Dixie White House
Pass Christian, Harrison County, Mississippi
Marker Inscription
Dixie "White House." Built by John Backe of New Orleans in 1851. Here in 1913 Pres. Woodrow Wilson and family spent winter vacation as guests of the owner, Miss Alice Herndon. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, 2008.
Erected by Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The Story
Built in 1851 by John Backe of New Orleans, this Pass Christian home hosted President Woodrow Wilson and his family for a winter vacation in 1913, as guests of owner Miss Alice Herndon. The stay gave the house its enduring nickname, the "Dixie White House." The Mississippi Department of Archives and History placed the marker in 2008.
Why it matters
It records a moment when the Gulf Coast served as a presidential retreat, linking a graceful antebellum home to the office of the presidency.
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Related people
- · Woodrow Wilson
- · John Backe
- · Alice Herndon
Themes & tags
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