Visiting the Jefferson Davis House in New Orleans’ Garden District
Along the oak-lined streets of New Orleans’ elegant Garden District, it’s easy to get distracted by iron rod fences, stunning balconies, and mansions that feel frozen in time. We did a self-guided walking tour of the Garden District while visiting the Big Easy for a few days.
My wife and I hopped a historic streetcar near the French Quarter, where we were staying, and headed down the track to walk through the historic neighborhood.
A big highlight for a history nerd like me was that at 1134 First Street. The quiet Greek Revival home holds a surprisingly weighty chapter of American history — the Payne-Strachan House, often called the Jefferson Davis House.
Built in 1849 for cotton merchant Jacob Upshur Payne, the residence represents classic antebellum Garden District architecture — wide galleries, airy verandas, and stately symmetry reflecting the wealth that shaped this neighborhood in the 19th century.
The Final Days of Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis — former president of the Confederate States — frequently visited the home because of his friendship with the Payne family. In November of 1889, while traveling via steamboat from New Orleans to visit his Brierfield Plantation in Mississippi, he became seriously ill and was brought to the Payne home to recover.
He never left. Davis died inside the house on December 6, 1889, turning the ordinary private home into a historical landmark connected to the Civil War’s aftermath and memory.
For a time, his body was buried in New Orleans before eventually being moved to Richmond, Virginia’s Hollywood Cemetery , where it remains today.
Visiting Today
The Payne-Strachan House is a private residence, so you can’t tour the interior — but it remains a highlight on Garden District walking routes. From the sidewalk, you can still appreciate:
- The double-gallery Greek Revival façade
- The pastel “haint blue” porch ceiling (a Southern tradition meant to repel spirits and insects)
- The quiet contrast between grand beauty and complicated history
The Garden District itself was developed between 1832 and 1900 and is considered one of the best preserved collections of historic mansions in the South — meaning the walk to see the house is just as memorable as the destination.
