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Billy Graham Library

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Coordinates: 35°11′30″N 80°54′38″W / 35.1918°N 80.9106°W / 35.1918; -80.9106
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Entrance to the library from the Billy Graham Parkway in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Billy Graham Library is a public museum and library documenting the life and ministry of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. The 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) complex[1] opened to the public on June 5, 2007.[2] The library is located on the grounds of the international headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North Carolina, a few miles from where Graham was reared. The library is styled after a dairy barn, with a mechanical "talking" cow, to reflect Graham's farm-based childhood.[1]

The main galleries within the library showcase numerous presentations, pictures, music, artifacts, and voices from throughout Graham's ministry. One gallery is entirely devoted to Ruth Bell Graham, the late wife of the evangelist. There is a dairy bar café and bookstore called "Ruth's Attic." All visitors enter the Library through doors at the base of a 40-foot (12 m) glass cross. Also located on the Library grounds is the Prayer Garden, where Ruth Graham was buried on June 17, 2007.

Ruth Graham opposed being buried there, and instead preferred her home in the mountains to be her final resting place until just before she died.[3] In March 2009 Wilma "Billie" Barrows, the wife of Billy Graham's longtime Music Director Cliff Barrows, was interred on the Library grounds.[4] In April 2013, Gospel singer and Graham's regular featured soloist George Beverly Shea was interred there as well.[5] Barrows died in November 2016 and is also expected to be buried on the grounds.[6]

The Billy Graham Library is shaped like a dairy barn, with a silo to the right
Appreciation Walkway at the Billy Graham Library leads to the grave of Ruth Bell Graham
The home of Morrow Coffey Graham, the mother of Billy Graham, has been preserved at the Graham Library
Replica of the desk of Billy Graham
Model Graham Brothers Dairy truck on display at the Billy Graham Library

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Hundreds see library dedicated to Billy Graham". msnbc.com. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  2. ^ "EDITORIAL: Graham's legacy - Daily Journal". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  3. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201338.html
  4. ^ "Wilma Irene "Billie" Newell Barrows (1925 - 1994) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  5. ^ "George Beverly Shea's Obituary on Northern Virginia Daily". Northern Virginia Daily. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  6. ^ "Obituary - CLIFF BARROWS". CLIFF BARROWS. Retrieved 2017-02-28.

References

35°11′30″N 80°54′38″W / 35.1918°N 80.9106°W / 35.1918; -80.9106

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