Ivy Green, the Birthplace of Helen Keller

August 18, 2024

After my visit to the Tennessee Valley Art Museum on Thursday (August 15), I walked across the street to Ivy Green. I was surprised by how small Ivy Green was as I approached it.

I opened the door, expecting to see the fee collection station. Instead, I walked into a lovely home with a hallway dividing the house.

The fee collection is at the back of the house and the docent called out to me. I walked to the back of the house and paid my fee. Ivy Green is maintained by fees and donations. It doesn’t take any government money.

She let me look around the house and take pictures before starting the tour. The house and furnishings are about 85% original.

I then headed upstairs and saw the three rooms there, the girls’ room, the boys’ room and the trunk room.

The docent gave a tour. She was very knowledgeable and knew which items belonged to the Kellers. She talked as if she knew Helen as she described Helen’s antics and struggles.

I didn’t realize Helen had created her own sign language. She had more than 60 signs in her home signs. (Home signs or kitchen signs are what linguists call the sign language invented by a “deaf child who lacks accessible linguistic input.”

Here are some of the pictures from the hallway.

I learned so much and I came away so impressed with Helen’s accomplishments.

Her influence continues today. Alabama has a statue of Helen as one of the two statues allowed per state as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. The statue of Helen in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. is the only statue that can be touched to allow the blind to ‘see’ it. It is currently displayed in the Capital Visitor Center. The statue of Helen with the pump in the museum room is a copy of the statue in Washington.

In 1925, she addressed the delegates of Lions Clubs International at Cedar Point Ohio. She challenged them to become Knights of The Blind. The Lions Club took up her challenge and it became “the First and foremost Pillar of Service for one of the now Largest Community Service Organizations in the world!”

She helped found the American Civil Liberties Union.

She was a strong advocate for the blind and devoted much of her life to raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind.

There is a YouTube video of Helen speaking, if you are interested in hearing her talk.

After touring the house and learning so much about Helen, I walked out back and saw the kitchen building and the guest house (cottage).

The kitchen building needs work, it looks sad compared to the beautifully kept house and guest house. It was two rooms, the kitchen and the cook’s bedroom. Each room had a door to the outside.

I saw the water pump where Helen had her breakthrough.

I then looked into the cottage (guest house) that Anne and Helen stayed in while Anne tried to teach Helen how to behave in a civilized manner. The cottage is 98% original. You can’t go into the cottage, but you can open the doors and see in.

I admired the well kept grounds and then headed over to the Lions’ Walk.

The Lions Clubs from all over the world have sent items to be displayed here as a tribute to a great lady.