Pass Christian Municipal Court
Mississippi became a state in 1817, then steamboat service was begun between New Orleans and Mobile a decade later. After lighthouses were constructed at Cat Island and the Pass in 1831, the majority of the Pass Christian peninsula was sold to John Henderson in 1836. Pass Christian eventually evolved into a thriving community, due in part to its proximity to New Orleans. Pass Christian developed as a small port for local fishermen as well as boats passing through to other port communities. The community of Pass Christian was an established summer retreat for those who planted cotton and cane in the state of Mississippi as well as Alabama and Louisiana. These early visitors built private cottages and second homes along the shell roadway fronting Pass Christian’s beach area.
A cattle and dairy farm were owned and operated by a widow who lived at Pass Christian in the early 1740s. Upon the widow’s death in 1800, a Spanish Captain received the lands in a Spanish grant. When political turmoil found Pass Christian, Captain Bartholemeu Pellerin sold the entire peninsula to Edward Livingston for $7,000. Captain Pellerin then moved his family away from Pass Christian, to New Orleans. During the early 1830s, Pass Christian began to grow, and the first hotel, the Pass Christian was constructed. Soon after the construction of the hotel came the Napoleon Hotel, the Mansion House, the Sans Souci, and, a hotel exclusively for bachelors, the St. Nicholas House. Additionally, there were several boarding houses built to accommodate guests. Inexpensive steamboat connections between Pass Christian and New Orleans encouraged many from New Orleans to build vacation homes in the Pass Christian area.
By the time Pass Christian was incorporated in 1848, it was well-known for its charm and courteous service to its residents as well as to summer guests. In the mid-1850s Pass Christian made a name as the largest trading center in Harrison County. Mississippi pine and cypress woods were readily available, and the town also began developing as a sheep and wool center. Pass Christian’s commerce was disrupted during the Civil War, although after the war was over, construction of the L & N Railroad and the New Orleans, Mobile and Chattanooga Railroad Companies began. Instead of returning to its commercial roots, as it was rebuilt, Pass Christian became a residential resort and tourist spa.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina almost completely destroyed Pass Christian, damaging or destroying all but 500 of the 8000 homes in the community. Like other Gulf towns, Pass Christian began the arduous process of rebuilding. Despite its popularity, Pass Christian has remained a small community, with fewer than 7000 residents. Today, the Pass Christian Municipal Harbor is a busy area, and the Pass Christian Yacht Club promotes regional and annual Regattas. Visitors to Pass Christian enjoy the refreshing waters, the sophisticated elegance, and the cool Gulf breezes, returning time and time again.
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