Ernest Hemingway Cottage facts for kids
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Ernest Hemingway Cottage
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Windemere 2018
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6502 Lake Grove Rd., Petoskey, Michigan |
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| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Grace Hall Hemingway |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000026 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1968 |
| Designated NHL | November 24, 1968 |
The Ernest Hemingway Cottage, also known as Windemere, was a special summer home for the famous writer Ernest Hemingway when he was a boy. It's located on Walloon Lake in Michigan. This cottage is so important that it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1968.
Contents
A Special Summer Home
Around 1898, Ernest Hemingway's parents, Dr. Clarence Hemingway and Grace Hall Hemingway, bought some land by Walloon Lake. In 1899, they picked a spot to build their summer house. Ernest's mother, Grace, designed the cottage herself.
The family spent $400 to build the cottage in 1900. They named their new summer home "Windemere." Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899. He spent every summer here from 1900 until 1920, except for one year in 1918.
In 1904, they added a kitchen to the cottage. It was connected to the main house by a covered walkway. Later, a smaller building called an "annex" was built. This gave the family more bedrooms.
Hemingway's Visits
In 1921, Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson, spent their honeymoon at the cottage. After that, Hemingway only visited Windemere one more time. This was in the early 1950s.
After his mother passed away, Ernest Hemingway inherited the cottage. Even though he didn't visit often, he owned it until he died in 1961. He asked his wife to give the cottage to his younger sister, Madelaine. She used it until she passed away. Later, it went to Hemingway's nephew, Ernie Mainland, who still owned it in 2015.
What the Cottage Looks Like
The Ernest Hemingway Cottage is a single-story building. It has a pointed roof and white wooden siding. The main part of the cottage is about 20 feet wide and 40 feet long. This section holds the bedrooms and living areas. It also has a bathroom and a small storage closet.
A smaller section holds the kitchen. A covered walkway connects the kitchen to the main house. This walkway used to be open like a porch but is now enclosed. Inside, the walls are covered with unpainted wooden boards. The kitchen has been updated over the years.
A smaller building called the "annex" stands a few yards away. It was built a few years after the main cottage. There is also a modern garage behind the cottage.
The Cottage in Stories
Ernest Hemingway used the beautiful northern Michigan setting in many of his stories. These stories often featured a character named Nick Adams. The Windemere cottage itself appears in several of Hemingway's works.
Some of the stories where you can find the cottage include:
- "The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife"
- "Ten Indians"
- "The Indians Moved Away"
- "The Last Good Country"
- "Wedding Day"
Images for kids
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Windemere cottage (c. 1920)
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Windemere cottage (c. 1920)
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Windmere cottage and Walloon Lake, Michigan. (c. 1920)
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Cottage, looking north (1974)
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West end of the cottage, looking north (1974)
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East end of the cottage (1974)
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View of the annex, looking west (1974)
