For those of you who don't know, this is the birthplace, home, and inspiration for Harper Lee and her book To Kill a Mockingbird. It was also the home of Truman Capote and inspiration for much of his own writing.
Lee and Capote were inspired not only by the environment, but a lifelong friendship that began as young children.
Here, I visited the courthouse where Lee's father worked as a trial lawyer - the inspiration for ATTICUS. Hollywood teams created a near exact replica of the building for the movie version. This original is now a museum celebrating local authors with a primary focus on both Lee and Capote.
My husband and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Courthouse Cafe' down the street from the museum. This delightful restaurant offers a variety of simple salads, sandwiches, soups, home cooked meals, and desserts. The decor celebrates the courthouse, the authors, and small-town living.
The town square around the courthouse offers a walking tour and scavenger hunt "Sculpture Trail". The trail includes sculptures honoring more than a dozen additional local authors with brief information available on each writer.
I then went to the original site of Lee's family home which is now the location of Mel's Dairy Dream. However, right next door are the remains of the house where Capote spent so much of his childhood.
Our final stop was the graveyard where Harper Lee is buried. Upon visiting her grave, I noticed the headstone was covered in pennies and seashells. Pens and flowers both adorned the location as well. All of these are tokens left behind by visitors so the family will know someone has visited to pay their respects and honor their memory.
1 comment:
The scavenger hunt sounds fun and a unique twist for a walking tour.
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