Literary Landmarks™ by Year

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2020 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990

1989 1988 1987

2020 Dedications

, Baltimore, Md. The last remaining home in Baltimore where the author lived (from 1832 to 1835). Stories written here include MS Found in a Bottle, Berenice, Morella, and The Coliseum. Partners: Citizens for Maryland Libraries, Maryland Humanities, Maryland Library Association, Poe Baltimore. Dedicated January 19th, 2020.
, Chickasha, Okla. Hometown of children's author William “Bill” Wallace (1947-2012), where he also worked as a teacher of fourth grade students. Partners: Friends of the Chickasha Public Library, Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, The City of Chickasha, Chickasha Public Library. Dedicated August 1st, 2020.
, Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. Jupiter Hammon (1711—c. 1806), first published Afriecan-American poet, lived as an enslaved man at Lloyd Manor. There, he penned An Address to the Negroes of the State of New-York and An Essay on Slavery. Partners: Preservation Long Island; Town of Huntington African American Historic Designation Council; NAACP Huntington Branch; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Sigma Psi Omega Chapter; Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Suffolk County Chapter; The Links, Inc., Long Island (N.Y.) Chapter. Dedicated October 17th, 2020.
, Cushing, Okla. Born in Cushing, Oklahoma, Robert J. Conley (1940-2014) was a member of the Cherokee Nation, Native American scholar, and the author of over 80 books, short stories and poems. Partners: Cushing Public Library, Friends of the Cushing Public Library, Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, Cushing Public Schools. Dedicated November 7th, 2020.

2019 Dedications

, Waukegan, Ill. Ray Bradbury Park, located in Bradbury’s “Green Town” neighborhood, played a major part of his childhood Waukegan upbringing and was referenced in his works Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Farewell Summer. Partners: Ray Bradbury Experience Museum (RBEM), Illinois Center for the Book. Dedicated March 16, 2019.
, Manning, S.C. Children’s author Peggy Parish (1927-1988) was born and raised in Manning, South Carolina to a poor family. Parish was best known as the original creator of the popular Amelia Bedelia series.
, Monticello, N.Y. in honor of children’s author Vera B. Williams. Williams was awarded the Caldecott Medal and Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for A Chair for My Mother in 1983. In 2004, she was a U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest recognition for children's book authors. A Chair for my Mother inspired the chair in Vera’s Story Garden.
, Schenectady, N.Y. in honor of children’s author and illustrator Arnold Lobel. Lobel amassed one Caldecott Medal, 3 Caldecott Honors, and one Newbery Honor during his 26-year career as a children’s book author and illustrator. As an adult, he was ranked among the most highly decorated authors and illustrators in children’s literature, and as a boy Lobel spent many hours at the Schenectady County Public Library.
, Pittsfield, Mass. in honor of author Herman Melville. Melville lived in Pittsfield from 1850 to 1863, his most prolific time as a writer and the place where he wrote “Moby-Dick, or The Whale” (1851), and other works. The Berkshire Athenaeum has been the home of the largest collection of Melville Family Personal Memorabilia in the world, as well as one of the largest research collections available for the pursuit of scholarly research pertaining to the life and work of Herman Melville. Dedicated August 1, 2019.

2018 Dedications

, Brooklyn, N.Y. in honor of the 75th anniversary of Betty Smith's iconic novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943). Smith was a frequent visitor to Brooklyn Public Library as a child growing up in Williamsburg, and the Leonard Branch was featured in the novel. Partners: Brooklyn Public Library, HarperCollins Publishers . Dedicated November 14, 2018.
, Seattle, Wash. The first official Literary Landmark in the state of Washington honors poet Richard Hugo (1923-1982). The Literary Landmark plaque is displayed outside the front doors of the new Hugo House, a writing center for emerging and established writers, at 1634 Eleventh Avenue on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Partners: Washington Center for the Book, Seattle Public Library, Washington State Library. Dedicated September 17, 2018.
, Stillwater, Okla. Dr. Franklin (1915-2009), esteemed historian and author of “From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans,” (1947) was born in Rentiesville, Oklahoma. Dedicated May 31st, 2018. Partners: Tulsa City-County Library, the OSU Division of Institutional Diversity, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, University of Oklahoma Center for Democracy and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Library Association, Tulsa Community College, Friends of Oklahoma Center for the Book, Duke University’s John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary & International Studies and John Hope Franklin Research Center, Magic City Books, Taylor Entertainment Group, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Oklahoma Humanities, Tulsa World Media Company, Tulsa Community Foundation.
, Pepperell, Mass. Children's author Barbara Cooney lived in Pepperell with her husband, Dr. Charles Talbot Porter, while he practiced medicine in the town from 1946-1988. An author of 110 children’s books, she is best known for her picture book “Miss Rumphius,” which won the National Book Award in 1983 and features the Lawrence Library. Dedicated May 5th, 2018. Partners: Lawrence Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Lawrence Library.
, Sag Harbor, N.Y. Writer/actor Spalding Gray (1941-2004) resided in Sag Harbor with his wife Kathleen Russo and their children Marissa, Forrest, and Theo from 2001-2004. Gray wrote 19 monologues for stage, film, and publication, including "Swimming to Cambodia" and "Morning, Noon and Night" (about his life in Sag Harbor). He is best known for being an American original that sat behind a desk with a glass of water, a notebook, and a microphone to tell the audience a story. Dedicated June 23rd, 2018. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, Friends of the John Jermain Library, the Sherwin-Williams Company.

2017 Dedications

, Elmira, N.Y. Mark Twain brought his family to Quarry Farm, home of his sister-in-law Susan Crane., for more than 20 summers starting in 1871. In a study about 100 yards from the main house on the farm, Twain created the iconic characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Dedicated May 3^rd, 2017. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies.
, Washington, D.C., was a gathering place of the Washington, D.C.- area Filipino community from the 1930s to the 1950s. Filipino author Bienvenido (Ben) Santos, winner of the 1981 American Book Award, wrote about the Manila House in his collection of short stories, “Scent of Apples.” Dedicated May 6, 2017. Partners: the Philippine Arts, Letters and Media Council (PALM); the Philippines on the Potomac Project (POPDC); the Rita M. Cacas Foundation, Inc. (RMCF), the Toribio Family.
, New York, N.Y. Founded March 15, 1870, The Lotos Club is one of the oldest literary clubs in the United States. Its name is taken from the Tennyson poem “The Lotos Eaters.” Many writers of note have been members or have been honored by the club. Dedicated June 21, 2017. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book.
, Bethlehem, Pa. Poet Hilda Doolittle was born and raised in Bethlehem, PA. Her childhood home was located across the plaza from the Library, where City Hall now stands. Dedicated September 8, 2017. Partners: The Bethlehem Area Public Library, Lehigh University.
, Wilton, N.Y. In June of 1885, former two-term United States President and four-star General Ulysses S. Grant arrived at the site now known as Grant Cottage to complete writing his memoirs. He completed his memoirs there two days before dying at 8 a.m. on July 23, 1885. Dedicated September 16, 2017. Partners: The Empire State Center for the Book.
, Warren, Ohio. Author and playwright Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933), a native of Warren, Ohio, was best known for his Charlie Chan detective novels, which depicted the Asian-American titular character as an intelligent hero during a time when popular literature negatively stereotyped Asians. Many of his novels and plays were adapted into films and Broadway productions. The Landmark plaque is on display at the Main Library in Warren near the Local Author Collection. Dedicated September 23, 2017. Partners: Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, Friends of the Warren Library.
Pat Conroy Literary Center, Beaufort, S.C. Writer and educator Pat Conroy (1945-2016) was the eldest son of a Marine fighter pilot father and a mother who instilled in Conroy a deep love of the literary arts. Conroy was the author of 11 novels and memoirs published in his lifetime, including four adapted for film: The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides. The setting for much of his writing life, Beaufort, S.C., was Conroy’s artistic muse as well as his adopted hometown. The Pat Conroy Literary Center was established in Beaufort in 2016 to continue Conroy’s legacy as a teacher and mentor to readers and writers. Dedicated Oct. 20, 2017. Partners: Public Library Foundation of Beaufort County, South Carolina Academy of Authors, South Carolina State Library.

2016 Dedications

, Saranac Lake, N.Y. Author, poet, and adventurer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), a native son of Scotland, occupied the cottage with his family from 1887-1888. There he composed some of his finest contributions to English literature. Dedicated August 2015. Partners: New York Library Association, Empire State Center for the Book.
, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Francis John "Frank" Sullivan (1892-1976), a native of Saratoga Springs, lived in this house most of his adult life. Affectionately known as “The Sage of Saratoga,” the 1914 graduate of Cornell University, started his writing career at The Saratogian Newspaper. He worked as a journalist at The Herald, The Evening Sun and New York World in Manhattan for two decades. As a humorist, his annual Christmas poem and articles appeared in The New Yorker Magazine from 1925-1975. A member of the Algonquin Round Table, he was known for his wit and authored 12 books. Dedicated November 3, 2016. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, New York Library Association.
, Austerlitz, N.Y. Steepletop was the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), member of the New York State Writers Hall of Fame (2010) and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1923). Her work includes 10 poetry collections, an opera libretto, songs, plays, essays, short stories, and satirical sketches. Much of this work was created at Steepletop, where the poet and her husband created a peaceful homestead. Dedicated as part of the Pulitzer Prize Centennial Year - 2016. Oct. 23, 3016. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, Friends of Chatham Public Library, The Millay Society.

, New York, N.Y. Since 1990, the Society's annual exhibit "The Original Art" has showcased the year's most outstanding children's book illustrations published in the U.S. The Society's Hall of Fame honors many notable children's book artists, including Howard Pyle, Maurice Sendak, and Jessie Wilcox Smith. Other eminent illustrators, such as Barbara Cooney, Virginia Lee Burton, and Arnold Lobel have also been recognized with lifetime achievement awards. Dedicated October 27, 2016. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, the Children's Book Council.
, Enid, Okla. Marquis James (1891-1955), an avid reader, used this public often. James, an American journalist and author, won two Pulitzer Prizes (1930, 1938) for biographies of notable Americans. Dedicated September 17, 2016. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO), Family of Marquis James.
, New York, N.Y. This 1926 Art Deco building was Erich Maria Remarque’s (1898-1970) city home from 1951 until his death in 1970. The author of All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) lived there with his wife, the actress Paulette Goddard. His last novel, Shadows in Paradise (1998), is set in the building. Dedicated June 18, 2016. Partner: Empire State Center for the Book.
New York, N.Y. E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015), author of Ragtime (1975), World’s Fair (1985) and Homer and Langley (2009), in addition to several other works, lived at 333 East 57th Street from 2000 until his death in 2015. Dedicated June 18, 2016. Partner: Empire State Center for the Book.

, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N.Y. Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983), an award-winning author and illustrator of children's books, wrote often about a group of friends (including Peter and his dog, Willie), who grew up in a neighborhood similar to where he grew up in Brooklyn. The Peter and Willie statue was created by Otto Neals in 1997. Dedicated June 10, 2016. An honorary Literary Landmark in partnership with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.

, New York, N.Y. Formerly known as Blackwell's Island, Roosevelt Island is the site of the New York City Lunatic Asylum that was the basis for Nellie Bly's expose in Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887). Charles Dickens also speaks of it in his American Notes (1842). The island was also the site of a penitentiary mentioned in Horatio Alger's Ragged Dick (1867); Stephen Crane's novelette "Maggie, A Girl of the Streets" (1893); O.Henry's short story "The Cop and the Anthem" (1904) and Eugene O'Neil' s The Hairy Ape (1922). Dedicated April 12, 2016. Partner: Empire State Center for the Book.
, Key West, Fla. David A. Kaufelt (1939-2014), founder of the Key West Literary Seminar, led the first seminar at the library in 1983. He also completed the research for his novel American Tropic (1986) at the library. In addition, it was a meeting point for his popular Literary Walking Tour, which introduced visitors to the rich life of letters in the island city. Dedicated February 6, 2016. Partners: Key West Literary Seminar, Friends of the Key West Library, Monroe County Public Library.

2015 Dedications

, Portsmouth, Va. Bertha Winbourne Edwards (1920-2009), author and librarian at the Portsmouth Community Library, used this building to launch her research and writing on black history in Portsmouth. As the first public librarian for blacks in in Portsmouth, Edwards made the library a welcoming crossroads for many of the history makers, civil rights activists, and community leaders featured in the nine volumes of Portsmouth black history that she authored. Dedicated December 17, 2015. Partners: Friends of the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth Department of Museums, Portsmouth Public Library, African-American Historical Society of Portsmouth.
, Burke, N.Y. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) first wrote about her childhood growing up on the American frontier in Little House in the Big Woods (1932). She then immortalized the boyhood home of her husband, Almanzo, in Farmer Boy (1933), the second title in the “Little House” series. The novel chronicled one year in Almanzo’s life on the farm near Malone where he lived and worked from his birth in 1857 until 1875, when his family moved to Minnesota. Partners: New York Library Association, Empire State Center for the Book, the Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder Association, HarperCollins Publishers. Dedicated July 11, 2015.
, Ely, Minn. Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982) was a poetic, lyrical writer whose essays painted haunting pictures of the wilderness. He was a teacher and dean at Ely Junior College (now Vermilion Community College), where his student rapport and field trips to the "outdoor classroom" where legendary. Dedicated June 5, 2015. Partners: Minnesota Association of Library Friends, Listening Point Foundation, Friends of the Ely Public Library.
, Toledo, Ohio. Author and journalist Mildred A. Wirt Benson (known by many by her pen name, Carolyn Keene), moved to Toledo in 1938. From 1930-1953, she wrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew mysteries. The library owns many items relating to the life and work of Benson. Partners: Library Legacy Foundation, Nancy Drew Sleuths, The Blade. Dedicated May 30, 2015.
, Hamilton, Ohio. Two-time Caldecott Award-winner Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) walked through the doors of the Hamilton Lane Library many times as a child. McCloskey was born in Hamilton and his first book, Lentil, featured several Hamilton scenes, including the library. Published by Viking in 1940, it told the story of a boy much like himself. Partners: Heritage, The Lane Libraries, Ohio Educational Library Media Association, Penguin Young Readers (Viking). Dedicated May 9, 2015.
, New York, N.Y. Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014) used this Harlem neighborhood as a setting for many of his books, including Harlem, Monster, 145th Street and Here in Harlem. His childhood was spent playing basketball on the courts of Harlem and checking books out at this branch of the New York Public Library. Myers went on to become an award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2012-13). Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, HarperCollins Publishers, Holiday House, Random House Children’s Books, Scholastic. Dedicated May 4, 2015.
, Norman, Okla. Harold Keith (1903-1998) was born in Oklahoma’s Cherokee Outlet. He pioneered the field of sports journalism as the first sports information director for the University of Oklahoma. His major works include sports histories and historical novels for young people. His book Rifles for Watie won the 1958 Newbery Award. Partners: Pioneer Library System, Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, Libraries United, University of Oklahoma Athletic Department, Oklahoma Center for the Book, Friends of the Norman Library, Norman Arts Council. Dedicated May 3, 2015.
, Westerly, R.I. Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952) was the author of many beloved children’s books, including Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. After her untimely death, her sister Roberta Rausch and her friend Jessica Gamble Dunham donated a near complete set of her published works, personal papers, manuscripts and books to Westerly Library. Partners: Friends of the Memorial and Library Association, Rhode Island Center for the Book at Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, HarperCollins. Dedicated May 2, 2015.
, Galesburg, Ill. Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Lincoln biographer, was born in a three-room cottage adjacent to the site and grew up in Galesburg. His book Rootabaga Stories was written for his three daughters, and The American Songbag is a collection of American folk tunes that are still taught to children today. Partners: Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian; Illinois State Library; Illinois Center for the Book. Dedicated April 25, 2015.

2014 Dedications

, New York, N.Y. Louise Fitzhugh (1928-1974) used the park as a setting in Harriet the Spy, a classic that has entertained young readers and inspired future writers. In the park, Harriet follows Ole Golly on her date with Mr. Waldenstein, gathers a frog to put in Marion Hawthorne’s desk at school, and plays a game of tag with the kids in her class. But most importantly, Harriet takes her notebook to the park and sits on a bench, writing under the trees. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, Random House Children’s Books, and the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy. Dedicated December 7, 2014.
, Huntington Station, N.Y. Poet and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) taught at Long Island schools, and founded a weekly newspaper in Huntington that continues to this day. Memories of this house and of Long Island had a major influence on his writing. Partners: Suffolk County Library Association, Suffolk School Library Media Association, Lambda Literary Foundation, Empire State Center for the Book. Dedicated September. 5, 2014.
, Henning, Tenn. The boyhood home of Alex Haley (1921-1992) was built by his grandfather, William E. Palmer, in 1919. It served as a seat of inspiration for Haley's Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Partners: Tennessee Historical Commission, Alex Haley Museum & Interpretive Center Staff and Board. Dedicated August 9, 2014.
, Central Lakes College, Brainerd, Minn. Jon Hassler (1933-2008) launched his writing career while teaching English and humanities at Brainerd Community College (now Central Lakes College). Hassler was a novelist who captured small town life as it took place in Minnesota towns such as Staggerford and Rookery. Partners: Minnesota Association of Library Friends, Central Lakes College Foundation, Friends of the Brainerd Public Library. Dedicated May 17, 2014.
, New York, N.Y. Bernard Waber (1921-2013) used East 88th Street as a setting for his Lyle the Crocodile picture books, starting with The House on East 88th Street (1962). Lyle lives in a brownstone on East 88th Street with the Primm family, whose children attend a school much like Yorkville Community School. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, The Children's Book Council, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Yorkville Community School PTA. Dedicated May 14, 2014.
, Lake Oswego, Ore. William Stafford (1914-1993), who lived in Lake Oswego for 46 years, was poet laureate of Oregon 1975-79 and poetry consultant to Library of Congress 1970-71. Stafford received the National Book Award for his poetry collection Traveling Through the Dark (1963). All but one of his more than 60 books was written in Oregon. He was an ardent supporter of the Lake Oswego Public Library, and he dedicated the present library in 1983. Partner: Friends of Lake Oswego Public Library. Dedicated February 25, 2014.

2013 Dedications

, Newport, N.H. The Sarah Josepha Hale Memorial Park, on the grounds of Richards Free Library, honors Newport native Hale (1788-1879), a prominent 19th century editor who promoted the education of women and their important role in society. As editor of “Godey’s Lady Book,” she nurtured the careers of Catherine Beecher, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Her many contributions to American culture include a successful campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Partner: Richards Free Library Board of Trustees. Dedicated November 23, 2013.
, Oxford, Miss. Larry Brown, award-winning author of Joe and Big Bad Love, was a frequent patron and strong supporter of the library, establishing the Larry Brown Writers Series that brought a number of authors to the library for public readings and writing workshops. Born in Lafayette County, Brown gave the keynote address at the re-opening of the library after renovations in 1997. Partner: Friends of the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library. Dedicated November 11, 2013.
, Sauk Centre, Minn. Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) spent his formative years in this home. He was an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright who became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His works are known for their insightful and critical views of American society and capitalist values, as well as for their strong characterizations of working women. Partners: Minnesota Association of Library Friends, Sinclair Lewis Foundation. Dedicated July 16, 2013.
, Southampton, N.Y. In the summer of 1957, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) lived in the windmill at Stony Brook and wrote an experimental play, The Day on Which a Man Dies, responding the to death of his friend, abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. Partners: The MFA Programs at Stony Brook Southampton, Empire State Center for the Book. Dedicated July 13, 2013.

, Fruit Cove, Fla. Author and award-winning journalist and activist Stetson Kennedy (1916-2011) created Lake Beluthahatchee and its surrounding wildlife sanctuary. It was there Kennedy wrote portions or complete manuscripts of his books and articles. Dedicated November 16, 2013. Partner: Florida Center for the Book.
, Stroud, Okla. Born near Stroud, Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel (1918-2007) felt wrenched from her home in 1936 when her family migrated to California, where she became known as the Okie poet. Anthologized in American working-class literature, her poetry reveals an appreciation for everyday people and her deep love for Oklahoma, friends, and family. She sent some of her books and papers to Stroud Public LIbrary for preservation. Partner: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma. Dedicated April 28, 2013.
, Como, Miss. Como-born Stark Young (1881-1963) was a drama critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. So Red the Rose, his best-known work, was adapted to film in 1935. Partners: Friends of Emily J. Pointer Public Library, Town of Como. Dedicated March 28, 2013.
, Corona, N.Y. The library was the first public institution to be named for (James) Langston Hughes, African American poet, journalist, essayist, playwright, novelist, and social activist. Partners: New York State Education Department, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Queens Council on the Arts, Queens Borough President's Office. Dedicated February 23, 2013.
, Miami Beach, Fla. Cartoonist and children's book author Syd Hoff (1912-2004) lived at this home from 1957 to 2001. Hoff published more than 500 cartoons in The New Yorker, and is the author of many HarperCollins I CAN READ books, including Danny the Dinosaur and Sammy the Seal. Partner: Florida Center for the Book. Dedicated February 10, 2013.

2012 Dedications

, New York, N.Y. Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007), Newbery Award-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time, served the as cathedral librarian and participated in the cathedral's spiritual life for more than 40 years. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, The Children's Book Council, Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. Dedicated November 29, 2012.
, Cleveland Ohio. Best known for his American Splendor series, Harvey Pekar (1939-2010) spent countless days at Heights Libraries, working on stories that celebrated his hometown and the common man. Pekar's efforts raisied the comic book to a recognized genre. Partners: Heights Libraries, Friends of the Heights Libraries. Dedicated October 14, 2012.
, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Conn. Elihu Burritt (1810-1879), a New Britain native noted for being a self-taught linguist who studied while he worked at the forge, was an ardent abolitionist, an internationally renowned peace activist, and a prolific writer. He was appointed consul to Birmingham, England, by President Lincoln. Many of Burritt's original works are found in this library. Dedicated October 11, 2012. Partners: The Skinner, Cargill, and Bradley families, descendants of Elihu Burritt.
, Durango, Colo. Louis L'Amour (1908-1988) is renowned for his Western fiction. He wrote many novels and short stories in room 222 of the Strater Hotel, inspired by the strains of the honky tonk piano rising from the Diamond Belle Saloon below. Along with many other visits, for more than 10 years L'Amour, and often his family, spent the month of August in the hotel. Dedicated August 25, 2012. Partners: Friends of the Durango Public Library, Rod and Laurie Barker, the Strater Hotel.
, Muskegon, Mich. Children's book author and storyteller Verna Aardema Vugteveen (1911-2000) used the Hackley Public Library to research folk tales from various cultures, which she rewrote as children's stories. She credited Hackley librarians for their invaluable help with her research. An elementary school teacher for more than 25 years, she was known as Muskegon's "Story Lady." Vugteveen is the author of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1976. Dedicated June 12, 2012. Partner: Friends of the Hackley Public Library.

2011 Dedications

, New Orleans, La. Author Frances Parkinson Keyes made the house at 1113 Chartres St. her winter residence from 1945 until her death in 1970 at the age of 85. Of her 51 books, The Chess Players and Madame Castel's Lodger are set at the house and tell of its construction and early habitation. It was at the house that she wrote Dinner at Antoine's, her best known work. Dedicated June 27, 2011. Partner: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.
, Talequah, Okla. Woodrow Wilson Rawls (1913-1984) was the author of two children’s books: Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys. Rawls’ early childhood was spent on his mother’s Cherokee allotment 13 miles northeast of Tahlequah, along the Illinois River in Cherokee County. Rawls visited the Carnegie Library in Tahlequah when he was young. He wrote, “The day I discovered libraries was one of the biggest days of my life. Practically all of my spare time was spent there. I read everything I could get my hands on pertaining to creative writing. I didn’t just read those books, I practically memorized them.” Dedicated April 30, 2011. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, Tahlequah Friends of the Library, and the Cherokee Heritage Center of Tahlequah.
, Mansfield, Texas. John Howard Griffin lived on a farm in Mansfield during the time he conducted the social experiment chronicled in his book author of Black Like Me. He darkened his skin in the fall of 1959 and lived as a black man for seven weeks while traveling through Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. Black Like Me has been translated into 14 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies. Dedicated February 27, 2011. Partners: Friends of the Mansfield Public Library.

2010 Dedications

Marguerite deAngeli Branch Library, Lapeer, Mich. Marguerite deAngeli, an author and illustrator of children's books, was a Lapeer native. In 1950, she was awarded the Newbery Medal for The Door in the Wall. The main branch of the Lapeer City Library, which has an extensive collection of her materials, was renamed in her honor on Aug. 22, 1981. Dedicated August 22, 2010. Patners: Lapeer District Library, Michigan Center for the Book.
Boyhood Home of Stanley Kunitz , Worcester, Mass. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Poet Laureate of the United States Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) lived at this house at 4 Woodford St. from 1919-1925. Greg and Carol Stockmal, who purchased the house in 1979, maintained a 20-year relationship with Kunitz, who dedicated his poem "My Mother's Pears" to the Stockmals. Dedicated June 19, 2010. Partners: Worcester Public Library Board of Directors, Worcester County Poetry Association, Friends of Stanley Kunitz.
, Mankato, Minn. The childhood home of Maud Hart Lovelace was dedicated along with the childhood home of her best friend, Frances "Bick" Kenney. Lovelace's series of Betsy-Tacy books was based on her and Bick's adventures growing up in Mankato. Dedicated May 20, 2010. Partner: Betsy-Tacy Society.
, Mankato, Minn. The childhood home of Frances "Bick" Kenney was dedicated along with the childhood home of her best friend, Maud Hart Lovelace. Lovelace's series of Betsy-Tacy books was based on her and Bick's adventures growing up in Mankato. Dedicated May 20, 2010. Partner: Betsy-Tacy Society.
Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum , Hannibal, Mo. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum includes six properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places (including his boyhood home, which was built in the 1840s and opened to the public in 1912), and two interactive museums. Twain lived in Hannibal from age 4 to 17. The experiences that Samuel Clemens took from Hannibal became part of American culture through his writings as Mark Twain. Dedicated April 24, 2010. Partners: Missouri Humanities Council, ReadMOre Missouri, Hannibal Free Public Library.
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum , Key West, Fla. Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote here from 1931-1939. The Literary Landmark dedication was on the occasion of Key West's "One Island, One Book" event, when the citizens of Key West celelbrated Hemingway's novel To Have and Have Not. Dedicated March 14, 2010. Partners: Monroe County Public Library of Key West, FL; Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum; Friends of The Monroe County Public Library of Key West, Florida, Inc.

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2009 Dedications

, Austin, Tex. Noted Texas authors, including James Michener, Walter Prescott Webb, and Jack "Jaxon" Jackson used the state archives for research and inspiration. Former U.S. and Texas First Lady Laura Bush spoke at the building's dedication. Dedicated December 3, 2009. Partners: Friends of Libraries & Archives in Texas and Texas Center for the Book.
, Pawhuska, Okla. John Joseph Mathews worked to preserve the culture and history of his Osage tribute through his writing. His authored four nonfiction books and one fiction book in his lifetime, including Wah'Kon-Tah: The Osage and the White Man's Road (1932), which was the first university press book selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club, and sold 50,000 copies. Dedicated November 17, 2009. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma and Osage Nation.
, Amherst, Mass. The Jones Library originally dedicated its Frost Room in 1959, with Robert Frost and Charles Green, founding director of the Jones Library, in attendance. Green started what is now one of the richest Frost collections in the world. Fifty years later, the Jones Library was dedicated a Literary Landmark in honor of Robert Frost. Dedicated October 24, 2009. Partners: Friends of the Jones Library System and the Trustees of the Jones Library.
Eudora Welty Library, Jackson, Miss. The Eudora Welty Library, part of the Jackson/Hinds Library System, was recognized as part of the Eudora Welty Centennial Celebration. Eudora Welty had a major role in Mississippi's library heritage, suppported public libraries, and was a lifelong resident of Jackson. Dedicated June 22, 2009. Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, the Jackson Friends of the Library, and the Mississippi Library Commission.
, Wethersfield, Conn. was the setting for Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Award-winning book The Witch of Blackbird Pon d. The novel tells the story of Kit Tyler, who is forced to leave her Caribbean home for the Connecticut colony in 1687, and is accused by the townspeople of being a witch. Speare lived in Wethersfield when she wrote the novel in 1958. Partner: Wethersfield Public Library. Dedicated March 26, 2009.

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2008 Dedications

, Idlewild, Mich. Idlewild is the Black Eden of 20th Century African-American history. It was the vacation destination for such writers as Charles Chestnutt, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and W. E. B. DuBois. At Idlewild, writers and entertainers created a separate place for African-American culture and thought to blossom in one of the few locations where African-American were welcome to vacation and relax. Dedicated August 16, 2008. Partners: Idlewild Public Library, Library of Michigan, and the Michigan Center for the Book.
, Philadelphia, Pa. Home of the Col. Richard Gimbel Collection of Thomas Paine Papers An important 18th century radical republican theorist and political writer, Thomas Paine was a leading figure in the American Revolution. Despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal education, his reasoned and persuasive writings not only influenced nascent American republican ideology, but profoundly affected the perception of government in England and France as well. His three most influential works are Common Sense (1776), The Rights of Man (1791-1792), and The Age of Reason (1794, 1795, 1807). Dedicated January 14, 2008. Partners: Philadelphia's American Philosophical Society.
, Anaheim, Calif. The Mother Colony House is the oldest frame building in Anaheim. It was here that Henryk Sienkiewicz resided with Madame Helena Modejeska in 1876. He is one of the most popular Polish writers and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his outstanding merits as an epic writer. He is best known as the author of Quo Vadis. While in Anaheim he wrote Listy z podrozy (“Letters from a Journey”) and was inspired to write two short stories about Orange County: “A Comedy of Errors” and “Orso: An American Hercules” (set in Anaheim). Dedicated June 29, 2008.

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2007 Dedications

, St. Louis, Mo. Novelist and short story writer Kate Chopin (1850-1904) lived in this house located at 4232 McPherson Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, in the autumn of 1903. It was in this house that she wrote her last poem, "To the Friend of my Youth: To Kitty," and her last story, "The Impossible Miss Meadows." It was also in this house that she died of a cerebral hemorrhage on August 22, 1904. The house was the only existing St. Louis building associated with her life and work. In 2008 this landmark was lost in a fire along with most of the contents, although a few artifacts were salvaged. Dedicated April 22, 2007. Partners: Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library and the Kate Chopin Society of North America (headquartered in the Kirkwood Public Library).
, Washington, D.C. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves the last residence of Frederick Douglass (1818 -1895), one of the most prominent African-American leaders of the 19th century. A fiery orator, dedicated editor, bestselling author, and presidential advisor, Douglass crusaded for human rights as an abolitionist, a strong advocate for women's suffrage, and a voice for social justice. From 1877 until his death in 1895, Douglass lived at the estate he called Cedar Hill, located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Daily tours of the Douglass Home are offered and a visitor center provides an orientation film, exhibits, and a bookstore. Dedicated June 24, 2007. Partners: National Park Service, Gilder Lehrman Center, and the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association.
, Tahlequah, Okla. Will Rogers wrote to entertain, to enlighten, and to educate. His words were stilled far too soon. The site on which the museum now resides was purchased by Will and Betty Rogers to build their Oklahoma home. It is on a bluff overlooking Claremore. The museum was built as a gift of the people of Oklahoma in memory of their native son. Dedicated October 26, 2007. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO) and the Cherokee Nation.

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2006 Dedications

, Des Moines, Iowa. Forrest Spaulding, Director of the Des Moines Public Library from 1917-1919 and again from 1927-1952, wrote the Library Bill of Rights adopted by the Des Moines Public Library Board November 21, 1938 and adopted by the 91��ý June 18, 1948. Dedicated April 22, 2006. Partners: Des Moines Public Library.
, Marshall, Ill. From Here to Eternity (1951) author James Jones co-founded the Handy Writers' Colony (1949-1964) at the west edge of Marshall with his mentor Lowney Turner Handy and her husband, Harry. Jones wrote Some Came Running (1957) here before moving to New York and later to Paris and writing other books. Several other Colony writers completed and published novels during those years. The house Jones built at the edge of the Colony ground in 1953 still stands. Dedicated May 18, 2006. Partners: Marshall Friends of the Library, James Jones Literary Society, Clark County Historical Society, and Marshall Main Street Program.
, Owosso, Mich. The writing studio of James Oliver Curwood, author of Kazan (1914), in honor of his many books, stories, magazine articles, films, and his work with conservation. Dedicated June 1, 2006. Partners: Michigan Center for the Book, Friends of the Shiawassee District Library Owosso.

, New Orleans, La. Tennessee Williams owned this 19th-century townhouse from 1962 until his death in 1983. Here he worked on his autobiography, Memoirs (1975), in which he wrote, “I hope to die in my sleep… in this beautiful big brass bed in my New Orleans apartment, the bed that is associated with so much love…” He always considered New Orleans his spiritual home. Dedicated June 2006. Partners: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.
, Morgantown, W.Va. The writings and personal papers of Louise McNeill, poet laureate of West Virginia from 1977 to 1993, are housed in the West Virginia and Regional History Center. McNeill is beloved for her depiction of West Virginia's life and lore in Paradox Hill (1972), the historical Gauley Mountain (1939) and Elderberry Flood (1979), and the autobiographical Milkweed Ladies (1988). Dedicated October 2006. Partners: West Virginia University Libraries.
, Sallisaw, Okla. This historic log cabin, built by Sequoyah's own hands in 1829, was the home of Sequoyah, the Cherokee genius who developed the syllabary that brought literacy to his people. Dedicated October 6, 2006. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Yazoo City, Miss. This library was dedicated a Literary Landmark in recognition of Willie Morris (1934-1999), a journalist, editor, author, and Mississippian. Dedicated November 10, 2006. Partners: Yazoo Library Association and Friends of Mississippi Libraries.
, Florence, Ala. T.S. Stribling (1881-1965), was a graduate of State Normal College at Florence (1903) and Pulitzer Prize winner (1933) for The Store. Stribling writings, research materials, and memorabilia are located in the Collier Library Archives and Special Collections at the University of North Alabama. Dedicated November 16, 2006. Partners: University of North Alabama.

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2005 Dedications

, Boston, Mass. Here is where Robert McCloskey set his 1942 Caldecott Medal book, Make Way for Ducklings. The classic children’s book characters Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood resided in the garden pond. While here they discovered the wonders of Boston and the kindness of the city’s residents. Dedicated January 16, 2005. Partners: Citywide Friends of the Boston Public Library, Books for Kids Foundation, and Historic Neighborhoods Foundation.
, Natchez, Miss. William Johnson (1809-1851) was a free African American Businessman and Diarist. His diary, covering the period from 1835-1851 and published in 1951, contains an extensive description of everyday pre-Civil War life; it is a valuable contribution to the literature of the antebellum South. Dedicated February 26, 2005. Partners: United States Park Service, Friends of the Judge George W. Armstrong Library, and Friends of Mississippi Libraries.
, San Francisco, Calif. Home of Dashiell Hammett and Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett (1896-1961) lived in this building from 1926 until 1929 when he wrote his first three novels: Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), and The Maltese Falcon (1930). Sam Spade’s apartment in The Maltese Falcon is modeled on Hammett’s, which was on the northwest corner of the fourth floor. Dedicated March 19, 2005. Partners: The San Francisco Chronicle.
, St. Augustine, Fla. Burial site of Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886). The Caldecott Medal, commissioned in 1938, was named in honor of English illustrator, artist, and sculptor Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, 91��ý, to the artist of the “most distinguished” American picture book for children published during the preceding year. Dedicated March 20, 2005. Partners: Friends of the Library of St. Johns County, Inc. and Randolph Caldecott Society of America.
, Prince George County, Williamsburg City, Va. The burial site of revolutionary patriot and pamphleteer Richard Bland (1710-1776) who, as political pamphleteer, constitutional historian, scholar, attorney, and public servant championed public rights and represented Virginia in the First and Second Continental Congresses and in all five of Virginia’s Revolutionary Conventions. Dedicated October 23, 2005. Partners: Friends of Richard Bland College Library at Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary.
, Rutherford, N.J. Lifelong home of William Carlos Williams, writer, physician, friend, and neighbor. Dedicated September 17, 2005. Partners: Rutherford Free Public Library.
, Hillsboro, W.Va. Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was the only American woman to win both the Pulitzer Prize (1932 for her book The Good Earth) and the Nobel Prize for Literature (1938). This world-renowned author has written over 100 books and hundreds of short stories and magazine articles. Her books have been translated into 69 foreign languages. Dedicated June 25, 2005.
, McAlester, Okla. The birthplace on October 25, 1914 of John Berryman, poet and biographer, honored with the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and Bollingen Prize. Dedicated October 21, 2005. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).

, West End, N.J. Site of the summer cottage of Dorothy Parker, short story writer, critic, and poet, member of the Algonquin Round Table, champion for social justice. Born in West End, New Jersey, August 22, 1893. Dedicated August 22, 2005. Partners: The Dorothy Parker Society and Long Branch Historical Association.

, Chicago, Ill. This site commemorates the centennial of the novel The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair. The book exposed the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry and is said to have influenced President Theodore Roosevelt in passing the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The novel chronicles Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant, in his quest for the American Dream in the filthy Chicago stockyards. Dedicated June 23, 2005. Partners: Illinois Center for the Book, the Lithuanian American Council, the Food and Drug Administration, Union Food and Commercial Workers, and the Weidman Family.
, Medford, Mass. Family home of poet, author, editor, and translator John Ciardi (1916-1986). Dedicated October 29, 2005. Partners: The Friends of the Medford Public Library.

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2004 Dedications

, Key West, Fla. Residence of playwright Tennessee Williams from 1949 to 1983. Dedicated January 16, 2004. Partners: Florida Center for the Book
, Sea Island, Ga. Where O’Neill lived with his wife from 1931 to 1936 during which time he completed two plays, Ah Wilderness! (1933) and Days Without End (1934). Dedicated February 27, 2004. Partners: St. Simons Island Public Library.
, Marshall, Okla. Angie Debo (1890-1988), daughter of sodbusters, courageous scholar, first lady of Oklahoma history. This town served as the subject of Prairie City, Debo’s literary gift to her family and community. Dedicated April 17, 2004. Partners: Oklahoma State University Library and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Eatonville, Fla. Site of the home of the childhood best friend of Zora Neale Hurston who, throughout her writings, celebrates the rich culture of Eatonville as representative of rural, southern African-descended folks. Dedicated June 28, 2004. Partners: Black Caucus of the 91��ý.
, Columbus, Miss. Author, playwright, and poet Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams (1911-1983), was born in Columbus, Mississippi. In tribute to his life and writings, this site, formerly the rectory of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was dedicated a Literary Landmark. Dedicated September 10, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library and the Tennessee Williams Tribute Committee.
, Danville, Va. In tribute to the lives and accomplishments of Irene Langhorne Gibson (1873-1956, “The Gibson Girl”) and Nancy Langhorne Astor (1879-1964, “Lady Astor”), and their families, this site was dedicated a Literary Landmark. Dedicated September 18, 2004. Partners: Friends of the Danville Public Library and the Langhorne House Foundation.
, Saint Paul, Minn. Birthplace on September 24, 1896 of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is internationally renowned for such works as The Great Gatsby (1922), Tender is the Night (1934), and This Side of Paradise (1920). Dedicated September 24, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
, Mich. Birthplace, childhood home, and lifelong inspiration for this Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, esteemed teacher, and mentor. Dedicated September 29, 2004. Partners: Michigan Center for the Book and the Library of Michigan.
, Stillwater, Okla. The home of the literary papers of Angie Debo (1890-1988), daughter of sodbusters, noted author, courageous scholar, champion for justice, passionate advocate for Native American rights, and first lady of Oklahoma history. Dedicated October 1, 2004. Partners: Oklahoma State University Library and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Rome, Ga. Ann Cornelisen, author of Torregreca: Life, Death, and Miracles (1969) and other works ardently and generously supported this library as a Friend of the Library and a benefactor from 1969 to 2003. Dedicated November 12, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Library and Sara Hightower Regional Library.

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2003 Dedications

, Philadelphia, Pa. America's first subscription library started by Benjamin Franklin. Dedicated: 2003.

, Fruit Cove, Fla. Where Woody Guthrie wrote the final draft of his autobiographical Seeds of Man (1976) and the ballad "Beluthahatchee Bill". Dedicated: 2003.
, New York City, N.Y. Home, since 1987, of the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed bear and four of his companions -- Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, and Kanga. The teddy bear originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, son of the English author A. A. Milne, and was the influence for many children’s books. Dedicated 2003.
, Carson City, Nev. The site Robert Laxalt considered his second home. He wrote over two hundred articles and short stories, including several for National Geographic Magazine. Dedicated: 2003.
, Claremore, Okla. Birthplace of playwright and poet Lynn Riggs and the setting of Riggs' Green Grow the Lilacs (1930), the play that became the Broadway musical Oklahoma (1943). Dedicated: 2003. Partners: The Claremore Museum of History and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Clarksdale, Miss. Where the writings of Tennessee Williams were influenced by the people, land, and spirit of Mississippi's Delta. Dedicated October 9, 2003. Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, The Friends of the Carnegie Public Library of Clarksdale and Coahoma County.
, Bay St. Louis, Miss. Where Stephen E. Ambrose researched Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869 and other titles. Dedicated: October 21, 2003. Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, The Library Foundation of Hancock County.

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2002 Dedications

, New Canaan, Conn. House of Maxwell E. Perkins, the editor of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. Currently private property. Dedicated 2002.
, New Orleans, La. Born June 20, 1905 in New Orleans, Lillian Hellman was a social activists and writer. Among her works are the play The Little Foxes (1939) and the best-selling An Unfinished Woman: A Memoir (1969). The house is rentable as a holiday home. Dedicated 2002.
, Tarrytown on the Hudson, N.Y. Washington Irving moved into this house in the 1930s and it stayed in the Irving family until 1945. In 1947 Sunnyside was opened to the public and remains a museum today. Dedicated 2002.
, Springfield, Mass. Theodor Seuss Geisel, known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield on March 2, 1904. His first book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street (1937), is based on a street in Springfield. The first bronze sculptures in this garden were built in 2002 and The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museums opened nearby in 2017. Dedicated 2002.

, Kyle, Tex. Katherine Anne Porter, born in 1890, lived in the house until 1902. The Center is open to visitors by appointment. Dedicated 2002.

, Atlanta, Ga. Here in her home Margaret Mitchell wrote the Pulitzer-Prize winning book Gone With the Wind (1936). Dedicated 2002.
, Oklahoma City, Okla. On this land the young Ralph Ellison played. This site represents the physical and spiritual center of the Oklahoma City Community that nurtured the boy who would write Invisible Man (1952), one of the most provocative and important novels of the twentieth century. Dedicated October 2, 2002. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Greensboro, N.C. Walter Clinton Jackson held several faculty positions at University of North Carolina Greensboro from 1909 until 1950 including “vice president and chairman of the faculty of social science” and “dean of administration/Chancellor and Vice President of the Consolidated University”. Dedicated 2002.
, St. Simon's Island, Ga. Where Eugenia Price researched her first novel, The Beloved Invader (1965) and developed the rest of her St. Simon's trilogy; New Moon Rising (1969), and Lighthouse (1971). Dedicated 2002.
, New York City, N.Y. Inspiration for children's classic The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge (1942) by Hildegarde H. Swift. Built in 1880 this lighthouse originally stood in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, until it was relocated to Jeffrey’s Hook in 1921. After the lighthouse became obsolete people who loved The Little Red Lighthouse succeeded in saving the landmark with their outcry. Today the lighthouse is a highlight in Fort Washington Park and part of the Historic House Trust of New York City. Dedicated 2002.

, Marquette, Mich. In honor of Michigan Judge John D. Voelker, known by his pen name Robert Traver, author of Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Dedicated 2002.

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2001 Dedications

~~, Biloxi, Miss. After the Civil War ex-Confederate President Jefferson Davis lived at Beauvoir and wrote his memoirs, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (1881). Dedicated 2001.~~ Rescinded 2020. Statement from the United for Libraries Executive Board
, New York, N.Y. Bank Street College founded a Writers Laboratory in 1937 to encourage authors of children's literature. Affiliated writers have been Good Night Moon (1947) author Margaret Wise Brown, Where the Wild Things Are (1963) author Maurice Sendak, and The Carrot Seed (1945) author Ruth Krauss. Dedicated 2002. Partners: Books for Kids HarperCollins Publishers
, Okemah, Okla. Woody Guthrie was born July 14, 1912 in Okemah. While various markers in town celebrate this fact, a museum for Guthrie is actually located in Tulsa. Efforts are being made to reconstruct Guthrie’s home in Okemah using the original wood. Dedicated October 5, 2001. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO).
, Detroit, Mich. Founder of Broadside Press and a Detroit poet laureate. Dedicated May 22, 2001

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2000 Dedications

, San Antonio, Tex. The Menger, opened in 1859, is the oldest Hotel west of the Mississippi that has been in continual operation. Out of the many notable guests over the years, some of the literary guests are The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) author Oscar Wilde, The Gift of the Magi (1905) author O. Henry, and Dinner at Antoine's (1948) author Frances Parkinson Keyes. Theodore Roosevelt famously recruited his "Rough Riders" in the Menger Bar. Dedicated 2002.
, Chicago, Ill. Hall Branch is recognized for its promotion of African American literary and for serving as a meeting place for many writers including Story of the Negro (1949) author Arna Bontemps, Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner and United States Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, Raisin in the Sun (1959) author Lorraine Hansberry, poet Langston Hughes, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) author Zora Neale Hurston, Home to Harlem (1928) author Claude McKay, and Native Son (1940) author Richard Wright. Dedicated July 7, 2000. Partners: Illinois Center for the Book.
, Mansfield, Ohio. The house featured as “Shane's Castle” in Louis Bromfield’s first novel, The Green Bay Tree (1924). Oak Hill was built by John Robinson in 1847. Dedicated 2000.

, New York, N.Y. Originally a bar that opened in 1922 during Prohibition and frequented by many authors including A Farewell to Arms (1929) author Ernest Hemingway, The Great Gatsby (1929) author F. Scott Fitzgerald, O Pioneers! (1913) author Willa Cather, and poet Dylan Thomas. Currently is a restaraunt. Dedicated 2000.

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1999 Dedications

, Philadelphia, Pa. Grip was Charles Dickens’ pet Raven and is thought to be the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" (1845). Dedicated 1999.

, Eau Claire, Wis. Victorian cottage owned by Waldemar Ager from 1903 to 1962. Ager was a Norwegian-American newspaperman, lecturer, and author, known for his books On the Way to the Melting Pot: A Novel (1917), Sons of the Old Country (1926), and Kristus for Pilatus (1910). Dedicated 1999.
, Columbia, S.C. James Dickey taught at the University of South Carolina. He wrote the novel Deliverance (1970) and read his poem “The Strength of Fields” at Jimmy Carter’s 1977 inauguration. Dedicated 1999.
, Nebr. Over 600 acres of natural Nebraskan prairie that captures the pre colonized land. Cather wrote about life on the prairie in O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the Lark (1915), and My Ántonia (1918). Dedicated 1999.
, Roanoke, Va. Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia's first Literary Landmark is recognized for its historical influence on American literature. Dedicated April, 1999.
, New Orleans, La. Many authors have stayed at and written stories about this acclaimed French Quarter hotel including Capote, Faulkner, Ford, Hemingway, Welty, and Williams. Dedicated 1999.
, New York, N.Y. Frequented by O. Henry and where he supposedly wrote “Gift of the Magi” (1905). Ludwig Bemelmans also wrote the first Madeline (1939) book here. Dedicated 1999.
, Austin, Tex. William Sidney Porter, known by his pen name, O. Henry, lived here between 1893 and 1895. O. Henry wrote many short stories, including “The Gift of the Magi” (1905). Dedicated 1999.
, Oak Park, Ill. Ernest Hemingway was born in a second floor bedroom on July 21, 1899 and lived his first 6 years in the house. Dedicated July 21, 1999.

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1998 Dedications

, New Orleans, La. Residence in the 1920s of Sherwood Anderson, author of "Winesburg, Ohio" (1919). While Living here, Anderson hosted literary salons that powered the careers of guests William Faulkner, Gertrude Stein, Carl Sandburg and John Dos Passos. Dedicated January 9, 1998. Partners: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.
, Memphis, Tenn. In the 1920s Richard Wright (1908-1960) was denied access to the library because of race. A sympathetic white man helped Wright use the library, thus nourishing his dream of becoming a writer. This story is told in Wright’s famous autobiography, Black Boy (1945). Dedicated April 15, 1998. Partners: Tennessee Library Association.
, Portland, Maine. A special collection of published as well as unpublished literature by and about past and current Maine women. Dedicated June 20, 1998.
, Washington, D.C. The Library of Congress is not only the largest library in the world but also serves as the official research library for the United States Congress. Dedicated June 26, 1998. Partners: Library of Congress.
, Oakland, Calif. Built in 1880 from parts of an old whaling ship and opened by Johnny Heinold as a saloon for seafarers in 1883. Jack London used to frequent the saloon and was able to study writing at University of California after Heinold lent London money for tuition. Jack London references the saloon in his novel John Barleycorn (1913). Dedicated 1998.
, New York, N.Y. This luxury hotel opened in 1907 and has housed guests from the Vanderbilts to Judy Garland. But it may be best known as the setting in Kay Thompson’s picture book Eloise (1955). Dedicated 1998.
, Wayne, N.J. Author and dog breeder Albert Payson Terhune lived in Sunnybank with his wife Anice. He wrote many books about his dogs, including Lad: A Dog (1919), and even left behind many burial sites for his Great Sunnybank Collies. Dedicated 1999.
, Erin, Tenn. Rachel Maddux Baker was the author of A Walk in the Spring Rain (1966) and The Orchard Children (1970) which she wrote after moving to Tennessee with her husband, King Baker, in 1960. Dedicated 1998.

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1997 Dedications

, Washington, D.C. The Founders Library, Howard University in tribute to the life & writings of author, professor, and poet Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989). Manuscripts in the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. Dedicated February 14, 1997. Partners: Federation of Friends of the D.C. Public Library System.
, San Francisco, Calif. John's Grill featured as a setting in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon (1929). Dedicated 1997.

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1996 Dedications

, Key West, Fla. Casa Marina Resort serves as the serves as Wallace Stevens' Florida literary landmark. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his Collected Poems in 1955. Dedicated 1996.
, New York, N.Y. A group of writers, critics, and actors used to meet for lunch at the Algonquin from 1919 to 1929. Site of the legendary Algonquin Round Table of the 1920s, where such acid-tongued wits as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Alexander Woollcott traded bards and bon mots daily over lunch. The century's literary luminaries William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, Harold Ross of the New Yorker, Gertrude Stein and James Thurber, among countless other -- also found a haven within its oak-lined walls. Dedicated July 6, 1996.

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1995 Dedications

, Key West, Fla. John Hersey’s house is one of many stand alone cottages located in the 1976 Windsor Lane Compound, where writers used to reside during the winter. Former neighbors of John Hersey - author of A Bell for Adano (1944) and Hiroshima (1946), included Richard Wilbur - Pulitzer Prize winner and poet, John Ciardi "Divine Comedy" (1977) translator, and Ralph Ellison - The Invisible Man (1952). The house is now privately owned property. Dedicated January 15, 1995.
, Vero Beach, Fla. Home of poet Laura (Riding) Jackson from 1943-1991. Dedicated January 22, 1995. Partners: Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation.
, Philadelphia, Pa. Marianna Moore’s manuscripts and papers, personal library, thousands of photographs are all housed in this repository, while the contents of her Greenwich village living room are all on permanent display on the third ﬂoor of the historic Rosenbach house. Dedicated February 3, 1995.
, Key West, Fla. Poet Robert Frost spent his winters in the cottage behind the house from 1945-1961. In 2010 the museum was sold to a private owner due to the high upkeep cost. Dedicated 1995.
, Chicago, Ill. Established in 1907 by Hamlin Garland, author of Main-Travelled Roads (1891) and Son of the Middle Border (1917), as a place for artists and enthusiasts to congregate. Dedicated 1995.

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1994 Dedications

, Key West, Fla. The San Carlos was founded by Cuban exiles in 1871 and currently serves as a museum, library, art gallery, theater, and school. Here José Martí united the exile community in 1892 to campaign for Cuba's independence against spain. Dedicated 1994.
, Key West, Fla. Truman made 11 trips to Little White House from 1946-1952, which have been recorded in the “Harry S. Truman West Key Logs.” Dedicated 1994.
, Bowling Green, Ky. Robert Penn Warren, the first poet laureate of the United States and the only person who has received Pulitzer Prizes for both poetry and fiction. Dedicated 1994.
, Miami, Fla. Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Warsaw native and author of “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy” (1962) passed away in a nursing home in Miami. He wrote his stories in Yiddish and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978. Dedicated 1994. Partners: Florida Center for the Book.

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1993 Dedications

, Key West, Fla. Poet Elizabeth Bishop was one of many artists to settle in Key West. Dedicated 1993.
, Denver, Colo. Home of Thomas Hornsby Ferril, who was appointed Colorado poet laureate in 1979. Dedicated 1993.
, Rowan Oak, Oxford, Miss. William Faulkner lived her with his family from 1930 until his death in 1962. His daughter, Jill Faulkner Summers, sold the house to the University of Mississippi in 1972 and it currently operates as a museum. Dedicated April 17, 1993. Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, Inc. and the Mississippi Library Commission.
, New Orleans, La. William Faulkner lived on the ground floor of the house in 1925. It was at this house in the French Quarter that Faulkner completed his first novel Soldier’s Pay (1926). Dedicated: June 25th, 1993. Partners: Friends of New Orleans Public Library.

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1992 Dedications

. Built in 1890 and home to Ernest Lyons from 1937 until his death in 1990. Ernest Lyons was the author of The Last Cracker Barrel (1975) and My Florida (1969). Dedicated May 23, 1992. Partners: Florida Center for the Book.
, San Francisco, Calif. This bookstore and publishing house was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin. It has served as a meeting place for beatniks and literary enthusiasts. Dedicated 1992.

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1991 Dedications

, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga. W.E.B. Du Bois was a founding faculty member of the School of Social Work, spent 23 years from 1897-1910 on the faculty of the history and economics departments, and spent 1934-1944 as chair of the sociology department. He wrote his most influential works while at Clark Atlanta University. Dedicated 1991.
, West Branch, Iowa. The two room cottage where Herbert Hoover was born in 1874. It was built by his father and served as the home for the family of five. Dedicated August 10, 1991. Partners: Iowa Center for the Book.

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1990 Dedications

, Chicago, Ill. This site is designated a Literary Landmark in recognition of the use of bridges as symbols by such authors as Carl Sandburg, Theodore Dreiser, and Upton Sinclair in Chicago's literary tradition. Dedicated June 22, 1990. Partners: The Friends of the Chicago Public Library.

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1989 Dedications

, Venice, Fla. Walter Farley, author of Black Stalion (1941), and his wife Rosemary were among the founders of the Friends of the Venice Public Library. Dedicated 1989.
, Daytona Beach, Fla. Lilian Place was built in 1884 and on December 31, 1896 Stephen Crane recuperated in the house after his boat "Commodore" sank off the shoreline of Daytona Beach. Crane’s ghost has supposedly been sighted in the house, as well as a woman dressed in white, laughing children, and a mischievous ghost named Lucille. Crane is famous for his Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895). Dedicated 1989. Partners: Friends of the Volusia County Library Center.

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1988 Dedications

, Cross Creek, Fla. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived in this house and farm in the 1930s when she wrote the Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Yearling (1938). Dedicated 1988. Partners: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society and the Florida Center for the Book.
, Philadelphia, Pa. The only house still standing out of the several Edgar Allan Poe lived in during his six years in Philadelphia. Dedicated July 31,1988.
, New Orleans, La. Tennessee Williams, author of A Streetcar Named Desire (1940), bought his only New Orleans property in 1962. Williams lived sporadically in its second-floor Apt. B for 21 years, until his death in 1983. Dedicated 1988.

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1987 Dedications

, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The very first literary landmark to be dedicated, home of Travis McGee, fictional hero & salvage consultant, created by John D. MacDonald, Author (1916-1986). Dedicated February 21, 1987.

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