Eudora Welty’s Birthplace in Jackson

Eudora Welty was born April 13, 1909, in this frame house on North Congress Street in Jackson, just a few blocks away from the state capitol. A lifelong resident of Jackson, she grew up in this house and lived here for many years. The plaque reads:

“This house, built by Christian and Chestina Welty in 1908, was the birthplace and childhood home of their daughter, Eudora. Many of the events memorialized in Miss Welty's book, One Writer’s Beginnings, occurred here and take on a sense of timelessness for those who visit.

“David Morris and Joe Nassar purchased the property in 1979 for offices. Their restoration efforts reversed a tragic decline in the condition of the house and preserved it for its later acquisition by the Mississippi Writers Association to serve as the focal point for the Eudora Welty Writers Center. The foresight of the Mississippi Legislature is funding this project and the leadership efforts of Jo Barksdale, Writers Association Executive Director, combined to make possible this living tribute to one of Mississippi's greatest writers.”