W. C. Handy Home and Museum

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Title

W. C. Handy Home and Museum

Subject

Lauderdale County, AL; Florence, AL; Handy, W.C.

Description

The W. C. Handy Home and Museum located in Florence is dedicated to telling the story of “Father of the Blues” William Christopher Handy’s life and musical career. The museum’s main building is the cabin Handy was born in. The home was in a state of disrepair in 1954 when Handy donated the funds for its purchase to the city of Florence. Because the original site was in the way of a housing development, the cabin was painstakingly dismantled and each piece was labeled and put into storage.
In 1970, the W.C. Handy Home was reassembled and restored at its present location at 620 West College Street. A separate building for the museum houses furniture, pictures, and musical instruments that Handy owned. The cabin is furnished with items donated by Florence citizens that are representative of the era during which Handy lived in the cabin.
The W.C. Handy Museum is the location of an annual W.C. Handy Birthday Celebration each year on November 16. The W. C. Handy Music Festival is held each year during the last week of July.

Creator

Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama

Source

www.florenceal.org

Barbara Broach, “W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum, and Library,” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3147#sthash.XJAPN575.dpuf

Images courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives

Publisher

Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

Date

1970 to present

Format

Image

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