White House of the Confederacy - Richmond

The White House of the Confederacy is located on Clay Street in the Court End District of Richmond, Virginia.  The Federal Style building was erected in 1818 for Dr. John Brockenbrough, and designed by architect Robert Mills, the same man responsible for nearby Monumental Church.  The home went through several hands after Brockenbrough sold it in 1844, eventually winding up in the possession of the City of Richmond.  From August, 1861 to April, 1865 the home served as the second Executive Mansion for President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis, his wife Varina, and their family.  During his family's short stay here they would experience both tragedy and joy, with Davis's son, Joseph, dying here from injuries sustained in a fall, and his Son, William, and daughter, Winnie, being born here.  In April, 1865, with the fall of Richmond at hand, Davis sent his family south to escape the invading Union forces, while he remained until April 2, when he abandoned Richmond for good.  After the fall of Richmond, and shortly after Davis's departure, Abraham Lincoln visited the city, and particularly the Confederate White House, where he spent some time here visiting his counterpart's home.  The Confederate Memorial Literary Society bought the house in 1893 to save it from demolition, and opened it as a museum in 1896.  Renovations during the 1980's returned the home to its Jefferson Davis era look.  Today the house, along with a museum next door, serves as one of the largest repositories of Confederate memorabilia in the country.  The White House of the Confederacy was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, and added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1969.      

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