Crescent -- San Souci
The Sans Souci
The older house, situated at right in the photograph below, was built as a hotel by W.H. Keeland, in 1850. After his death, in 1853, his wife sold the property to Mrs. Aurelia Smith Woodward, who operated it as the Sans Souci Hotel.
The New Orleans Delta Daily of August 5, 1857, stated that Woodward operated the San Souci in a “free and easy” manner, making the San Souci what every hotel should be; the Stranger's Home and the Traveler's Rest. Next to the Pass Christian Hotel, it was considered top notch.
The Crescent Hotel
In1895, Charles Dyer described the famous Crescent Hotel of Pass Christian as being celebrated all over the country. “It was formerly called, the Live Oak House which was its name in prior years. This hotel is owned and managed by Mr. William Hart, a young gentleman who took charge after coming to Pass Christian in 1888. Mr. Hart embarked in the hotel business and bringing youth, energy, enterprise and great managerial ability in the venture, he has been successful from the start. Mr. Hart showed the members of our party over the premises, which is built on the style of the southern home of anti-bellum times.”
“The Crescent Hotel is situated at the west end of the Pass, but a few minutes walk from the railroad station and consists of two good sized houses, and several smaller outbuildings. The larger house (at left) was built in 1880, and taken together (the two buildings), the Crescent can accommodate about 50 guests. This estate has a frontage directly on the beach of two hundred feet and runs to the rear for a distance of one-and-a-half miles so that there is plenty of room for the guests of the house to stroll about without once leaving the grounds. In front are the wharves and bath houses for the convenience of the guests and lovers of fishing may enjoy themselves without the trouble of going out in a boat.”
The building at left in the above-photo, today, operates as a Bed & Breakfast -- being the only remaining extant hotel complex in Pass Christian.The Harbour Inn.
The large, two-and-a-half-story, frame, gable-roofed, coastal cottage underwent a number of owners. Following Hurricane Camille, the facility was temporary quarters for the Pass Christian Yacht Club.
Since 1991, much of the early traditions are carried forth by its owners, Diane and Tony Brugger, who made extensive restorations in 1998.
San Souci --- Pass Christian
At the time that the San Souci Hotel was built, the other more prominent hotel was the Pass Christian Hotel, which had its origins of construction that appear to date back to the early 1830s. There was also the Mansion House that was probably built about the same time as the San Souci, in the 1850s. Pass Christian had developed into being one of the Watering Holes and Resort Spas along the Gulf coast bidding for weekend and summer vacationers from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. From the year 1848, when the town was chartered, a construction boom had begun taking place in Pass Christian as initiated by the promotions of John Henderson, Charles Shipman and David Hughs. —And continued through the end of the 1850s by John Henderson, Dr. William Calvert, Dr. William White, and Roger Hiern. —And further, during the Antebellum period, others began introducing their friends to development, speculation, and trading of viable sites for second home residences in order to escape the crowded, unsafe and often unhealthy conditions that existed in New Orleans.
At Pass Christian, the first mainland lighthouse had been constructed on a high ridge near the center of town. The area that comprises the city’s commercial district today had become a most attractive real estate venture. It was owned by a freed Negro slave who died in 1835, leaving a very large tract of land to his Negro heirs. In those days, residential home sites weren’t lot size, or acre size – the sites were sold consisting of an arpent frontage on the Gulf and 40 arpents deep. This was roughly 200-feet wide by a mile deep.
In 1849, and in 1850, for a total of $1000,William Keeland purchased two adjoining plots of ground that made up a 128-foot frontage on the Mississippi Sound ranging northward by a mile. This was located just a very short distance east of the Lighthouse in competition to the Pass Christian Hotel situated at the west side of the Light tower. Robert Montgomery had just taken over the older hotel where he promoted the first Sailing Regatta which was followed by the founding of the second Yacht Club in the United States – as it was formed in Pass Christian -- patterned after the one in New York City.
While Keeland was constructing his hotel, he leased the beach property south of the shell road on the high ridge. This shore to ridge property was known as Keeland’s Embankment. He leased one portion to Samuel Hooks who built a storehouse most likely for a retail enterprise. An adjoining portion he leased to A.G. Mallet for the construction of a commercial wharf where mail boats and schooners traversing the New Orleans to Mobile route could dock. Alighting passengers who were guests at Keeland’s hotel were free from charge. Keeland reserved the right to build a pavilion at the end of the wharf for hotel guests to swim, fish or go sailing. Mallet was permitted to build a billiard hall and saloon along side of the wharf landing at the shore. Mallet’s enterprise was evidently doing well because in 1851, he sold the balance of his 7-year lease to Jet Gammell for $1300 (considered a high money investment for those times).
The shell road, as it was often called, later took on the name of Main Street or Front Road, later Beach Road, then Front Street or Hwy 90, and more currently Scenic Drive, or Beach Boulevard – as called by Pass traditionalists.
Keeland also sold portions of his lands to the north – the first to Collom Ferry – adjoining the rear of the hotel. This was followed by a portion to Josephine and Charles Brevis and the larger most northern portion to William Ashley, a bachelor. A 12-foot public access alleyway along the eastern boundary of Keeland’s property line provided access to those properties where residences were built.
Apparently Keeland developed an illness, prior to his death which must have occurred in 1852 or during the early months of 1853. On May 24, 1853, the Widow Keeland sold the hotel for $8,700 to Mrs Aurelia Smith (later, Woodward) of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. The sale was subject to the lease previously awarded to Samuel Hooks for a store location, —and the wharf lease of Hooks and Phelps that had been transferred from Jet Gammell. The property description as sold contained 128 feet fronting on the Gulf reaching northward by approximately 1000 feet, with Mrs Collom Ferry on the north, Mrs Sarah Selph on the east, and the Bradley Children on the west.
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The Widow Keeland, having four children and richer by the sale of the hotel, married William Ashley in the latter months of 1854. Ashley was one of the purchasers of Keeland property that was located north of the hotel and extended to Bayou Portage.
With the drums of war beating more and more loudly, the hotels in the area were feeling the loss of patronage. The Pass Christian Hotel closed down just prior to the opening of the Civil War. The Woodwards were evidently effected by the same financial woes. Of Mr and Mrs Woodward, Aurelia was probably the one with money, since it was she who had purchased the hotel from the Widow Keeland. Her money may have been inherited from a previous marriage, since she was first listed as Mrs Aurelia Smith. 
Later, the Woodwards evidently lost their property and hotel through a Sheriff’s sale, because in February 1859, Aurelia had to repurchase the property from John J McCaughan of Long Beach for $1100. This amount was considerably less than her initial investment and the true value of the hotel property, but included penalties.
Aurelia was forced to sell a 41-foot beach lot for $1620 in monthly installments to William Manders in November 1860. This was followed by the very much larger northern portion (41-feet by one mile) being sold in March 1861, to Robert Cosbey for only $925.
In the mean time, Aurelia had become incumbent on a loan made with Elijah Cannon with whom she had also made a three-year rental lease of a 3-story dwelling at #15 Burgundy Street in New Orleans, both of which, she was in arrears. In April 1861, Aurelia rolled her indebtedness to Cannon with a mortgage loan of approximately $5000.
Gleaning from an August 2000, letter by Ella Prichard, great-great-granddaughter of Aurelia Woodward, she stated that Aurelia died in 1866, the same year that her daughter, Lucy Smith married AW Roberts of Lake Providence.
The Robert’s may have extended efforts to place their inheritance into good order but the property was once again forced to a Sheriff’s Sale by complainants William Roontz and wife in the amount of $5,928.75. On February 20, 1871, at auction with a high bid of $1,250, Patrick Curtis acquired the former San Souci property. It is not known whether Curtis tried to operate the hotel as a business or just leased it out. The fact that he was an active businessman, held public office as the Town Treasurer for many years and had his own residence and business establishment, it is more likely that he conducted the property as a commercial venture and may have operated the hotel in the name of Live Oak.
The South, Mississippi, the Gulf Coast, and Pass Christian were still in the throes of the Reconstruction Period as imposed by the Federal victors. It was two years later, in 1872, that the New Orleans – Mobile Railroad (now the L&N) was completed. This opened to the Coast comparatively inexpensive passenger service that extended an invitation to northern tourists to visit the remnants of a Dixieland under Reconstruction, or as Thaddeus Stevens referred to the South in 1865, the “conquered provinces.”
When “Carpet Bagger” rule ended and economic conditions were getting better, in January 1875, Patrick Curtis sold the hotel property to William Hart of New Orleans. (A prior William Hart, possibly Sr., had been procuring property in the Pass since 1858. Documents in 1891, show the “Estate of William. Hart” as owners of the Hotel Property --- indicating his death).
In “Along the Gulf,” Charles Dyer in 1895, describes William Hart as “a young gentleman who took charge of the (Crescent) house in 1888. Therefore, until further research reveals more, it may be assumed that this young Hart is the son of the original owner.
Therefore, the San Souci Hotel and the Crescent Hotel commonality. The Crescent Hotel as described in 1895, consisted of two buildings, the larger of which was stated as being constructed in 1880, by Patrick Curtis.
Perhaps, there is further need for research in answering several questions that may remain unanswered in determining which of the current properties in the one hundred block of West Scenic Drive would represent the site of Keeland’s original 128-foot Gulf frontage. However, it is safe to say that it lay between postal numbers 130 and 122 West Scenic Drive. This researcher has concluded that the Keeland/Woodward site covers the current buildings of 122 and 126 West Scenic Drive.
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From Charles Dyer's, Along the Gulf, 1895 ---
The next place visited was the famous Crescent Hotel which is known and celebrated all over the country, it was formerly called, the Live Oak House which was its name years ago. This hotel is owned and managed by Mr. William Hart, a young gentleman who took charge of the house in 1888. Previous to this time Mr. Hart, who by the way is a New Orleans boy, had been engaged with the Hibernia Insurance Co., for several years and previous to that he was with Adam Thompson & Co., in the sugar business. Coming to Pass Christian in 1888, Mr. Hart embarked in the hotel business and bringing youth, energy, enterprise and great managerial ability in the venture he has been successful form the start. Mr. Hart showed the members of our party over the premises, which is built on the style of the southern home of anti-bellum times. The Crescent Hotel is situated at the west end of the Pass but a few minutes walk from the station and consists of two good sized houses, and several smaller outbuildings. The larger house was built in 1880, and taken altogether the Crescent can accommodate about 50 guests. This estate has a frontage directly on the beach of two hundred feet and runs back for a distance of one and a half miles so that there is plenty of room for the guests of the house to stroll about without once leaving the grounds. In front are the wharfs and bath houses for the convenience of the guests and lovers of fishing may enjoy themselves without the trouble of going out in a boast. In the rear is a large farm, acres and acres of sweet scented forest in which those inclined to quiet and solitude may revel to their hearts content, while those of a more jolly and social disposition may enjoy the games on the lawns in front of the house or participate in the dancing or singing which are indulged in almost nightly at this pretty place. Perhaps no higher compliment could be paid the table of the Crescent than to state that everything used in the shape of poultry, eggs, butter, milk, vegetables, fruit, etc., is raised on the farm in the rear of the estate which is run in connection with the hotel. At this house the prices are moderate and special attention and prices are given to families or parties intend to stay the entire season.
