James Merrill House facts for kids
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James Merrill House
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James Merrill House exterior
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| Location | Stonington, CT |
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| Built | 1901 |
| Architectural style | Victorian Eclectic |
| NRHP reference No. | 13000618 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 28, 2013 |
| Designated NHL | October 31, 2016 |
The James Merrill House is a historic 19th-century home located at 107 Water Street in Stonington Borough, Connecticut. It was once owned by the famous poet James Merrill. After he passed away in 1995, the house was kept by the community. Today, it serves as a special place for writers and scholars to live and work.
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A Poet's Home: The History of the House
The American poet James Merrill and his partner, David Jackson, moved to Stonington, Connecticut, in 1954. They bought the house at 107 Water Street. This building was old, dating back to the 1800s. It had been used as both a drug store and a family home.
Merrill spent his summers in Stonington until he died in 1995. The quiet village life and his apartment in the house inspired some of his most important writings. One famous work is The Changing Light at Sandover. This long poem was inspired by Merrill's and Jackson's conversations. They used a special board in the third-floor dining room.
After James Merrill's death, the Stonington Village Improvement Association (SVIA) took over the apartments. They turned them into a place where writers could live and create. A group of local residents and Merrill's friends started a program. This program lets writers and scholars stay in the apartment for free. They can stay for a school year.
The Merrill apartment still looks much like it did when Merrill lived there. His unique decorations are still in place. For more than two decades, over thirty writers have used this space. It's a quiet place for them to live and work. Usually, only one writer stays at a time. They can stay for one month in the fall and winter. During the spring, they can stay for three months.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2013. It was then named a National Historic Landmark on October 31, 2016. This means it's a very important historical site.
Writers Who Have Stayed at the House
Many talented writers have had the chance to live and work at the James Merrill House. Here are some of them:
- Eryn Green
- Peter Kline and Brittany Perham (December 2013 – January 2014)
- Mieke Eerkens (November 2013)
- Amy Beeder (October 2013)
- Caitlin Doyle (September 2013)
- Dan O'Brien (June 2013)
- James Reidel (Spring 2013)
- Sally Ball (December 2012)
- Gimbiya Kettering (November 2012)
- Amy Greacen (October 2012)
- Lydia Conklin (September 2012)
- Peter Filkins (Spring 2012)
- Will Schutt (Fall 2011)
- Jedediah Berry (Spring 2011)
- Josh Weil (Fall 2010)
- Bruce Snider (Spring 2010)
- Cate Marvin (Fall 2009)
- Ivy Pochoda (Spring 2009)
- Piotr Gwiazda (Fall 2008)
- Langdon Hammer (Spring 2008)
- Nancy Reisman (Fall 2007)
- Rick Hilles (Fall 2007)
- Anna Potter / Jacob Gamage (Spring 2007)
- Michael Snediker (Fall 2006)
- Jason Zuzga (2005–2006)
- J.S. Marcus (2004–2005)
- Matthew Zapruder (Spring 2003)
- Paul Merrill (Fall 2002)
- Sarah Gorham (Spring 2002)
- Jeffrey Skinner (Spring 2002)
- Molly McQuade (Fall 2001)
- Brigit Pegeen Kelly (2000–2001)
- Michael Madonick (2000–2001)
- Aidan Wasley (1999–2000)
- Ted Deppe (1998–1999)
- Annie Deppe (1998–1999)
- Daniel Hall (1997–1998)
- Scott Westrem (1996–1997)
- Peter Hawkins (1995–1996)
Gallery
See also
