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At the end of Gin Road in Pearlington, a 260-year-old live oak tree is dedicated to Usan Vaughan, a freed
slave who built a home in 1859 for his wife, Anna. Shaun and Yvonne Viguerie, who bought the home in
1959, designed and placed a plaque on the tree in honor of die legacy they inherited and to thank Vaughan
for a place that gave their family so many wonderful memories. When the Vigueries decided to add on to
their house to accommodate a growing family, the first step was to relocate the home about 300 yards and
turn it to face the Pearl River. In the process, two cliimneys were tom down and that's when the couple
discovered a cypress mantle with the 1859 date inscribed on the back. According to Yvonne Viguerie,
she discovered the pre-Civil War house and its founder were full of history. "Usan was a slave who worked
for the Weston Lumber Mill in Pearlington and he became famous because he had invented a way to
cart (cypress) logs out of the swamp," she said. "He was well-respected and worked hard... I named the tree
af ter him as a memorial for building the house and giving us such a great life there." The renovation project continued
house 8 feet on cement pilings, building a side addition with
two more bedrooms, a new kitchen and restoring the original screened porch. Mouth-blown glass windows,
pine floors and cypress beams throughout the house were among the unique architectural features saved.The Vigueries
cliildrcn in their home and all of them enjoyed the playground nature offered
through daily rituals of fishing, swimming, hunting and gardening. Shaun Viguerie passed away in 2002;
Yvonne decided to sell the liistoric hideaway two years later. Katrina took away the porch and the outside staircase, but the Live oak honoring Vaughan and his wife remains. The home's current owners plan to begin restoring the home next year. "I think it was the prettiest place on the earth... it's a museum piece,"
Viguerie said. "Pearlington has the capacity and ability to grow again. It just needs tender and loving care."- DANA SLE<