Hemingway House Fun Facts and Six-Toed Cats

Welcome to the second of four installments about Ernest Hemingway and his legendary life at the Key West property where he resided from 1931-1940. Today’s post highlights interesting facts from the tour of the author’s tropical home.  

• The carved walnut headboard gracing the Hemingways’ bed was once the gate leading to a 17th-century monastery gate and purchased by Ernest while on tour through Spain.
• Hemingway viewed polydactl cats as good luck. Today, there are approximately fifty descendants of his original pets in residence.
•  Ernest suffered more than two hundred wounds while serving in WWI as a young man. During his long rehabilitation, he is reported to have fallen in love with his nurse, Agnes Von Karowsky, but she declined his proposal. (He’s also said to have gotten his revenge by “killing her off” in Farewell to Arms.)
• The house has a full cellar, a rarity on the island of Key West, and was used as a wine cellar by the Hemingway family.
• After his ex-wife Pauline died suddenly in 1951, Ernest inherited the house. His sons took over the care of the estate for him until it was sold to the current owner.

This slideshow includes a few of those very famous felines. There’s also a photo of the pet cemetery sign located at the edge of the property.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Next time we’ll focus on the outside of Hemingway’s property, including the legend about his incredible swimming pool.

Giveaway Winner from March 9th Post…

Congratulations to AMANDA GARDNER! You’re the lucky winner of a $20 Amazon gift card I’m giving away today in celebration of literacy. Please contact me at jolysebarnett@gmail.com to give me your email. Thanks to everyone for participating and for your patience waiting for this posting. (I can sometimes be the absent-minded writer with my head in my stories instead of the real-world. Sorry.) If you haven’t signed up for my spam-free newsletter, that’s the easiest way to stay on top of all Jolyse Barnett news. Just scroll down and enter your email address. Simple as that. Wishing you each a wonderful, productive season ahead! oxo Jolyse