  |
|
|
|
Columbus, MS 39703 Hours: Monday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed on major holidays Admission: Free Telephone: (601) 328-0222 Built in 1875, this two-story Victorian house was the birthplace home of Thomas Lanier (Tennessee) Williams. Moved to its present location in 1995, this home now serves as a state welcome center. Williams lived in this home, then the Rectory for St. Paul's Episcopal Church, for three years. Walter Dankin, William's grandfather, served as the church's Rector. The home, built of wood native to Mississippi, has been restored to its 1911 condition. Only the first floor is open to visitors, and tourists are welcome to come and go at their leisure. Those interested in the playwright are encouraged to read the newspaper and magazine articles about Williams that are prominently displayed. The home also maintains a collection of Williams' bound works. Many tourists enjoy walking just one block north to see the stately St. Paul's Episcopal Church where young Williams was baptized. Tennessee [Thomas Lanier] Williams (1911-1983) Considered one of the most important Southern playwrights, Tennessee Williams spent much of his youth outside the South. Perhaps best known for the plays--The Glass Menagerie (1945), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955)--Williams built a career as a novelist, poet, and a screenwriter for MGM. His writing has an element of sadness that characterized Williams's life from his youth. Williams was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi. Soon after his birth, his grandparents, mother, and older sister Rose moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi, while his father traveled across the country selling shoes. In 1919, his father received a promotion and was able to move the family to St. Louis. This was a traumatic move that presented a frequent theme for his writing. Williams attended the University of Missouri, Washington University, and the University of Iowa. Like many writers of his time, Williams lived in large cities throughout the country; however, he especially enjoyed vacationing in Florida. He believed that he did his best work in Key West. In fact, he completed the manuscript for A Streetcar Named Desire while vacationing there with his grandfather in 1946. The Glass Menagerie, Williams' first successful play, won a Drama Critics' Circle Award in 1945. Continuing his success, the popular A Streetcar Named Desire debuted in 1947. Both of these plays, full of Southern nostalgia, are somewhat autobiographical, although Williams exaggerated his emotions to form fictional characters and reflect their changing lifestyles. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Tennessee Williams Birthplace Home and Welcome Center in Literary Tour is owned by Ella Robinson. Permission to republish Tennessee Williams Birthplace Home and Welcome Center in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
