Grass Lawn, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi Virtual Tours

Historic Marker on U. S. Highway 90 A Virtual Tour of Grass Lawn

NEXT Image in Tour

Special Note: Unfortunately, Grass Lawn was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. These images show what was before Katrina turned our world upside down. I edit this (1 March 2005... 6 months after Katrina) (See end of this paragraph for 2009 update.) from our FEMA box ... they call it a camper. It is in our front yard. But back to Grass Lawn .... The City of Gulfport owned the historic structure. It has plans of the original building and hopes to rebuild a replica. We hope this will come true. At least one or two Gulfport private homes on Highway 90 ... the beach road ... are rebuilding the remains. Most of our historic homes are gone. Beauvoir, The Last Home of Jefferson Davis is rebuilding! It hopes to be back open to the public in two or three years.

In August 2009 I am pleased to report that a replica of Grasslawn is being built on the original site and is nearing completion. While very little was left after Katrina, the replica is supposed to be a good copy of the way it looked originally.

On other historic structures:

Beauvoir, The Last Home of Jefferson Davis has been repaired and is open to the public. The two cottages have been replicated. The Presidential Library is next to be rebuilt.

The old courthouse in Gulfport is being replicated.

The Mississippi Gulfcoast is back!! We still have a lot to do, but tourists will find that they have most everything of interest back in operation.

Thanks to all the voulunteers who have helped so many of us get back into our homes.

Located at 720 East Beach in Gulfport, Mississippi, Grass Lawn (also known as the Milner Home, is owned and operated by the City of Gulfport, Department of Leisure Services, P.O. Box 651, Gulfport, MS 39502. Phone 228-864-5019

The beautiful home on the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico was built in 1836 by Dr. Hiram A. Roberts, a Port Gibson surgeon, as a summer home.

Construction is of hand hewn cypress and pine timbers. Wood pegs hold them together.

It has 10-foot wide galleries (porches) supported by box columns, two stories high. Wooden balustrades enclose the columns. The balusters are of triangular design. This is considered to be a Grass Lawn Trademark.

There are three 20 - by - 20 foot rooms on each floor. The flooring is edge grained heart pine. The mantles in the west rooms are of fine white marble while those in the east rooms are of black marble.

Grass Lawn originally had 235 acres of gardens and orchards. The property was subdivided in 1905. John Kennedy Milner then purchased the home.

The home has been on the National Register since 1972. The Milner family sold it to the City of Gulfport in 1973.

The furnishings are not original, but of the period.

Grass Lawn is used for entertainment of dignitaries, weddings, receptions and parties. Tours are provided. The preservation is by the City of Gulfport, the Old Spanish Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. The Foundation accepts tax-deductible memberships and donation.