Literary Site Type: Historical Site

Carter G. Woodson Home

Historical Site

Dr. Carter G. Woodson is widely considered “the Father of Black History,” founding the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915, which was headquartered in his home. A prolific historian, journalist, and author, Woodson was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African diaspora, including African American history. In 1926, Woodson pioneered Negro History Week, which would later become Black History Month. His office-home was successfully designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976. A full renovation project is currently underway.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett House Chicago

Historical Site

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett lived in Chicago in this late-nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival style stone residence while fighting to end lynching, segregation, and the economic discrimination of African Americans. As editor and co-owner of the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight, Wells-Barnett used her skills as a journalist and educator to champion African American rights. In her lifetime, she battled racism, sexism, and violence. She was a founder of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club which was created to address issues dealing with civil rights and women’s suffrage.

The John Updike Childhood Home

Historical Site

Located in Shillington, Pennsylvania, this historic house listed on the National Register of Historic Places offers a glimpse into John Updike’s early life. You can view the rooms where he penned his first works and gain insight into the influence his upbringing and the local community had on his writing. Operated by the John Updike Society, the museum presents ten exhibits that delve into the author’s childhood and artistic development.

Starr Library

Historical Site, Literary Archive, Reading Venue

Founded in 1862, the Starr Library is located in Rhinebeck, New York, and is a part of the Mid-Hudson Library system. Formerly located in a historic building in the center of town, it remained in this area for one hundred and thirteen years until it was moved to its current location in 1975.

The library hosts monthly readings, workshops, and author talks, often in collaboration with Morton Memorial Library and the local independent bookseller Oblong Books.

The Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center

Historical Site, Writers Space

The Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center is a 501c3 organization located at 1510 Laurens Street, Columbia, South Carolina, (formerly the Southern Electric building) that officially opened in the summer of 2022. This new center is home to African American culture, art, and expression. It is also a long-awaited gathering place for community conversations.

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home and Visitor Center

Historical Site

Built in 1872, this Victorian style home is dedicated to the life and legacy of the “Hoosier Poet,” James Whitcomb Riley. Although Riley never owned the home, he moved in at the peak of his career in 1893 and resided there until his death in 1916. Riley was famous for his “dialect poetry” and performed for audiences from all across the nation. To honor him, Riley’s friends formed the Riley Children’s Foundation and opened the Riley Hospital for Children, one of the premier children’s research hospitals in the world in 1924.

Detroit Public Library: Main Branch

Historical Site, Literary Archive

The Detroit Public Library opened for service on March 25, 1865. The five thousand book collection was located in one room of the old Capitol High School on Griswold Street. The Main Library, a white marble Italian Renaissance style building designed by Cass Gilbert and partially funded by a gift from Andrew Carnegie, opened in 1921. The building offers several spaces open to the public for meetings and events, and the library hosts an author reading series, as well as other literary events.

The Poe Museum

Historical Site

The Poe Museum began over a century ago when Edgar Allan Poe collector and researcher James Howard Whitty and a group of literary enthusiasts met in Poe’s hometown of Richmond, Virginia, to create the state’s first monument to a writer. The Poe Museum’s collection is now the most comprehensive in the world and its programs reach thousands of scholars, students, teachers, and literary enthusiasts every year. Museum guests can see such rarities as Poe’s boyhood bed, his clothing, and a lock of his hair.

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literary sites

The Writers Place

Historical Site, Reading Venue, Writers Space, Writing Center

The Writers Place is a literary community center, library, and gathering place for writers, readers, and the general public. The center hosts workshops for teens and adults, as well as readings and open mic nights. In addition to three regular reading series, additional readings are held throughout the year by local, regional, and visiting writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Mechanics’ Institute

Historical Site, Literary Archive, Writers Space

The Mechanics’ Institute is a leading cultural center that includes a vibrant library, a world-renowned chess program, and a full calendar of engaging cultural events, including author readings, writing workshops, technology classes, civic discussions, book groups, film screenings, and community gatherings. Founded in 1854 to serve the educational and social needs of mechanics—artisans, craftsmen, and inventors—and their families, the Institute today is a favorite of avid readers, writers, downtown employees, chess players, and the twenty-first-century nomadic worker.

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