O. Henry Possible Birthplace and Historical Marker

It is not certain where O. Henry was born, but 440 West Market Street is one strong possibility. Others suggest that the author may have been born in a house in the Polecat Creek area, south of town. The first photograph (dating from the 1920s) shows the marker that was placed at the site when it was believed to have been O. Henry's birth place. It reads: "At this site O. Henry (Will Porter) was born, Sept. 11, 1862." Neither the house nor the original marker (in the second photograph) are standing today, but the inscription on the current marker reads: "William Sydney Porter, 1862-1910, short story writer, lived in a house which stood near here."

From Greensboro Historical Museum

From North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program

From Greensboro Historical Museum