HEMINGWAY IN KEY WEST
One of the major attractions in Key West is the
ERNEST HEMINGWAY HOUSE at 907 Whitehead Street.
Most people come to see if any of the cats maintained on the property
have the infamous seven-toes or if they can get any insight into Hemingways hectic
life as Americas most famous novelist for decades.
Hemingway only resided in the house from 1931 to
1939 although he never sold the property and it was retained by his second son
Patrick. The house was built in 1851 by
marine architect Asa Tift in a French Colonial style. Built of limestone and located at an elevation
of 16-feet on the second highest pint in Key West, the building has survived
many hurricanes. At a time when the
island has been evacuated by in hurricanes, someone has stayed inside the house
to care for the cats.
Literary people will tell you Hemingway did his
best writing elsewhere for Key West had its distractions. He fished in the day and drank at night. Despite all the publicity that he spent his
time in a famous Key West saloon, the one he actually visited
most is a block away. Hemingway also constructed
the islands first swimming pool and have one of the few buildings with modern
electrical and plumbing equipment.
Despite the critics, Hemingway finished the
novel To Have And Have Not here, and wrote the
short story classics The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of
Francis Macombe as well as the non-fiction book Green Hills of Africa. His typewriter in his man cave library
is the most photographed artifact in the place.
A private for-profit firm operates the
Hemingway House, but tours are casual and you will see
everything from his bedroom to his modern kitchen to the pool. The grounds are filled with tropical plants
and you are almost guaranteed you will see a lot of the cat ancestors of the
Hemingway brood. There are loads of
family photographs on every wall including one with Hemingway with his favorite
rifle.
