Dr. Richard Harris House

This house, originally constructed at the turn of the century, was the home of Dr. Richard H. Harris Jr. and his family. In May 1961, Dr. Harris opened this home to 33 Freedom Riders challenging interstate bus segregation who were harassed and attacked at the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station upon arrival.

In the days following the attack, Harris’ home served as a haven for the Freedom Riders while martial law was declared in the area. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, James Farmer, John Lewis, Diane Nash, and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement met at the Harris House to develop a strategy for continuing the rides.

On May 24, after solemn prayer, the Freedom Riders were escorted from the Harris House by the National Guard to the Greyhound Bus Station to continue their mission to Jackson, Mississippi.

Address: 333 So. Jackson St., Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 220-9979
Visit website: www.richardharrishouse.com
Tours by appointment only.

» View the moving oral history of the Dr. Richard Harris House on our sister platform, Voices of Alabama.