Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo

Elvis Presley was born January 8, 1935, in a tiny house in Tupelo, Mississippi. His father, Vernon, took out a loan, and built it together with his father and brother (Elvis' grandfather & uncle). The Presleys were so poor they couldn't even afford wallpaper, but used newspapers instead. When Elvis was 3, they could no longer pay the mortgage on the house, and had to move in with his grandparents. When he was 13 they moved on to public housing in Memphis.

The tiny little house is today a museum - Elvis made sure the city bought it and turned the neighborhood into a park in 1957, the same year he bought Graceland. The furniture is not original to the house, but dates from the same period, and according to Vernon Presley it gives an accurate representation of what the home used to look like. There's also a couple of other museum buildings on the grounds, including a gift shop where I bought some items, and please, please stop me before I buy more crap...

All pics here.

There is an unsubstantiated rumor going around locally that the house is NOT the birth place, but that of a neighbor. But the half-deaf, old lady who was taking tickets there swore that it was the birthplace. Hmmmm.




The bedroom.


The kitchen. There were only two rooms and originally, there was no electricity.


The once and future King at 13.