The Ernest Hemingway House was the residence of American writer

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

in the 1930s. The house is situated on the island of

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is at 907 Whitehead Street, across from the

Key West Lighthouse The Key West Lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in reflectors. History The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became ...

, close to the southern coast of the island. Due to its association with Hemingway, the property is the most popular tourist attraction in Key West. It is also famous for its large population of so-called Hemingway cats, many of which are

polydactyl Polydactyly or polydactylism (), also known as hyperdactyly, is an anomaly in humans and animals resulting in supernumerary fingers and/or toes. Polydactyly is the opposite of oligodactyly (fewer fingers or toes). Signs and symptoms In humans ...

. The residence was constructed in 1851 in a French Colonial style by a wealthy marine architect and salvager

Asa Tift Asa Tift (died 1889) was the most notable salvager in Key West, Florida in the early 19th century. He owned a large salvaging operation, parts of which can still be seen as the Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum (where tourists are shown around by ...

. From 1931 to 1939, the house was inhabited by Hemingway and his wife

Pauline Pfeiffer Pauline Marie Pfeiffer (July 22, 1895 – October 1, 1951) was an American journalist, and the second wife of writer Ernest Hemingway.Harris, Peggy (Associated Press) (30 July 2000)Ernest Hemingway Museum Popular in Quiet Farm Town ''The Tusc ...

. They restored the decaying property and made several additions. During his time at the home, Hemingway wrote some of his best-received works, including the non-fiction work ''

Green Hills of Africa ''Green Hills of Africa'' is a 1935 work of nonfiction by American writer Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway's second work of nonfiction, ''Green Hills of Africa'' is an account of a month on safari he and his wife, Pauline Marie Pfeiffer, took in East ...

'' (1935), the 1936 short stories " The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. Set in Africa, it was published in the September 1936 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine concurrently with " The Snows of Kilimanjaro". The story was eventually adap ...

", and the novels ''

To Have And Have Not ''To Have and Have Not'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1937 by Charles Scribner's Sons. The book follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain out of Key West, Florida. ''To Have and Have Not'' was Hemingway's second novel set in th ...

'' (1937) and '' Islands in the Stream'' (1970). After the Hemingways' divorce and deaths, the house was auctioned off and subsequently converted into a private museum in 1964. On November 24, 1968, it was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

History

Early history

Construction on the house began in 1848 and was completed in 1851 by

, a marine architect and salvage wrecker, in a

French Colonial French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. Many former French colonies, especially those in Southeast Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture ...

estate style. The house's site, across the street from the

, has an elevation of above sea level, making it the second-highest site on the island. In addition to the elevation, the house's 18-inch thick limestone walls protect it during tropical storms and hurricanes.

Hemingway

In 1928, writer

and his wife

moved to Key West, where they spent the next three years living in rented housing, the last being a two-story home at 1301 Whitehead Street. When Pauline had first seen 907 Whitehead Street during a house-scouting tour, she labeled it a "damned haunted house". At the time, the house was in foreclosure and was in deep disrepair. However, after recognizing its potential, she convinced her wealthy Uncle Gus to purchase it at $8,000 for her and Ernest as a wedding present. McIver (2002), p. 18. Ernest appreciated the seclusion that the 1.5-acre lot would offer him while writing his works. Employing out-of-work

Conchs Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Ame ...

, the Hemingways restored the entire house. Most of the house's inner furnishings were selected by Pauline, but Ernest insisted on the inclusion of his hunting trophies. At the cost of air circulation, Pauline replaced the house's ceiling fans with chandeliers. The couple also converted the second story of the carriage house into a writing studio for Ernest and transformed the basement into a wine cellar. McIver (2002), p. 19. Hemingway's den 2019

While Hemingway was reporting in Spain in 1937, Pauline installed a large pool on the grounds. McIver (2002), pp. 21-22. The first swimming pool in the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

, the 24 x 60-foot 80,000 gallon pool was immensely expensive. At $20,000, it was two and a half times the purchase price of the entire property. Upon his return, Hemingway was irate at the costly addition. With a melodramatic flourish, he threw a penny from his pocket onto the ground, declaring, "You might as well take my last cent," despite the fact that Pauline had paid for it herself. She kept the penny and later had it embedded in the concrete. Despite his initial rage, the pool grew on Hemingway and he later had a 6-foot brick wall erected around the property so that he could swim nude. Hemingway also kept peacocks on the property and organized boxing matches on the lawn. While living at the house, Hemingway wrote some of his best-received work, including the 1935 non-fiction work ''

'', the 1936 short stories " The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "

", and his 1937 novel ''

''. After his death, a manuscript was discovered in a vault in the garage; this work was published posthumously in 1970 as '' Islands in the Stream''. After eight years of residing at the house, Hemingway moved to Cuba in 1939. Following their 1940 divorce, Pauline lived in the house until her death in 1951 and the house remained vacant afterward. The ownership of the house remained in Hemingway's name until his

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

in July 1961. Later that year, his three sons auctioned off the house for $80,000.

Modern museum

The new owners intended to use the Hemingway House as a private residence. However, due to persistent interest from visitors, they opened the house to the public as a museum in 1964. Although Hemingway's family had taken away much of the furnishings, the owners still possessed the bulkier furniture and many of Hemingway's possessions. As a result of not all furniture being original, the authenticity of the museum has received some criticism. All of the house's rooms are open to visitors, except for Hemingway's writing room, which can only be viewed through a screen. The property is the most popular tourist attraction in Key West. Before

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...

struck the Keys in September 2017, the entire population of the island chain was ordered to evacuate by the federal government, but the museum's curator, general manager, and a team of employees declined to leave the house or evacuate its cats. Hemingway's granddaughter also urged them to evacuate, saying, "It's just a house." Instead, several employees chose to stay with the cats and the house. They survived the storm intact. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and consequent decline in tourism, the museum laid off over 30 employees, half of their staff.

Cats

The house and its grounds are inhabited by dozens of cats, commonly called Hemingway cats. Around half are

, sporting six toes on each paw. The cats bear the names of celebrities, such as

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

, and have their own cemetery in the house's garden. Legend has it that all cats on the property are descended from Snow White, a white six-toed cat given as a gift to the Hemingways by a sea captain. However, Hemingway's niece, Hilary, and his son,

Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

, have both contested the claim that Hemingway owned cats in Key West. A neighbor allegedly owned several polydactyl cats and some, such as Hilary, have suggested that these are the forebears of the Hemingway cats. Adding to the confusion, a photograph exists of a young Patrick and Gregory (another son of Hemingway) playing with a white cat in Key West. When asked about the image, Patrick said he could not remember the incident. Beginning in 2003, the museum was embroiled in a nine-year legal struggle against the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

(USDA) over whether the

Animal Welfare Act of 1966 The Animal Welfare Act (Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966, ) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 24, 1966. It is the main federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research and exhibi ...

, which typically regulates zoos and circuses with

big cat The term "big cat" is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus '' Panthera'', namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard. Despite enormous differences in size, various cat species are quite similar ...

s, applied to the museum's six-toed feline population. The USDA argued that the Hemingway House was essentially a zoo, with the cats functioning as an exhibit. The

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

even sent undercover agents to monitor the cats in 2005 and 2006. The museum owners contested the USDA's claims in court. When an investigator for

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities have ...

(PETA) examined the cats in 2005, they concluded: "What I found was a bunch of fat, happy and relaxed cats." Ultimately in 2012, the

United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (in case citations, 11th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following U.S. district courts: * Middle District of Alabama * Northern District of Alabama * ...

ruled that the Animal Welfare Act was applicable because the museum used cats in advertisements and sold cat-themed merchandise.

Gallery

File:Ernest Hemingway Home - panoramio.jpg, Entrance to the property File:ErnestHemingwayHouse031.JPG, A miniature house for the cats File:HemingwayAlleyCat.jpg, A cat lies on the porch File:HemingwayGarden.jpg, Garden File:Ernest Hemingway House - Key West 1.jpg, alt=, Ernest Hemingway House Historic American Buildings Survey plaque File:Ernest Hemingway House - Key West 2.jpg, alt=, Ernest Hemingway House National Historic Landmark plaque File:Hemingway House-Cat Cemetery.JPG, The cat cemetery File:Ernest Hemingway Home - panoramio (3).jpg, The house's veranda File:ErnestHemingwayHouse021.JPG, Hemingway's pool

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Works cited

* *

External links

*
"Writings of Ernest Hemingway", broadcast from the Ernest Hemingway House
from

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

's ''

American Writers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

'' * {{authority control Houses completed in 1851 Biographical museums in Florida Ernest Hemingway History of Key West, Florida Houses in Key West, Florida Landmarks in Key West, Florida Literary museums in the United States Museums in Key West, Florida National Historic Landmarks in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Key West, Florida Historic house museums in Florida Tourist attractions in Key West, Florida Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida 1851 establishments in Florida Heminway, Ernest House