Billy Graham Library: Attendance up after namesake's death

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Billy Graham Library in North Carolina says it has seen a surge in visitors in the year since its namesake's death.

Citing a blog post on the library's website, WLOS-TV reports that 214,000 people visited the Charlotte complex in 2018, up from 144,000 in 2017. According to the post , visitors came from 55 countries.

Graham died Feb. 21, 2018, at age 99. He's credited with transforming American religious life through his preaching and activism, becoming a counselor to presidents and the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history.

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He's buried on the grounds of the library, alongside his wife, Ruth, in the prayer garden. The library was dedicated in 2007.

Associated Press