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107-474: The location of the former hospital has gained notoriety as a stigmatized property due to public perception of its haunted origins. Prior to the construction of the hospital building, the lot was used as the former municipal cemetery and burial grounds for the City of Houston where thousands of Confederate States Army soldiers, former slaves, and city officials were laid to rest. The municipal cemetery operated on

214-749: A Catholic preparatory school run by Dominicans near Springfield, Kentucky . In 1818, Davis returned to Mississippi, where he briefly studied at Jefferson College in Washington . He then attended the Wilkinson County Academy near Woodville for five years. In 1823, Davis attended Transylvania University in Lexington . While he was still in college in 1824, he learned that his father Samuel had died. Before his death, Samuel had fallen into debt and sold Rosemont and most of his slaves to his eldest son Joseph Emory Davis , who already owned

321-438: A Union with those who have already shown the will   ...to deprive you of your birthright and to reduce you to worse than the colonial dependence of your fathers." In February 1860, Davis presented a series of resolutions defining the relationship between the states under the constitution, including the assertion that Americans had a constitutional right to bring slaves into territories. These resolutions were seen as setting

428-668: A crisis because the Confederacy needed time to organize its resources. To ensure that no attack on Fort Sumter was launched without his command, Davis had appointed Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard to command all Confederate troops in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina. Davis sent a commission to Washington to negotiate the evacuation of the forts, but President of the United States Lincoln refused to meet with it. When Lincoln informed Davis that he intended to reprovision Fort Sumter, Davis convened with

535-657: A debate on the Lecompton Constitution submitted by a convention in Kansas Territory . If approved, it would have allowed Kansas to be admitted as a slave state. Davis supported it, but it was not accepted, in part because the leading Democrat in the North, Stephen Douglas , argued it did not represent the true will of the settlers in the territory. The controversy undermined the alliance between Northern and Southern Democrats. Davis's participation in

642-421: A facility called Jefferson Davis, which later become a community clinic and psychiatric treatment center. The similarity between the two facilities, Jefferson Davis Hospital and Jefferson Davis on Allen Parkway, has been the source of confusion for many commentators, resulting in false rumors that Jefferson Davis Hospital was once a mental asylum. During the period following the closing of Jefferson Davis Hospital,

749-481: A family and lived to be 54; Jefferson Davis Jr., born in 1857, who died of yellow fever at age 21; Joseph Evan, born 1859, who died from an accidental fall at age five; William Howell, born 1861, who died of diphtheria at age 10; and Varina Anne , born 1864, who remained single and lived to be 34. In July 1845, Davis became a candidate for the United States House of Representatives . He ran on

856-474: A lack of maintenance, causing the city to reconsider use of the location for public health services. In the early 1920s, the Houston City Council began planning the construction of Jefferson Davis Hospital. Controversy erupted over the proposal that the hospital would disturb the graves of those buried in the former municipal cemetery. When construction began in 1924, the basement of the building

963-560: A large estate in Davis Bend, Mississippi , about 15 miles (24 km) south of Vicksburg, Mississippi . Joseph, who was 23 years older than Davis, informally became his surrogate father. His older brother Joseph got Davis appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1824, where he became friends with classmates Albert Sidney Johnston and Leonidas Polk . Davis frequently challenged

1070-477: A member from each of the states of the Confederacy, including Texas which had recently seceded: Robert Toombs of Georgia for Secretary of State, Christopher Memminger of South Carolina for Secretary of the Treasury, LeRoy Walker of Alabama for Secretary of War, John Reagan of Texas for Postmaster General, Judah P. Benjamin of Louisiana for Attorney General, and Stephen Mallory of Florida for Secretary of

1177-472: A partial "green" roof, making it the first Artspace project to feature this environmentally sustainable amenity. Prior to its construction, the property was first used as a municipal cemetery beginning in the 1840s to replace Old City Cemetery , one of the oldest sites in Houston, which was active until the 1880s (a.k.a., Old Houston City Cemetery). Over the next few decades, thousands of people were buried on

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1284-529: A platform emphasizing a strict constructionist view of the constitution, states' rights , tariff reductions, and opposition to a national bank. He won the election and entered the 29th Congress. Davis opposed using federal monies for internal improvements, which he believed would undermine the autonomy of the states. He supported the American annexation of Oregon, but through peaceful compromise with Britain. On May 11, 1846, he voted for war with Mexico. At

1391-516: A senator. When Calhoun died in the spring of 1850, Davis became the senatorial spokesperson for the South. The Congress debated Henry Clay 's resolutions, which sought to address the sectional and territorial problems of the nation and became the basis for the Compromise of 1850 . Davis was against the resolutions because he felt they would put the South at a political disadvantage. He opposed

1498-766: A stalemate at the Battle of Perryville , Bragg and Smith retreated to Tennessee. In December, Bragg was defeated at the Battle of Stones River . In response to the defeat and the lack of coordination, Davis reorganized the command in the West in November, combining the armies in Tennessee and Vicksburg into a department under the overall command of Joseph Johnston. Davis expected Johnston to relieve Bragg of his command, but Johnston refused. During this time, Secretary of War Randolph resigned because he felt Davis refused to give him

1605-433: A storage facility for the county from the 1960s to the 1980s until its abandonment. The probation office also inhabited a building next to the site that is also rumored to be haunted, due to its sharing of the same cemetery as the hospital building, the morgue of the former Jefferson Davis Hospital, and because it is bordered by the black earth graves , which are theorized to have been left by an English colony dating back to

1712-606: A woman of Scots-Irish descent whom he had met in South Carolina during his military service, in 1783. Around 1793, Samuel and Jane moved to Kentucky. Jefferson was born on June 3, 1808, at the family homestead in Davisburg, a village Samuel had established that later became Fairview, Kentucky . He was named after then-President Thomas Jefferson . In 1810, the Davis family moved to Bayou Teche , Louisiana. Less than

1819-522: A year later, they moved to a farm near Woodville, Mississippi , where Samuel cultivated cotton, acquired twelve slaves, and built a house that Jane called Rosemont . During the War of 1812 , three of Davis's brothers served in the military. When Davis was around five, he received a rudimentary education at a small schoolhouse near Woodville. When he was about eight, his father sent him with Major Thomas Hinds and his relatives to attend Saint Thomas College ,

1926-469: Is disclosure. Depending on the jurisdiction of the house, the seller may not be required to disclose the full facts. Some specific types must always be disclosed, others are up to the jurisdiction, and still others up to the realtor. The types of stigma include: At least in the United States, the principle of caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") was held for many years to govern sales. As

2033-543: Is the house at 74 Surfside Avenue in Montauk, New York that belonged to Norman Kean, a Broadway producer who killed himself in 1988 after stabbing his wife Gwyda Donhowe over 60 times. Actress Tuesday Weld bought the house in 1990, but when Weld decided to sell in 2006, it took three years for her to find a buyer. In 2009, she finally sold it for about $ 2.25 million under asking. Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808 – December 6, 1889)

2140-509: The Battle of Bad Axe , which ended the war. When Black Hawk was captured, Davis escorted him for detention in St. Louis. Black Hawk stated that Davis treated him with kindness. After Davis's return to Fort Crawford in January 1833, he and Taylor's daughter, Sarah, became romantically involved. Davis asked Taylor if he could marry Sarah, but Taylor refused. In spring, Taylor had him assigned to

2247-496: The Battle of Buena Vista on February 22, 1847. He was wounded in the heel during the fighting, but his actions stopped an attack by the Mexican forces that threatened to collapse the American line. In May, Polk offered him a federal commission as a brigadier general . Davis declined the appointment, arguing he could not directly command militia units because the U.S. Constitution gives the power of appointing militia officers to

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2354-692: The Missouri Compromise 's limits on slavery and left the decision about a territory's slaveholding status to popular sovereignty , which allowed the territory's residents to decide. The passage of this bill led to the demise of the Whig party, which had tried to limit expansion of slavery in the territories. It also contributed to the rise of the Republican Party and the increase of civil violence in Kansas . The Democratic nomination for

2461-851: The Sixth Ward , Hogg Middle School in Woodland Heights , and Heights High School (formerly Reagan High School) in the Houston Heights . The former Jefferson Davis Hospital building was featured in the Hollywood production of RoboCop 2 as the location where the fictitious drug "nuke" was manufactured. Stigmatized property In real estate , stigmatized property is property that buyers or tenants may shun for reasons that are unrelated to its physical condition or features. These can include death of an occupant, murder , suicide , previous illicit activities, and even

2568-661: The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. The commanders responsible for the defeat were Brigadier Generals Gideon Pillow and John B. Floyd , political generals that Davis had been required to appoint. Davis gathered troops defending the Gulf Coast and concentrated them with A. S. Johnston's remaining forces. Davis favored using this concentration in an offensive. Johnston attacked the Union forces at Shiloh in southwestern Tennessee on April 6. The attack failed, and Johnston

2675-865: The United States Regiment of Dragoons under Colonel Henry Dodge . He was promoted to first lieutenant and deployed at Fort Gibson in Arkansas Territory . In February 1835, Davis was court-martialed for insubordination. He was acquitted. He requested a furlough, and immediately after it ended, he tendered his resignation, which was effective on June 30. Davis decided to become a cotton planter . He returned to Mississippi where his brother Joseph had developed Davis Bend into Hurricane Plantation , which eventually had 1,700 acres (690 ha) of cultivated fields with over 300 slaves. Joseph loaned him funds to buy ten slaves and provided him with 800 acres (320 ha), though Joseph retained

2782-642: The " Mississippi Rifles ". Davis's regiment was assigned to the army of his former father-in-law, Zachary Taylor, in northeastern Mexico. Davis distinguished himself at the Battle of Monterrey in September by leading a charge that took the fort of La Teneria. He then went on a two-month leave and returned to Mississippi, where he learned that Joseph had submitted Davis's resignation from the House of Representatives in October. Davis returned to Mexico and fought in

2889-405: The 1600s. Reports of paranormal activity in the probation building have included: noises in the attic, a woman spotted in the upper stories that is believed to have been used as a dormitory for the nurses who worked at Jefferson Davis Hospital, and figures entering the ladies' restroom never to be seen again, and police dogs which refused to enter the building when a fire alarm was triggered. During

2996-746: The 1856 presidential election went to James Buchanan . Knowing his term was over when the Pierce administration ended in 1857, Davis ran for the Senate once more and re-entered it on March 4, 1857. In the same month, the United States Supreme Court decided the Dred Scott case , which ruled that slavery could not be barred from any territory. The Senate recessed in March and did not reconvene until November 1857. The session opened with

3103-418: The Confederacy and regain Tennessee, but he did not create a unified command. He formed a new department independent of Bragg under Major General Edmund Kirby Smith at Knoxville, Tennessee . In August, both Bragg and Smith invaded Kentucky. Frankfort was briefly captured and a Confederate governor was inaugurated, but the attack collapsed, in part due to lack of coordination between the two generals. After

3210-410: The Confederacy. The American Civil War had begun. In addition to being the constitutional commander-in-chief of the Confederacy, Davis was operational military leader as the military departments reported directly to him. Many people, including Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Major General Leonidas Polk, thought he would direct the fighting, but he left that to his generals. Major fighting in

3317-545: The Confederate Congress on April 8 and gave orders to demand the immediate surrender of the fort or to reduce it. The commander of the fort, Major Robert Anderson , refused to surrender, and Beauregard began the attack on Fort Sumter early on April 12. After over thirty hours of bombardment, the fort surrendered. When Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion , four more states– Virginia , North Carolina , Tennessee , and Arkansas —joined

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3424-595: The East began an amphibious attack on the Virginia Peninsula , 75 miles from the Confederate capital of Richmond . Davis and Lee wanted Joseph Johnston, who commanded the Confederate army near Richmond, to make a stand at Yorktown . Instead, Johnston withdrew from the peninsula without informing Davis. Davis reminded Johnston that it was his duty to not let Richmond fall. On May 31, 1862, Johnston engaged

3531-460: The East began when a Union army advanced into northern Virginia in July 1861. It was defeated at Manassas by two Confederate forces commanded by Beauregard and Joseph Johnston. After the battle, Davis had to manage disputes with the two generals, both of whom felt they did not get the recognition they deserved. In the West, Davis had to address a problem caused by another general. Kentucky , which

3638-606: The Hurricane Plantation for the Christmas season. At the convention, Davis was selected as one of Mississippi's six presidential electors for the 1844 presidential election . Within a month of their meeting, 35-year-old Davis and Varina became engaged despite her parents' initial concerns about his age and politics. During the remainder of the year, Davis campaigned for the Democratic party, advocating for

3745-611: The Mexican–American War, claiming that Nicholas Trist , who negotiated the treaty, had done so as a private citizen and not a government representative. Instead, he advocated negotiating a new treaty ceding additional land to the United States, and opposed the application of the Wilmot Proviso to the treaty, which would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. During the 1848 presidential election, Davis chose not to campaign against Zachary Taylor, who

3852-688: The Navy. Davis stood in for Mississippi. During his presidency, Davis's cabinet often changed; there were fourteen different appointees for the positions, including six secretaries of war. On November 6, 1861 , Davis was elected president for a six-year term. He took office on February 22, 1862. As the Southern states seceded, state authorities took over most federal facilities without bloodshed. But four forts, including Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina , had not surrendered. Davis preferred to avoid

3959-464: The North, Lee invaded Maryland , but retreated back to Virginia after a bloody stalemate at Antietam in September. In December, Lee stopped another invasion of Virginia at the Battle of Fredericksburg . In the West, Bragg shifted most of his available forces from Tupelo to Chattanooga in July 1862 for an offensive toward Kentucky. Davis approved, suggesting that an attack could win Kentucky for

4066-544: The Senate was interrupted in early 1858 by a recurring case of iritis , which threatened the loss of his left eye. It left him bedridden for seven weeks. He spent the summer of 1858 in Portland, Maine recovering, and gave speeches in Maine, Boston, and New York, emphasizing the common heritage of all Americans and the importance of the constitution for defining the nation. His speeches angered some states' rights supporters in

4173-499: The Senate. He resigned in 1861 when Mississippi seceded from the United States. During the Civil War, Davis guided the Confederacy's policies and served as its commander in chief. When the Confederacy was defeated in 1865, Davis was captured, arrested for alleged complicity in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln , accused of treason , and imprisoned at Fort Monroe . He was released without trial after two years. Immediately after

4280-559: The South, requiring him to clarify his comments when he returned to Mississippi. Davis said that he appreciated the benefits of Union, but acknowledged that it could be dissolved if states' rights were violated or one section of the country imposed its will on another. Speaking to the Mississippi Legislature on November 16, 1858, Davis stated "if an Abolitionist be chosen President of the United States   ... I should deem it your duty to provide for your safety outside of

4387-457: The Union army counterattacked and Bragg's forces retreated to northern Georgia. Bragg resigned his command; Davis replaced him with Joseph Johnston but retained Bragg as an informal chief of staff. Davis had to address faltering civilian morale. In early spring, there were riots in Confederate cities as people began to suffer food shortages and price inflation. During one riot in Richmond,

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4494-555: The Union army less than ten miles from Richmond at the Battle of Seven Pines , where he was wounded. Davis put Lee in command. Lee began the Seven Days Battles less than a month later, pushing the Union forces back down the peninsula and eventually forcing them to withdraw from Virginia. Lee beat back another army moving into Virginia at the Battle of Second Manassas in August 1862. Knowing Davis desired an offensive into

4601-569: The United States have been removed . Jefferson F. Davis was the youngest of ten children of Jane and Samuel Emory Davis. Samuel Davis's father, Evan, who had a Welsh background, came to the colony of Georgia from Philadelphia. Samuel served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War , and received a land grant for his service near present-day Washington, Georgia . He married Jane Cook,

4708-570: The Western territories. He argued that because the territories were the common property of all the United States and lacked state sovereignty to ban slavery, slave owners had the equal right to settle them as any other citizens. Davis tried to amend the Oregon Bill to allow settlers to bring their slaves into Oregon Territory . He opposed ratifying the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which ended

4815-585: The academy's discipline. In his first year, he was court-martialed for drinking at a nearby tavern. He was found guilty but was pardoned. The following year, he was placed under house arrest for his role in the Eggnog Riot during Christmas 1826 but was not dismissed. He graduated 23rd in a class of 33. Second Lieutenant Davis was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment . He was accompanied by his personal servant James Pemberton, an enslaved African American whom he inherited from his father. In early 1829, he

4922-566: The admission of California as a free state without its first becoming a territory, asserting that a territorial government would give slaveowners the opportunity to colonize the region. He also tried to extend the Missouri Compromise Line to allow slavery to expand to the Pacific Ocean. He stated that not allowing slavery into the new territories denied the political equality of Southerners, and threatened to undermine

5029-472: The age of 21 on September 15, 1835, after only three months of marriage. For several years after Sarah's death, Davis spent much of his time developing Brierfield. In 1836, he possessed 23 slaves; by 1840, he possessed 40; and by 1860, 113. He made his first slave, James Pemberton, Brierfield's effective overseer, a position Pemberton held until his death around 1850. Davis continued his intellectual development by reading about politics, law and economics at

5136-636: The agenda for the Democratic Party nomination, ensuring that Douglas's idea of popular sovereignty, known as the Freeport Doctrine , would be excluded from the party platform. The Democratic party split—Douglas was nominated by the North and Vice President John C. Breckinridge was nominated by the South —and the Republican Party nominee Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election . Davis counselled moderation after

5243-633: The autonomy to do his job; Davis replaced him with James Seddon . In the winter of 1862, Davis decided to join the Episcopal Church ; in May 1863, he was confirmed at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond. On January 1, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation . Davis saw this as attempt to destroy the South by inciting its enslaved people to revolt, declaring the proclamation "the most execrable measure recorded in

5350-564: The balance of power between Northern and Southern states in the Senate. In the autumn of 1851, Davis was nominated to run for governor of Mississippi against Henry Stuart Foote , who had favored the Compromise of 1850. He accepted the nomination and resigned from the Senate, but Foote won the election by a slim margin. Davis turned down a reappointment to his Senate seat by outgoing Governor James Whitfield , settling in Brierfield for

5457-621: The beginning of the Mexican–American War , Mississippi raised a volunteer unit, the First Mississippi Regiment , for the U.S. Army. Davis expressed his interest in joining the regiment if he was elected its colonel, and in the second round of elections in June 1846 he was chosen. He did not give up his position as a U.S. Representative, but left a letter of resignation with his brother Joseph to submit when he thought it

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5564-592: The belief that a house is haunted . Controversy exists regarding the definitions of stigma and what sorts of stigma must be disclosed at sale. It is argued that the seller has a duty to disclose any such history of the property. This, in practice, falls into two categories: demonstrable (physical) and emotional. Local jurisdictions vary widely in their interpretation of these issues and occasionally contradict federal law. Many jurisdictions recognize several forms of stigmatized property, and have passed resolutions or statutes to deal with them. One issue that separates them

5671-423: The best route and sectional problems prevented any choice being made. Davis also argued for the acquisition of Cuba from Spain, seeing it as an opportunity to add the island, a strategic military location and potential slave state. He suggested that the size of the regular army was too small and that its salaries were too meagre. Congress agreed and authorized four new regiments and increased its pay scale. He ended

5778-502: The building atop an above-ground basement, paired with the buildings location on a high ridge, enhanced the flow of cross-through breezes. The tall stature of the building emphasized ventilation, which was considered as a method of combating airborne illnesses and increase the spirits of the critically ill and dying who inhabited the facilities. The second and third floors of the building featured two screened balconies to allow patients an opportunity to enjoy fresh-air without having to leave

5885-513: The building underwent numerous tenancy transfers. Initial propositions included using the facility as a contagious disease center. The building was first retained by the Harris County Hospital District as a medical records storage facility. Later tenants included a probation office, a convalescent home, a venereal disease clinic, a home for juvenile delinquents, a food stamp distribution site, a drug treatment center and

5992-423: The building without increasing its overall size. In 2005, W.O. Neohaus and Associates in collaboration with Development Partner Avenue Community Development Corporation, underwent a $ 6.3 million renovation project sponsored by Artspace to restore the building. The original architectural features have been preserved, which included the terrazzi floors, the high ceilings and the large window openings. The project added

6099-434: The concrete sills of blown-out windows." Senator John Cornyn's office described the building as, "a magnet for gangs and the homeless, as well as an attractive nuisance for youths." Due to its reputation for paranormal activity , the building had garnered tradition among the local population as a landmark that could be broken into on Halloween night for no-cost thrills. In 1995, the site of the former Jefferson Davis Hospital

6206-417: The defeats, with George W. Randolph . Davis kept Benjamin in the cabinet, making him secretary of state to replace Hunter, who had stepped down. In March, Davis vetoed a bill to create a commander in chief for the army, but he selected General Robert E. Lee to be his military advisor. They formed a close relationship, and Davis relied on Lee for counsel until the end of the war. In March, Union troops in

6313-446: The dilapidated property. The building was in a severe state of dilapidation due to its prolonged period of vacancy. 31 July 2003: A group of college students looking for ghosts was robbed on the premises. KTRK Television reports that the robbers fired gunshots at them, but no one was hurt. Efforts towards rehabilitation began in 2003, resulting in what was to become a substantial $ 6.3 million renovation project. The project would convert

6420-528: The election, but South Carolina adopted an ordinance of secession on December 20, 1860. Mississippi seceded on January 9, 1861, though Davis stayed in Washington until he received official notification on January 21. Calling it "the saddest day of my life", he delivered a farewell address, resigned from the Senate , and returned to Mississippi. Before his resignation, Davis had sent a telegraph to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus informing him that he

6527-403: The families of the deceased. Construction was completed in 1924 and the hospital opened its doors to patients in 1925 under the joint operation of the City of Houston and Harris County. However, use of the building as a municipal medical facility was short-lived, lasting only 13 years. By the late 1930s, the rapid metropolitan growth of the Houston area rendered the building inadequate to support

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6634-745: The former hospital quarters into a combined total of 34 artist lofts and residential housing units occupying a total space of 39,000 square feet, now designated as the Elder Street Artist Lofts. Funding for the project was provided in part by the City of Houston , Harris County, Texas , the Texas Department of Housing and Community Development and Avenue Community Development Corporation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also granted $ 200,000 for environmental clean-up that included asbestos abatement, lead abatement, and

6741-527: The healthcare needs of indigent population. On January 1, 1938, the city's primary municipal medical services relocated to the area now known as the Texas Medical Center in what was to become Ben Taub General Hospital . The hospital officially closed its doors in 1939. Secondary city-operated medical services were offered in the building until 1939 when the remaining clinical facilities relocated to Buffalo Drive (now known as Allen Parkway) in

6848-464: The history of guilty man". He requested a law that Union officers captured in Confederate states be delivered to state authorities and put on trial for inciting slave rebellion. In response, the Congress passed a law that Union officers of United States Colored Troops could be tried and executed, though none were during the war. The law also stated that captured black soldiers would be turned over to

6955-405: The hospital premises. In contrast to the lavish exterior, the interior features of the building were simple and unadorned, which appropriately reflected its establishment as a charity hospital for the indigent. Terrazo flooring was featured in the original construction and was included in later restorative efforts. A children's rooftop garden and playground also enhanced the traversable function of

7062-403: The house was haunted by evil spirits who drove them out. Their claims are supported by paranormal investigators such as Ed and Lorraine Warren and Hans Holzer , but dismissed as fraudulent by skeptics such as Robert Todd Carroll . Since the film's release, the house has been renovated and the address changed in an attempt to prevent sightseers from disturbing the neighborhood. Another example

7169-475: The idea of an implied warranty of habitability began to find purchase, however, issues like the stigma attached to a property based on acts, "haunting", or criminal activity began to make their way into legal precedents . In Stambovsky v. Ackley the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, affirmed a narrow interpretation of the idea of stigmatized property. The court held that since

7276-442: The large library Joseph and his wife, Eliza , maintained at Hurricane Plantation. Around this time, Davis became increasingly engaged in politics, benefiting from his brother's mentorship and political influence. Davis became publicly involved in politics in 1840 when he attended a Democratic Party meeting in Vicksburg and served as a delegate to the party's state convention in Jackson ; he served again in 1842. One week before

7383-472: The lot from 1840 until the mid-1890s when it fell into decay, resulting in the reclassification of the lot for use as a municipal hospital by the Houston City Council in the 1920s. Designed by Wilkes Alfred Dowdy , Architect for the City of Houston, the building for Jefferson Davis Hospital was constructed as a 4-story red brick Classical-revival style structure with handsomely detailed façade that included stone veneers and rows of double-hung windows. The design

7490-464: The manufacture of smoothbore muskets and shifted production to rifles, working to develop the tactics that accompany them. He oversaw the building of public works in Washington D.C., including the initial construction of the Washington Aqueduct . Davis assisted in the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 by allowing President Pierce to endorse it before it came up for a vote. This bill, which created Kansas and Nebraska territories, repealed

7597-431: The mayor of Richmond called the militia when a mob protesting food shortages broke into shops. Davis went to the scene and addressed the protesters, reminding them of their patriotic duty and promising them that he would get food. He then ordered them to disperse or he would command the soldiers to open fire; they dispersed. In October, Davis went on a month-long journey to rally the Confederacy, giving public speeches across

7704-504: The mid-1920s, were designed by W.A. Dowdy, an architect working for the city government. A January 2017 storm damaged the building's roof. Due to the damage it ultimately did not receive historic status, and the county proposed demolition that year. Following its completion the building was renamed the Elder Street Artists Lofts. The 34 residential/studio units were originally intended for only artists' occupancy, but

7811-478: The next fifteen months. He remained politically active, attending the Democratic convention in January 1852 and campaigning for Democratic candidates Franklin Pierce and William R. King during the presidential election of 1852 . In March 1853, President Franklin Pierce named Davis his Secretary of War . He championed a transcontinental railroad to the Pacific, arguing it was needed for national defense, and

7918-508: The nomination of John C. Calhoun . He preferred Calhoun because he championed Southern interests including the annexation of Texas , reduction of tariffs, and building naval defenses in southern ports. When the party chose James K. Polk for their presidential candidate, Davis campaigned for him. Davis and Varina married on February 26, 1845. They had six children: Samuel Emory, born in 1852, who died of an undiagnosed disease two years later; Margaret Howell, born in 1855, who married, raised

8025-431: The original cemetery or flower beds, although neither use has been confirmed. Other neo-classical elements included keystones over the basement windows and keystones over the pedimented entry doors at the basement level. The architect leveraged high ceilings and rows of numerous large windows to harness sunlight and increase ventilation, thus avoiding the cost of more expensive decorative adornments. The raised placement of

8132-402: The plaster walls, the interior window frames that were designed with curved-corners, and the modillion blocks at the buildings eaves. The concrete ceilings were left exposed and are crisscrossed with a modern intricate weaving of utility conduits, which avoided the need to modify the interior walls. Exterior preservation was also monitored to ensure historical accuracy. An archaeological survey of

8239-408: The property in question was previously marketed by the seller as a "haunted house" he was estopped from claiming the contrary. The majority opinion specifically noted that the veracity of the claims of paranormal activities were outside the purview of the opinion. Notwithstanding these conclusions, the court affirmed the dismissal of the fraudulent misrepresentation action and stated that the realtor

8346-417: The property was required to precede construction to be sure that existing graves were not disturbed since the site was a designated State Archaeological Landmark. Many of the exterior bricks had to be replaced and the walls repointed. The roof where the children's garden and playground once sat was replicated with asphalt of a similar color to the original tile that had fallen into severe disrepair. Restoration

8453-570: The removal of an underground storage tank. Construction planning commenced in 2003 and work began on September 23, 2004. Due to the site's designation as a historical landmark and building, the U.S. Department of the Interior carefully monitored the rehabilitation through the Texas Historical Commission . The overall footprint of the interior space was to be preserved and a historically accurate restoration helped to restore

8560-521: The same year, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives , serving for one year. From 1846 to 1847, he fought in the Mexican–American War as the colonel of a volunteer regiment. He was appointed to the United States Senate in 1847, resigning to unsuccessfully run as governor of Mississippi. In 1853, President Franklin Pierce appointed him Secretary of War . After Pierce's administration ended in 1857, Davis returned to

8667-414: The site and it became the final resting place for over 6,000 Confederate soldiers, former slaves, and city officials. Also included among the graves were thousands of victims of the yellow fever and cholera epidemics. Use of the location as a cemetery by the city discontinued in 1879, although family burials continued into the 1890s. By the early 1900s, the cemetery was in a gross state of deterioration due to

8774-579: The state election in November 1843, he was chosen to be the Democratic candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives for Warren County when the original candidate withdrew his nomination, though Davis lost the election. In early 1844, Davis was chosen to serve as a delegate to the state convention again. On his way to Jackson, he met Varina Banks Howell , the 18-year-old daughter of William Burr Howell and Margaret Kempe Howell , when he delivered an invitation from Joseph for her to visit

8881-523: The state. In April, Union forces resumed their attack on Vicksburg. Davis concentrated troops from across the south to counter the move, but Joseph Johnston did not stop the Union forces. Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton withdrew his army into Vicksburg, and after a siege , surrendered on July 4. The loss of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, Louisiana , led to Union control of the Mississippi. Davis relieved Johnston of his department command. During

8988-468: The states they were captured in to be dealt with as the state saw fit. In May, Lee broke up another invasion of Virginia at the Battle of Chancellorsville , and countered with an invasion into Pennsylvania . Davis approved, thinking that a victory in Union territory could gain recognition of Confederate independence, but Lee's army was defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg in July. After retreating to Virginia, Lee blocked any major Union offensives into

9095-571: The states, not the federal government. Instead, he accepted an appointment by Mississippi governor Albert G. Brown to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate left when Jesse Speight died. Davis took his seat in December 1847 and was made a regent of the Smithsonian Institution . The Mississippi legislature confirmed his appointment as senator in January 1848. He quickly established himself as an advocate of expanding slavery into

9202-409: The summer, Bragg's army was maneuvered out of Chattanooga and fell back to Georgia . In September, Bragg defeated the Union army at the Battle of Chickamauga , driving it back to Chattanooga, which he put under siege. Davis visited Bragg to address leadership problems in his army. Davis acknowledged that Bragg did not have the confidence of his subordinates but kept him in command. In mid-November,

9309-511: The title to the property. Davis named his section Brierfield Plantation . Davis continued his correspondence with Sarah, and they agreed to marry with Taylor giving his reluctant assent. They married at Beechland on June 17, 1835. In August, he and Sarah traveled to Locust Grove Plantation , his sister Anna Smith's home in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana . Within days, both became severely ill with malaria . Sarah died at

9416-421: The two decade period from 1989 to 2005 > (2008) the building stood vacant and fell into a gradual state of disrepair . The Houston Press remarked on the state of the building's decay in a 2000 article: Half the windows in the four-story building are boarded up. The rest are wide open to the weather, which, along with a generation or two of vandals and squatters, has wreaked havoc on the inside. Plaster curls off

9523-429: The walls. The dirt-encrusted floors are covered with glass slides stained with indistinguishable bodily fluids. Each room has become the repository for a different type of junk: old gurneys, office furniture, surgical scrubs. A nurse's station is piled waist-high with filthy mattresses. A restroom floor is lined, wall to wall, with bags of plastic cups and lids. Weeds grow out of every crack. Trees have somehow taken root in

9630-482: The war, Davis was often blamed for the Confederacy's defeat, but after his release from prison, the Lost Cause of the Confederacy movement considered him to be a hero. In the late 19th and the 20th centuries, his legacy as Confederate leader was celebrated in the South. In the twenty-first century, he is frequently criticized as a supporter of slavery and racism, and many of the memorials dedicated to him throughout

9737-611: The younger Davis's appointment to the United States Military Academy . Upon graduating, he served six years as a lieutenant in the United States Army . After leaving the army in 1835, Davis married Sarah Knox Taylor , daughter of general and future President Zachary Taylor . Sarah died from malaria three months after the wedding. Davis became a cotton planter , building Brierfield Plantation in Mississippi on his brother Joseph's land and eventually owning as many as 113 slaves. In 1845, Davis married Varina Howell . During

9844-985: Was an American politician who served as the first and only president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party before the American Civil War . He was the United States Secretary of War from 1853 to 1857. Davis, the youngest of ten children, was born in Fairview, Kentucky , but spent most of his childhood in Wilkinson County, Mississippi . His eldest brother Joseph Emory Davis secured

9951-477: Was appropriate. Davis was able to get his regiment armed with new percussion rifles instead of the smoothbore muskets used by other units. President Polk approved their purchase as a political favor in return for Davis marshalling enough votes to pass the Walker Tariff . Because of its association with the regiment, the weapon became known as the " Mississippi rifle ", and the regiment became known as

10058-466: Was available to serve the state. On January 27, 1861, Pettus appointed him a major general of Mississippi's army. On February 9, Davis was unanimously elected to the provisional presidency of the Confederacy by a constitutional convention in Montgomery, Alabama including delegates from the six states that had seceded: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida , Georgia , Louisiana , and Alabama . He

10165-432: Was chosen because of his political prominence, his military reputation, and his moderate approach to secession, which Confederate leaders thought might persuade undecided Southerners to support their cause. He learned about his election the next day. Davis had been hoping for a military command, but he committed himself fully to his new role. Davis was inaugurated on February 18. Davis formed his cabinet by choosing

10272-412: Was completed on the former Jefferson Davis Hospital building in 2005, although an unrestored building remained on the East side of the property. In 2013, the remaining unrestored portion of the historic Jefferson Davis Hospital Building was destroyed in a two-alarm fire that resulted in one casualty by a Houston firefighter struck by a falling piece of burning tile. The two floor nurse's quarters, built in

10379-620: Was considered quite modern at the time of its construction and represented the architectural elements that were favored in the early 1900s for hospital design. The cast stone detailing, portico, and brick corner quoins, are elements of the Classical Revival style that was popular in the early 20th century. The building entrance is a square portico that is framed by four monumental Ionic fluted capital and pilaster columns. The front façade features several square rock stone walls that are believed to have been either gravestones salvaged from

10486-555: Was entrusted with overseeing the Pacific Railroad Surveys to determine which of four possible routes was the best. He promoted the Gadsden Purchase of today's southern Arizona from Mexico, partly because he preferred a southern route for the new railroad. The Pierce administration agreed and the land was purchased in December 1853. He presented the surveys' findings in 1855, but they failed to clarify

10593-485: Was killed. General Beauregard took command, falling back to Corinth, Mississippi , and then to Tupelo, Mississippi . When Beauregard then put himself on leave, Davis replaced him with General Braxton Bragg . On February 22, Davis was inaugurated as president. In his inaugural speech, he admitted that the South had suffered disasters, but called on the people of the Confederacy to renew their commitment. He replaced Secretary of War Benjamin, who had been scapegoated for

10700-639: Was later opened to the community-at-large. Residents of the City of Houston applauded the rehabilitation, resulting in its recognition as the Best Renovation in the 2006 Best of Houston® issue published by the Houston Press . HGTV presented the developers with a "Restore America award". The lofts are within the Houston Independent School District (HISD), and the zoned schools are Crockett Elementary School in

10807-440: Was leaning toward the Confederacy, had declared its neutrality. In September 1861, Polk violated the state's neutrality by occupying Columbus, Kentucky . Secretary of War Walker ordered him to withdraw. Davis initially agreed with Walker, but changed his mind and allowed Polk to remain. The violation led Kentucky to request aid from the Union, effectively losing the state for the Confederacy. Walker resigned as secretary of war and

10914-583: Was listed as a State Archaeological Landmark because of the lot's prior use as a major municipal cemetery. In March 2002, the City of Houston Archeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) approved the notion of declaring the building a city landmark. On June 20, 2002, the Harris County Commissioners approved the sale of Jefferson Davis Hospital to Avenue Community Development Corporation (popularly known as Avenue CDC) and ArtSpace Projects Inc. of Minneapolis, which pledged to rehabilitate

11021-411: Was placed above ground in the effort to dispel the public controversy and to leave the graves undisturbed. Although many graves were relocated, later discoveries revealed that there had been no widespread removal of remains. The hospital was named for Jefferson Davis , former president of the Confederacy, on account of the Confederate soldiers who had been buried in the cemetery and as a means to console

11128-561: Was replaced by Judah P. Benjamin. Davis appointed General Albert Sidney Johnston, as commander of the Western Military Department that included much of Tennessee , Kentucky, western Mississippi , and Arkansas . In February 1862, the Confederate defenses in the West collapsed when Union forces captured Forts Henry , Donelson , and nearly half the troops in A. S. Johnston's department. Within weeks, Kentucky, Nashville and Memphis were lost, as well as control of

11235-573: Was stationed at Forts Crawford and Winnebago in Michigan Territory under the command of Colonel Zachary Taylor , who later became president of the United States . Throughout his life, Davis regularly suffered from ill health. During the northern winters, he had pneumonia , colds, and bronchitis . He went to Mississippi on furlough in March 1832, missing the outbreak of the Black Hawk War , and returned to duty just before

11342-540: Was the Whig candidate . After the Senate session following Taylor's inauguration ended in March 1849, Davis returned to Brierfield. He was reelected by the state legislature for another six-year term in the Senate. Around this time, he was approached by the Venezuelan adventurer Narciso López to lead a filibuster expedition to liberate Cuba from Spain. He turned down the offer, saying it was inconsistent with his duty as

11449-693: Was under no duty to disclose the haunting to potential buyers. Several states have created specific statutes in the US adding "stigmatised property" verbiage to their legal code. Famous homes, such as those used in television productions or filmmaking, can also be stigmatized by increased traffic from fans wanting to see the house in person. One example is the house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York where Ronald DeFeo, Jr. murdered his family, later made famous by best-selling book The Amityville Horror and numerous film adaptations. The Lutz family claimed

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