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Margaret M* Gibbens Hancock Cty. Historical Soc. March 12, 1977
BROWN'S VINEYARD
Frederick W. Brown (Braun) and his wife Anna came from New Orleans to Bay St, Louis-Waveland area in the early l860's. Frederick and Anna were natives of Germany. In March of 1867 the Browns purchased a plot of land from Lorenzo Corte in Section 3U, Township 8 Range lU West in Hancock County. Included in this sale was live stock, mules, cows, hogs, farming utensels and house of furniture. It had been a business of Mr. Browns to make wine and on this location he also added the machines and the equipment to make the wine which was to become famous all over the United States.
In the year 1912 Frederick and Anna added to their property holding k3 more acres which they bought from A. A. Me Cue. This property ran to Nicholson Avenue, and back to Highway to where the Old Spanish Trail and the Highway intersect.
It was at this location they planted the Scuppernog Grape vines on approximately 15 acres of their land. As the vines grew arbors approximately ten feet square and eight feet high and about ten feet apart were erected, these arbors allowed the visitors to walk under and pick the grapes off the vines.
Brown's Vineyard soon became a One Family garden spot of beauty located near the pine woods some five miles from Bay St. Louis. Mr. Brown's Wine soon became popular and the Scuppernog Champagne Wine was served with the bread that was made by his wife Anna. Popularity grew and about 1905 Tally-Ho wagons with a double team of horses would carry hotel guests of the Pickwick, Tulane and Clifton Hotels to Brown's Vineyard to drink the wine and eat the	bread	and dance.
Upon arrival at the Vineyard would be	at the	front	of the house a pen which
had three alligators in a pen for the guest to view. It is told that a resident who was a butcher would bring the alligators scraps of meat and when his truck would drive into the gate the alligators would know he was there and would be waiting for him to feed them.
As the guests entered into the house there was a large center hall off which were small individual roomswith round tables and chairs. The guest would sit at these tables and drink the wine and eat the bread with homemade butter. There was a piano in the room and any guest who wished to play could play his favorite song but if there was no one who could play they would ask for Charlie Banderet to come to play for the people, and everyone would	dance.	On a	taped interview with	Mr.
Banderet of Bay St0 Louis who still riside	here he said	Mrs, Browns favorite	song
was My Pretty Redwing, and Mr. Banderet Added it was also his mothers favorite too.
The popularity of Brown Vineyard soon became famous in this resort area and people of Society would come from New Orleans to drink this delicious wine, and the Vineyard soon became famous for it's Mail Order business as well as serving the residents of the area. It was said that the wine had medical qualities, not a cure £>ut a prevention against illlness „
In addition to the house as a place to visit there was also a Summer House, which you could reach by walking through the center hall to the rear and along a hundred feet or more of arbors to reach it. The Summer House was built up on piers, had a covered roof, was open to the breeezes and could be used for picnics.
The building was capable of seating about 25 or 30 people and was about £0 feet by 20 feet.