PROJECT: Tennessee Williams House Museum and Welcome Center

The Hills helped celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Tennessee Williams House Museum and Welcome Center in Columbus, Mississippi, on Nov. 23.

Tennessee Williams’ influence resonates far beyond Mississippi, but his stories never strayed far from the Southern landscapes that shaped him. His birthplace in Columbus stands as a rare and powerful link to this heritage, reminding us that America’s cultural legacy is written not only in documents and monuments, but also in the lives and imaginations of its artists.

The house was Tennessee Williams’ birthplace and childhood home. The structure, an 1875 Victorian, might have been lost to decay, but has recently undergone a more than $300,000 renovation. The Hills, which aims to help commemorate the literary icons of our geographic area, helped fund much of those crucial repairs.

Nancy Carpenter, CEO of the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation, has been the driving force and champion of that work. She was honored by the Hills, along with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and Mississippi Heritage Trust, at the ceremony held on the Mississippi University for Women campus with a reception following at the Williams House.

The Williams Home is a State Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was designated as a National Literary Landmark in 2004.

The event was covered by the Columbus Commercial Dispatch and the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

“The Tennessee Williams Home in Mississippi is one of our largest and most important cultural assets,” said Mary Cates Williams, executive director for Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. “We’re lucky to have it here, and anything we can do to help protect and preserve its future, we’re happy to do.”