by At one point we were in the vicinity of Andalusia Farm in Milledgeville, Georgia, and I asked Doug if he wanted to visit. He responded, “I don’t hate her, but I would tour the house.” I made a note of that response, and we went elsewhere. But since visiting Flannery O’Connor’s childhood home in Savannah, I suspected his response might be different when we were in the vicinity this time. And indeed it was.
You can read about Flannery O’Connor’s backstory in our post on her childhood home, which was one of the most interesting author home museums that we have visited. Andalusia Farm is where O’Connor lived out her final years after being diagnosed with lupus. She lived here from 1951 until her death in 1964.
O’Connor was very productive at Andalusia, writing the bulk of her life’s work. The home and farm also served as an inspiration for many of her short stories. The main house was built in the mid-19th century, with several agricultural buildings being added to the grounds in the 20th century. Though previously a cotton plantation on over 1,500 acres, at the time O’Connor lived here it was a dairy and beef farm on 500+ acres.
O’Connor’s mother was understandably distraught after losing both her husband and daughter to lupus, so much so that she moved out of the house immediately after Flannery’s death, leaving much of the furnishings behind. As a result, most of what is seen on the tour is original, almost as if Flannery and her mother had just gone to town for the day. It’s not the most exciting tour in the world, to be honest, but perhaps this is a reaction to the melancholia one feels at the thought that she passed away at such a young age. There is also a small exhibit in the adjacent visitors’ center made up mostly of household items.
