entrance supported by tall, carved columns. Inside, there is a central staircase leading to rooms such as parlors and bedrooms. The second floor also has bedrooms and what was likely used as a nursery.

History

The house was built between 1832 and 1835 by a local merchant named William Sayre. It was originally located at the corner of Bibb and Lee Streets in Montgomery, Alabama. Later, it was owned by J. G. Winter, who remodeled it and sold it to Edmond Harrison from nearby Prattville, Alabama.

In February 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress, meeting in Montgomery, chose to lease an executive mansion. Harrison offered to rent the house fully furnished for $5,000 per year. The Davises, who became the leaders of the Confederacy, asked for extra silver and linen, which added $987 to the lease price. They brought more items from their home in Biloxi, Mississippi. During their time there, they held many parties and events. Varina Davis hosted the first of these parties for the ladies of Montgomery. The events were described as both fancy and well-organized.

In May 1861, the capital of the Confederacy moved to Richmond, Virginia. The Davises left the Montgomery house on May 27, 1861, and moved to the Second White House of the Confederacy in Richmond. The Confederate government then sold the lease on the house.

After the American Civil War ended, the house passed to William Crawford Gibb and later to the Tyson family in 1871. In 1900, the White House Association of Alabama was formed to take over the project, but they couldn’t move the house because they didn’t own the land. With help from the Alabama Legislature, they bought the house in 1919 and moved it to its current location at 644 Washington Street. By 1921, the house was restored there.

Today, the house is open to visitors. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974 and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage since 2012.