On this day in Alabama history: Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum relocated to Mobile stadium
Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron (R) addresses fans during ceremonies opening a museum in his name at the Hank Aaron Stadium on April 14, 2010 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)
Oct. 27, 2008
Henry “Hank” Aaron was born in 1934. His dad, Herbert, built a three-room home for the family in 1942 in Mobile’s Toulminville neighborhood. The one-story home with clapboard siding, which was enlarged to seven rooms through the years, has two huge front windows and a porch supported by four columns.
The city purchased the home in 2007 and relocated it to Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile on Oct. 27, 2008. It took more than seven hours and 100 people to move the house 7 miles.
Restoring the house was a 22-month process. Aaron, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig and seven other members of Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame attended the dedication on April 14, 2010.
The museum includes exhibits about Aaron’s baseball career, tracing it from childhood to his years in the Major League Baseball, and information about his family. Aaron’s 1957 Golden Glove Award, home run record trophy and original Louisville Slugger baseball bat design are on display in the house.
Museum memorabilia from the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Louisville Slugger Museum are included, as well as items highlighting baseball traditions in Mobile, such as a Bears jersey and baseball photos from the early 1900s.
Read more at Alabama Pioneers.
For more on Alabama’s bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
