My Ocean Springs: 2007 in Pictures

The most beautiful structure in Ocean Springs houses more than the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home; it represents a family history. Jeremiah J. O’Keefe, the first generation son of Irish immigrants, built this family mansion on Porter Avenue in 1906. As a founding father of Ocean Springs, Jeremiah operated a thriving livery stable and undertaking business as well as a boarding house frequented by Coast travelers and vacationing New Orleanians. The Great Depression put an end to the family business, and the O’Keefe family sold it’s mansion in the midst of mounting debts. The passing years saw the house turned into a restaurant and lounge, but in 1986 the O’Keefe family purchased the property and restored the family mansion. Today, Jeff O’Keefe (waving at a passing motorist on Porter Avenue) represents the fifth generation of the O’Keefe family in Ocean Springs.