We had really hoped to proceed further up the Tennessee River, at least to Joe Wheeler State Park, but to go 20 miles also meant doing 2 more locks up and then coming back down 2 days later. We opted instead to tour Florence.
I decided to do a walking tour of the area while Bob borrowed the marina courtesy car and did errands. I had seen an intriguing booklet entitled “Museums of Florence” and I set off to see them all.
I toured the Pope’s Tavern Museum which was used as a stagecoach stop, inn, tavern, and hospital and was occupied by both sides during the Civil War. It is filled with memorabilia from that period. Jo, my tour guide and former history teacher, told me many stories about the previous residents and also tested my knowledge—I think I got a B.
Florence is the birthplace of blues great, W.C. Handy, who wrote “Memphis Blues” and “St. Louis Blues.” His rebuild log cabin home is now a museum dedicated to his music. It is also a repository for African American artifacts from the 19th century. My tour guide, Selina, shared stories about his life and how he came to write the blues.
I have always wanted to see a Frank Lloyd Wright home. The City of Florence purchased the Wright-designed Rosenbaum home in 1999, rehabbed it due to extensive termite damage, and it is now available for tours. This house is an example of his Usonian design, was built in 1939 and has features that were so ahead of the times (heated floors, using local natural materials, having the inside and outside spaces flow seamlessly). It is truly a work of art.
I decided to do a walking tour of the area while Bob borrowed the marina courtesy car and did errands. I had seen an intriguing booklet entitled “Museums of Florence” and I set off to see them all.
I toured the Pope’s Tavern Museum which was used as a stagecoach stop, inn, tavern, and hospital and was occupied by both sides during the Civil War. It is filled with memorabilia from that period. Jo, my tour guide and former history teacher, told me many stories about the previous residents and also tested my knowledge—I think I got a B.
Florence is the birthplace of blues great, W.C. Handy, who wrote “Memphis Blues” and “St. Louis Blues.” His rebuild log cabin home is now a museum dedicated to his music. It is also a repository for African American artifacts from the 19th century. My tour guide, Selina, shared stories about his life and how he came to write the blues.
I have always wanted to see a Frank Lloyd Wright home. The City of Florence purchased the Wright-designed Rosenbaum home in 1999, rehabbed it due to extensive termite damage, and it is now available for tours. This house is an example of his Usonian design, was built in 1939 and has features that were so ahead of the times (heated floors, using local natural materials, having the inside and outside spaces flow seamlessly). It is truly a work of art.
My only regret is that I did not get to the Coon Dog Cemetery and Helen Keller's birthplace in Tuscumbia. There is so much to see in America.
