The childhood home of baseball legend, Henry “Hank” Aaron, was given to the City of Mobile by the Aaron family and moved to the grounds of the Mobile BayBear minor league baseball stadium in Mobile, Alabama. After more than a year of renovation, the home was opened in 2010 as a museum devoted to the life and impressive career of the Baseball Hall of Fame slugger.
The house was built in 1942 by Hank’s father, with help from Hank and his brother, in the Mobile community of Toulminville, Alabama. Several additions were later added to the original 24’x24’ structure.
Moving the house involved a lot of preparation, including removing layers brick veneer and asbestos siding. Special precautions had to be taken when removing the asbestos siding so as not to pose a health risk to workers or residents in the neighborhood.
The roof and eaves were removed so the house could clear utility lines along the route. Massive steel I-beams were welded together and carefully threaded under the foundation to support the house during the move.
Hydraulic jacks were used to lift the house. Once the building was high enough off the ground, wheels were attached to the beams, and the 30-ton house was ready to roll.
The six-mile journey across town required careful jockeying around tight turns, and the removal of an occasional street sign along the way. Finally, after a six hour journey, the house arrived at the stadium named for Mobile’s hometown baseball hero.
Following a groundbreaking ceremony, the house was moved to its final resting place next to the stadium. The structure was jacked up and placed on wood cribbing while a new foundation for the home was constructed.
Once the foundation was complete, hydraulic jacks were used to lower the house. The roof was replaced, and siding was applied to the exterior walls.
The interior of the house was renovated to provide a secure setting to display awards and memorabilia from Aaron’s career. The museum was officially dedicated at a star-studded event held at Henry Aaron Stadium, with legendary baseball greats Willie Mays, Rickey Henderson, Bruce Sutter, Bob Feller, Ozzie Smith, and Reggie Jackson on hand to pay tribute to Aaron.
Further Information
| Other Tips from This Episode | |
|---|---|
 | Thinking Green with Danny Lipford: Finding Air Leaks in Your Home Air leaks in your home waste energy on heating and cooling, resulting in higher utility bills. A blower door test can be conducted to identify hidden air leaks which are sealed with caulk, weather stripping, or foam. While conducting an energy audit to find air leaks costs several hundred dollars, it will pay for itself in energy savings. (Watch This Video) |
 | Simple Solutions with Joe Truini: Pipe Supports for Hanging Tools While special brackets are available for hanging long handled tools, they can be pricy. A less expensive solution is to use plastic hangers made for supporting PVC plumbing pipes. Simply screw the hangers to the wall or cabinet in a convenient location using 2” drywall screws, then hang your tools. (Watch This Video) |
 | Best New Products with Jodi Marks: Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating To change the color of plastic laminate countertops, consider refinishing them with Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating. Apply the one-coat coating with a smooth roller, then allow it to cure for three days before using. Rust-Oleum Countertop Coatings is available at The Home Depot and can be tinted to any of 16 different colors. (Watch This Video) |
