Ivy Green
About this property
Ivy Green is a historic house museum at 300 West North Commons in Tuscumbia, Alabama, United States. Built in 1820, it was the birthplace and childhood home of Helen Keller (1880–1968), who became well known after overcoming deaf-blind conditions to communicate; she became an author and public speaker. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, it is now operated as a museum honoring and interpreting Keller's life. Ivy Green is located in a residential area north of downtown Tuscumbia, on the north side of West North Commons at Keller Lane. The property's principal features are the main house, the birthplace cottage, and the well. The main house is a 1+1⁄2-story frame structure with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. It has a five-bay facade, with sash windows around a roughly centered entrance. The entrance is sheltered by a gabled portico, and is framed by sidelight and transom windows. Nearby stands the birthplace cottage, a modest structure originally built as a plantation office. It was refurbished as a bridal suite for Arthur Henley Keller's second wife, who bore him Helen Keller in 1880. In between the two buildings stand the well and pump that played a key role in Helen Keller's development. The main house at Ivy Green was built in 1820 by David Keller, Helen Keller's grandfather. The well pump is where Helen Keller first achieved a communicated breakthrough with her teacher and companion, Anne Sullivan. In 1954 the property was adapted as a museum dedicated to Helen Keller. A fire in 1972 caused minor damage and resulted in the donation of additional materials by the Keller family. Every summer, for over 30 years, the Helen Keller Foundation has presented outdoor performances here of William Gibson's The Miracle Worker, a play about Keller and Sullivan. The play is usually performed from early June through mid-July. It is especially popular during the Helen Keller Festival held in Tuscumbia every June. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. AL-317, "Helen Keller House, 300 West North Commons, Tuscumbia, Colbert County, AL", 8 photos, 4 data pages
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Ivy Green listed on the National Register?
Ivy Green was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 24, 1970.
What type of historic resource is Ivy Green?
Ivy Green is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Ivy Green a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Ivy Green has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Ivy Green?
The period of significance for Ivy Green is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Ivy Green?
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