Shaded by Seven Oaks

"Since coming to Biloxi, which by the way Mr. White intends to make his home, he has done his share toward the upbuilding and beautifying of the town." - excerpt from "Along the Gulf," an 1896 travel book

The White House Hotel’s name could easily have been inspired by her stately white façade and imposing Corinthian columns, which evoke images of a presidential mansion.

However, the Hotel was actually named after popular long-time owner Walter A. White, a Mississippi lawyer who moved to the Gulf Coast in 1890 and would later be appointed as a Circuit Court judge.

Mr. White purchased the Hotel’s main property, originally the site of the successful Gorenflo Oyster Company, in the aftermath of a disastrous 1893 hurricane, which destroyed the oyster packing plant and left a three-rigged schooner wrecked on its shoreline.

Salvaging thousands of discarded oyster shells to fill in the enormous lot’s swampy lowlands, White created a gently sloping knoll that would anchor his new Victorian residence on high ground while commanding a panoramic view of the Gulf.

He also planted the seven live oak trees that continue to graciously shade the White House Hotel today.