Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for July 2023 - First White House of the Confederacy

Almost two dozen Confederate compatriots gathered on Thursday evening July 13th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge for the monthly meeting of SCV Camp 1524.  Chaplain Brantley opened the meeting with an Invocation and Color Sgt Dennis led everyone in the pledges and salutes to the flags followed by Commander Waldo reciting the SCV Charge.  Upcoming events and announcements were highlighted including the annual membership renewals and Dixie butt fundraiser upcoming.  

The guest speaker for the month was Col. Jayson Altieri who presented on the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery.  Jayson is a volunteer docent (historian) at the FWHC which is open weekdays from 8:00-3:30 and on Saturdays 8:30-3:00. The FWHC operating budget comes from the state capital grounds budget as it sits on state property; donations and sales from the gift shop go towards cleaning and upkeep of the furnishings in the house.; there are approximately $2M in period furnishings in the house.  The FWHC was purchased by the First White House Association in 1900 and moved to it's current location in 1921 and bequeathed to the state soon thereafter.  

The house is an Italianate design built in 1825 near the railroad depot by the Alabama River by William Sayre who was a land owner and cotton trader who helped build the area's first railroads as he sought a means to ship his cotton to Mobile while the routes by the Alabama River and by dirt roads were slow and dangerous.  An interesting side note highlighted by Jayson was that Zelda Sayre was grandniece to William and she met F. Scott Fitzgerald at a Montgomery society event when he was stationed nearby in the US Army, later marrying the author of The Great Gatsby".  The house was leased by the Confederate government for a residence for President Davis and his wife who entertained local society, political and military leaders there. 

The eaves along the roofline which serve to enhance cooling ventilation to the attic have cast iron Liberty Cap motif coverings; this Liberty Cap comes from an ancient Turkish design and the motif has become the insignia for the First White House Association.   There are two parlors on the first floor of the house which have red woven carpets covering the floor - these were not original to the house but date to 1857 from Georgia and are representative of the period.  The furnishings throughout the house that are either period correct or actually owned by the Davis'.  Period furnishings include the piano and dining room set on the first floor.  President Davis penned his seminal "Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government" at a desk which can be found in the house.  One bedroom has the furniture arranged just as Mrs.Davis had it from her apartment in the Majestic Hotel off Central Park in New York where she lived following the death of Pres. Davis til her own death in 1906.  A set of her china is displayed in the dining room. 

The house includes some special displays including that of a gunboat quilt.  These quilts were sewn by local community ladies for soldiers and auctioned off to raise money for the building of gunboats for the Confederate navy.  There are other items of personal memorabilia belonging to the Davis' on display in the FWHC.