Originally finished w/o electricity, Ray Cash eventually connected it and suspended the house's first light bulb from the living room
Historical photographs provided by the Cash family guided the project, including restoration of the porch swing and the window box, filled with petunias.
One of several historical photographs shared by the Cash family.
Originally finished w/o electricity, Ray Cash eventually connected it and suspended the house's first light bulb from the living room
Through the study of archival documents, forensic research and first-hand memory of family members, the house where music legend Johnny Cash grew up and influenced his life and music was carefully restored to its late 1930's appearance when the new deal-era farming settlement was at its peak.
The Cash home is one of several buildings restored in Dyess, Arkansas, located in northeast Arkansas, and is a part of a larger project maintained by Arkansas State University in telling the story of the Dyess Colony, which was a new experiment in helping destitute farming families recover their lives after suffering through years of flood, economic collapse and drought.
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Much of the home is original including the frame, floors and walls. Other features were salvaged from nearby, extant colony homes in a state of collapse and were either incorporated into the restored home or served as models for duplicating.