Eudora Welty's Birthplace to Become Centerpiece For International Writers Center

Eudora Welty's birthplace at 741 N. Congress Street in Jackson holds fond memories for the internationally-recognized writer, and she speaks of it often in her writings. The home, built in 1909, will be restored to its original design and decor and will serve as the centerpiece for the three-acre Writers Center, to be completed in the next three years.

The Eudora Welty Writers Center will serve as a working retreat for writers from across the nation and the world. Mississippi has long been recognized for the writing talent it has birthed, from William Faulkner to Richard Wright to Walker Percy and Miss Welty.

The Writers Center will be housed in four main buildings, a number of retreat cottages, a spa, Victorian gardens, and a Mississippi-style restaurant. Private dining and gracious hospitality will attract writers and guests to the restored Bed and Breakfast residence next to Miss Welty's home. The main building of the Center will include meeting rooms, an auditorium, a publishing company, a bookstore, as well as tutoring and mentoring areas for use by area schools. The offices of the Mississippi Writers Association will also be located in the Center.

The Writers' Center will be unique not only because it will serve as a living tribute to Miss Welty's contributions to literature, and to the State of Mississippi, but most importantly, because it will act as a working facility for the next generation of writers. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson similarly houses Miss Welty's personal papers for scholars interested in studying her work.

The restoration of Miss Welty's birthplace and construction of the Writers Center will be funded by proceeds from the annual Eudora Welty Film & Fiction Festival, a 2.2 million bond bill signed by Governor Kirk Fordice on March 27, 1995, and private donations. The dedication of the Writers Center site was held May 1, 1996.

[June, 1996]

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Last updated: 6 December 1997
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