Ernest Hemingway Birthplace: Where history sparked imagination
Published: Aug 6, 2009
Acclaimed author Ernest Hemingway may have been known for his globe-trotting, larger-than-life career which spawned several literary classics, but his life began in a much less dramatic fashion in a west Chicago suburb a century ago.
Just down the street from the Ernest Hemingway Museum in Oak Park is the famous author’s birthplace home, fully restored and open to visitors year-round. The Nobel Prize winner and writer of such works as “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “A Farewell to Arms” was born in the classic Queen Anne style home in 1899, and resided there with his parents, sister and extended family.
The 5,500 sq. ft. Victorian home was opened to visitors in 1993, and has been restored to look as it was when young Ernest lived there at the beginning of the 20th century. Guests begin in the lovely entry hall which opens onto the formal library, a retreat for the men in the family as well as a repository for the family’s book collection.
The dining room is where Ernest’s grandfather would regale his grandchildren with stories from his own childhood, and still features original rose relief-patterned cornices. The kitchen was reserved for hired help, where the family’s cooking, laundry and household chores took place.
Two staircases lead to the second floor, with six bedrooms and one bathroom. Both Ernest and his sister Marcelline slept in the nursery in matching white cribs. Other bedrooms belonged to Ernest’s mother, physician father, grandfather, maid, and beloved Uncle Tyley.
Uncle Tyley would prove to be a powerful influence on the young writer. A spirited bachelor, he traveled the world selling iron and brass beds, and would tell Ernest colorful tales of his travels overseas. On the third floor, the home’s soaring tower held a mini-museum, the wildlife specimens of Ernest’s father, Dr. Clarence Hemingway.
Knowledgeable guides describe the early life of the great author in wonderful detail, and the beautifully restored rooms are a magical trip back through time. Aside from its historical significance, the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace is a terrifically entertaining spot which ignites the imagination of visitors, just as it did its most famous resident.
- by D.J. Siegel, Chicago Reporter for HelloMetro
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