Zane Grey Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Zane Grey House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

East elevation and north profile, 2008
Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania
Built	1905
Architect	Romer C. Grey
NRHP reference No.	83002283 (original) 11000231 (increase)
Added to NRHP	May 6, 1983
Boundary increase	April 29, 2011

The Zane Grey Museum is a special place in Lackawaxen Township, Pennsylvania. It used to be the home of a famous writer named Zane Grey. Now, it's a museum run by the National Park Service (NPS). You can find it right by the Delaware River.

This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. Inside, you'll discover many cool things. There are old photos, artworks, books, and furniture that belonged to Zane Grey and his family.

Zane Grey himself helped design the house. It was built in two parts. The first part was finished in 1905 by his brother, Romer Carl "Reddy" Grey. Seven years later, after his book Riders of the Purple Sage became a huge hit, a neighbor built the second part. This new section was a special studio and library just for Zane Grey to write in.

In 1918, Zane Grey and his wife moved to California. He wanted to work on movie scripts there. But even though he moved far away, Lackawaxen and this house always remained one of his favorite places. The house was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Exploring the Zane Grey House
- What the House Looks Like
- Inside the House
History of the Zane Grey Home
Gallery
See also

Exploring the Zane Grey House

The Zane Grey House is located along Scenic Drive. This road runs next to the Delaware River. Just north of the house, the Delaware River meets the Lackawaxen River. This meeting point makes the water in front of the house a bit more active.

The land around the house gently slopes down towards the river. This gives the front of the house a great view. You can look across the river to the undeveloped woods in New York. There's a small parking lot, a museum sign, and a historical marker near the house. The house is also close to other old buildings, like the former D&H Canal Co. Office.

What the House Looks Like

The house is a two-story building made of wood. It has a strong stone foundation. The house is shaped like an "L" and has two main sections. The older part of the house has a square roof with two large dormer windows. These windows have fancy decorations. The newer part, which was Zane Grey's writing studio, has a rectangular roof. Both roofs are covered with white, diamond-shaped shingles. Each section also has a brick chimney.

A porch wraps around the front and side of the house. It has a flat roof and columns that hold it up. The second-story windows have awnings to block the sun.

Inside the House

The inside of the house shows that it was built in two different stages. The older part has a square layout, and the newer part is rectangular. Many of the original decorations and finishes are still there.

Near the original front door, you'll see a brick fireplace. It's decorated with special clay tiles. A T-shaped staircase has its original fancy railings and posts.

The main entrance to the newer part of the house leads into a large living area. This room has another brick fireplace. Behind this room is the library. It has unique decorations, including a painted border that shows kachina dolls. These dolls reflect Zane Grey's interest in the Southwest. Today, these rooms, along with Zane Grey's upstairs studio, are where most of the museum's exhibits are displayed.

History of the Zane Grey Home

Zane Grey was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He started out as a dentist in New York City in 1896. But he soon realized he didn't enjoy dentistry very much. He played some semi-professional baseball and started writing stories and books. His early writings weren't very successful.

By 1905, he decided to become a full-time writer. He and his family started building the first part of the house, the southern wing, after he saw the beautiful spot on a fishing trip. They later moved into the house.

Zane Grey continued to write western novels. He took two long trips to the Southwest to research his stories. At that time, he worked in a small bungalow near the house. These trips helped him write Heritage of the Desert in 1911 and Riders of the Purple Sage in 1912. Riders of the Purple Sage became his most popular book.

With the money he earned from Riders of the Purple Sage, he designed the study wing of the house. A neighbor named Gottlieb Kuhn built it in 1912. Zane Grey kept writing novels there for six more years.

Then, the growing film industry called to him. He and his wife moved to Altadena, California. He became very successful as a film producer and bought a large estate there. He lived in California until he passed away in 1939. However, he always kept the Lackawaxen house for his visits back East. Both he and his wife are buried in Union Cemetery, which is not far from the house.

In 1945, Zane Grey's wife sold the house to a friend. This friend ran it as an inn for 25 years. In 1955, the house was damaged by a flood, which even tore off the roof of one of the porches. In 1973, the house was turned into a museum. The museum was then sold to the National Park Service in 1989.

In June 2006, another flood hit the area. The basement of the house was filled with several feet of water. Luckily, the National Park Service was able to move all the museum's collection to safety. After the flood, the basement needed to be completely dried out before the museum could open again.