Biloxi Light, and Beauvoir Mansion, Biloxi, MS

The Biloxi Lighthouse was authorized by the United States Congress on March 3, 1847. $12,000 was authorized for the construction. The Baltimore foundry of Murray and Hazlehurst was contracted to build the iron lighthouse structure. Following its completion in 1848 the tower was placed into operation. Biloxi Lighthouse stands at 45 feet (14 m) from the base to the lantern room. The first keeper was Marcellus J. Howard.

Biloxi Lighthouse holds the distinction of having been kept by female keepers for more years than any other lighthouse in the United States.

Throughout its history, the lighthouse has survived many catastrophic hurricanes, including the great storms of 1947, 1969 and 2005. Inside the tower, lines are painted on the wall to mark historic storm surges. The hurricanes of 1855 and 1906 reached 14.0 feet, a 1909 hurricane crested at 15.0 feet, and in 1969 Hurricane Camille's crested at 17.5 feet. Hurricane Katrina (2005), currently holds the record with a marked crest of 21.5 feet.

In 1699 French colonists landed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at what was to become the first permanent settlement in French Louisiana. The initial settelment at Fort Maurepas, which was in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was under the command of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. Louisiana (La Louisiane) was bordered by Spanish Florida at the Perdido River in Pensacola, Florida (setteled by the Spanish 1559)

The word Biloxi stems from a French pronunciation of Bilocci, a of the (the local Native American tribe). The entire area was often referred to as "Fort Bilocci". In 1720, the capital of (French) Louisiana was moved to Biloxi from Mobile.

Due to the constant threat of and hurricanes, governor Bienville later moved the capital of Louisiana from Biloxi to La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans), in 1722.

In 1763, following the loss of France agianst Britain in the Seven Years' War, France ceded their colonies east of the Mississippi River, to Britain, except for New Orleans, as part of the Treaty of Paris. Simultaneously, both the French colonies west of the Mississippi, and New Orleans, was ceded to Spain as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

The Beauvoir estate is the post-Civil War home of the former President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, (1807-1889). The homes' construction began in 1848. It was purchased by Samuel and Sarah Dorsey in 1873. After her husband's death in 1875, the widow, Sarah Dorsey invited Jefferson Davis to visit the plantation and offered him a cottage near the main house, where he could live and work on his memoirs ("Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government"). He ended up living there until his death.
Mrs. Dorsey bequeathed her entire estate, including "Beauvoir" to Jefferson Davis, through his youngest daughter, "Winnie" Davis. The Davis family lived there until former President Davis' death in 1889. at which time they relocated to New York City.

The home was later sold to the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans so that it could be used as a Confederate state veterans home, and later as a lasting memorial to Jefferson Davis. The property was used as such until 1953. Following the death of the last Mississippi veteran of the Army of the Confederate States, the main house was adapted as a museum, and in 1998, a Presidential Library.

Both the main house and library were severely damaged, and several other outbuildings were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 but have since been repaired. The home and grounds are open to the public daily.