My husband and I toured Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller.
The main house is constructed in the style of a Virginia cottage, featuring four large rooms on the first floor, all with a vast hall; each room has its own fireplace.
The house was decorated for the holidays with Ivy, Holly, Pines, and other greenery from the grounds. It is incredible what you can use to decorate without incurring much cost.
Holly and cedar were lying on the table in the parlor. A cedar tree was beautifully decorated in the corner of the parlor, with magnolia leaves mixed with cedar in the fireplace and on the mantle.
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| Ivy Green |
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| Ivy Green |
Helen's picture hung on the wall, and another of her, at age seven, sat on the table.
There was a bed with a high, carved headboard covered with a quilt made by Eveline Keller, which was over one hundred years old.
There was clothing hanging in Helen's and Mrs. Keller's wardrobes.
There was holly, Magnolia, and cedar lying on the fireplace mantle, and a picture of Helen at age thirteen.
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| Ivy Green |
There was a netting basket next to a rocker, a small table with a lamp, an umbrella standing next to the fireplace, and another table with a picture inside a bowl.
The stairs leading to the two bedrooms upstairs were lined with ivy.
Pictures of Helen and her parents were on the walls in the hall.
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| Ivy Green |
The boy's room was to your right, a trunk room in the middle, and Helen's room to the left. All the floors were hardwood covered by large rugs.
In the dining room, a centerpiece of pine, cedar, holly, and apples sat on the table, accompanied by a set of China. Above the fireplace, magnolia leaves surrounded candelabras. A silver teapot set sat on the sugar chest, and the Jackson Press held the silver, linens, and beverages.
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| Ivy Green |
Across from the dining room was where Helen's aunt, Eveline Keller, slept, but it is now used as Helen's Museum.
Helen's museum room features some of Helen's Braille books, a U.S. stamp with Helen and Anne Sullivan, a bust of Helen, several pictures of Helen at different ages, and numerous artifacts.
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| Helen Keller |
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| Helen Keller |
Outside was the kitchen and house cleaner's quarters; there was the pump where Helen said her first word, "Water."
There was a carriage house and the cottage, where Helen's toys were displayed.
It had a doll carriage, a child rocker, a larger rocker, a chest, a small doll bed, a picture inside a bowl, and a kerosene lamp. In the bedroom, it features a four-poster bed, a baby bed, a fireplace, and another rocker.
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| Ivy Green |
My husband had never been to Helen's home; I had been there several times.
My dad had gotten an old trunk from the Keller estate when I was just a small girl. Inside the trunk was a fairytale book, which I read from cover to cover, and I lost it when we moved to Florence.
We walked across the street to the Tuscumbia Art Museum, where we viewed nine twelve-foot Christmas trees decorated by different groups to capture the season.
Their tree was decorated with several 4-H emblems, and their theme color was green, complemented by a green skirt and a white button-up shirt from the 1950s.
Just Beachy by Pam Wright:
Pam's theme featured cool colors, accompanied by sunglasses, flip-flops, and other beach-inspired items.
For unto you are born this day by Leta Mathews and Van Brown:
The theme colors were red and white, with Santa's boots sticking out of the chimney, and Santas of all shapes and sizes covering the tree, Santa's sack, and presents under the tree.
Their tree was decorated with a fire truck, and the tree was wrapped with notes for our heroes.
Their theme was pink, with pink and silver balls hanging on the tree.
White bears and presents wrapped in pink and white.
The arts of the home by:
Their theme color was multicolored, with educational toys and books scattered throughout the tree and under it.
My husband talked to the curator while I took pictures of all the trees.
They will be on display until December 24, 2008.
