Ebony Guest House

Front inscription

In 1949, Ebony Guest House, a prominent local tourist home for African Americans, opened at this site. It was owned and operated by Mary C. Holmes (1900-1981), a native of Williamsburg Co. who moved to Florence in the 1920s. She lived next door with her family, who helped maintained the Guest House. Her husband, Norman A. Holmes (c.1890-1969), was a minister and carpenter who oversaw construction of the two concrete-block buildings where guests stayed.

Reverse inscription

Ebony Guest House was listed in The Negro Traveler’s Green Book for a number of years and was a valuable resource at a time when white-owned establishments typically barred African Americans. It initially catered to traveling ministers but soon served a variety of guests, including national entertainers performing at nearby venues. Ebony Guest House closed in the 1970s. Holmes family descendants later converted the buildings into apartments.