O. Henry Museum
The O. Henry Museum is the preserved home of controversial figure William Sidney Porter, better known by the pen name O. Henry, author of such universal short story classics as "Gifts of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief," and "The Cop and the Anthem." Porter lived in Austin before spending time in prison for accused embezzlement of funds, leading to his release and transformation into the literary genius we know today. The tiny Queen Anne-style cottage is today a testament to the time period as well as a community center for some of Austin's best literary events, including the Annual O. Henry Pun-off.
The Museum shares their plot of land with the Susanna Dickinson Museum next door. Dickinson is another controversial character in Texas' strange history, a possible madame credited with aiding Sam Houston in the defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.
