Help the Miss. John Hurt Foundation

On behalf of the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation:
The Mississippi John Hurt Home/Museum and St. James church are two of three buildings left in a community that was predominantly 98% African American. The St. James church was the spiritual, social, and academic center of Avalon, Mississippi for more than 200 years. Up until the year 2000, the church served over 1000 sharecropper families. Mississippi John Hurt's home, a humble sharecropper shack, now houses the Mississippi John Hurt Museum. Both buildings have been moved to Foundation owned property in Carrollton, Mississippi. We are now trying to recoup the costs of salvaging these vitally important structures. As a Foundation, we are hoping you can help us make the initial $5000 dollar down payment on the loan we took out to save these buildings from destruction.


A bit of backstory: the legendary songster Mississippi John Hurt, son of a former slave woman (Mary Jane McCain), taught himself to play the guitar and developed a unique style which he shared with the world on recordings in 1928 and again during the 1960's Folk Revival. The mission of our Foundation is to preserve the rich culture of his music and to share and enrich the lives of the youth of today and future generations. We aim to build hope and inspire others to be a productive part of their community, in Mississippi and beyond. The survival of these buildings is integral to our mission.



The St. James church and Mississippi John Hurt Home/ Museum are two of the few buildings left that embodies the spirit of a blues legend and the lives of people that have influenced music of all genres throughout the world. By contributing, you will help the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation begin to pay for much needed repairs and restorations to these historic buildings, and help us continue our mission into the future. Thank you!