Harper Lee’s Hometown to Build Museum in Her Honor

Since the February 2016 passing of treasured American author Harper Lee — whose most notable work is To Kill a Mockingbird — fans of the writer have visited her hometown in Alabama to pay tribute to her work, literature that has spanned decades.

Lee’s hometown of Monroeville inspired the fictional town of Macomb, the setting of the classic novel. For years, Mockingbird fans visited the town and some of its not-so-obvious attractions, like the courthouse-turned-shrine to the author and her lifelong friend, Truman Capote. After Lee’s passing, some of the author’s close friends decided to buy a former Monroeville bank and former workplace of Lee’s father in the town and are turning it into a museum dedicated to Lee.

The 6,000-square-foot space will feature exhibits and personal items from Lee’s life and career, providing fans with a more intimate look into her psyche and development as an author. Although the specifics regarding the exhibits have yet to be determined, the space will be representative of the author’s upbringing and evolvement as a writer through photo, stories and relics, more so than in the courthouse.

Aside from the museum, few people consider Monroeville to be a tourist destination, but the Alabama Tourism Department hopes this museum will attract more visitors to the town, both domestically and internationally.