Though some remain as private residences, many are open to the public as museums or even resorts.
Arrowhead – Pittsfield, MA.
Herman Melville. Purchased in _ and operated by the Berkshire County Historical Society
Barnhill Farmhouse – Scotland
George Orwell
In the late 1940s, Barnhill, a stout, white-washed house, on the Scottish island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides, was exactly what George Orwell was looking for: a remote retreat unreachable by vehicle. He described it as “in an extremely un-get-atable place”; somewhere he could write what would be his final work – 1984. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/jun/08/tour-george-orwell-jura-scottish-island-wrote-1984
Cedar Hill – Anacostia, Washington, DC
Frederick Douglass spent the last 17 years of his life. Maintained by the National Park Service. Closed for renovations March 1 of 2022 set to reopen in 2023, take a virtual tour of the historic home via Google Arts and Culture.
Cotchford Farm – Hatfield, East Sussex, England
The building was bought as a country home by the author A. A. Milne in 1925. Milne wrote all of his Winnie-the-Pooh books at the house, often inspired by the local landscape, and died at Cotchford Farm in 1956. There are statues of Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, and his character Owl in the garden,. House remains a private residence, formerly owned by Rolling Stones member Brian Jones who drowned in the pool, house has changed hands a number of times over the years but remains a private residence.
Finca Vigia – Havana, Cuba
Ernest Hemingway (“Lookout Farm”)Now owned by the Cuban government, Finca Vigia Foundation learn more about restoration efforts.
Foot Light – Nantucket, MA
(JAWS) John Steinbeck also stayed here while working on East of Eden as a guest of Robert Benchley whose grandson Peter went on to write Jaws. Privately owned residence
Goldeneye – Orcabessa Bay, Jamaica
Goldeneye – Orcabessa Bay, Jamaiace Ian Fleming Now a luxury resort comprised of the author’s original home and several cottages.
Greenway Estate – England
Agatha Christie’s former holiday home is now run by the National Trust and open to visitors between February and October. Agatha Christie’s daughter, Rosalind Hicks, donated Greenwayto the National Trust. They restored the property in 2005, later opening it to the public in 2009.
Hill Top – England
Beatrix Potter remains her personal museum, furnished and untenanted – just as she asked for it to be when she left it to the National Trust in 1943. she married local solicitor William Heelis in 1913, she bought Castle Cottage, a larger home over the road
Iolani Palace – Honolulu, HI
translates to “Bird of Heaven” In 1895, an unsuccessful attempt by Hawaiian royalists to restore Queen Liliuokalani to power resulted in the Queen’s arrest. She was forced to relinquish all future claims to the throne and was put on trial before a military tribunal in her own throne room. Liliuokalani was convicted, fined and sentenced to five years in prison at hard labor, which was later reduced to imprisonment in an upstairs bedroom of the Palace for nearly eight months. http://iolanipalace.org
Kamehameha V renamed Hale Ali`i `Iolani Palace in 1863 to honor his deceased brother Kamehameha IV. `Iolani (bird of heaven) was one of Alexander Liholiho’s Hawaiian names and was also a name belonging to Kamehameha II.
The Kilns – Risinghurst, Oxford, England
C.S. Lewis
The Kilns is not a museum. Rather, it is the Foundation’s intention to honor the memory of C.S. Lewis by encouraging its continued use as a quiet place of study, fellowship and creative scholarly work, much in the manner that characterized Lewis’ own period of residency there. Because the home functions primarily as a personal residence,
Monk’s House – East Sussex, England
Virginia Woolf
part of the National Trust
The Mount – Lenox, MA
Edith Wharton Historic house museum and cultural center https://www.edithwharton.org/ take a page out of her book “The decoration of houses”
The Oaks – Tuskegee, AB
Booker T. Washington The Oaks, “a large comfortable home,” was built for Washington and his family. They moved into the house in 1900. Washington lived there until his death in 1915. His widow, Margaret, lived at The Oaks until her death in 1925. Most furnishings were made by local craftsmen and students, and were acquired between 1885-1889. The Queen Anne style red brick house, The home was acquired by the National Park Service in 1974, and became part of the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. Today, the home is maintained as a historic landmark, and still retains the lovely appointment it had when Washington lived there.
Rowan Oak – Oxford, MS
William Faulkner https://www.rowanoak.com/ The modified Greek Revival home sits on 29 heavily wooded acres just south of the historic Oxford Square. The property and grounds are open to the public year-round, from dawn until dusk
Summit Terrace – Saint Paul, MN
F. Scott Fitzgerald Listed as a national historic landmark, Privately owned residence.
Tao House – Danville, CA
Wayside – Concord, MA
House of the Seven Gables? The Alcotts, who owned the house from 1845-1852, called it “Hillside.” Here Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, and her sisters lived much of the childhood described in the book. In 1965, The Wayside became part of Minute Man National Historical Park and the first literary site added to the National Park Service. “The Wayside,” so named by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was begun by Caleb or Nathaniel Ball circa 1700, and in 1775 was the home of Samuel Whitney, Muster Master of the Concord Minute Men, a member of the Concord Committee of Safety and of the Provincial Congress. It is perhaps more famous as the home of important literary people, including Amos Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Lothrop. The structure is a clear record of changes of technique and style of American building, carefully preserved and thoroughly documented by the present owner. The original structure was a typical two story post and girt wood frame house with gable roof and central fireplace. Additions include two story wings, a three story “tower,” and a piazza.
Yasnaya Polyana – Russia
(“Bright Glade”) – Birthplace of Leo Tolstoy and where he wrote both War and Peace and Anna Karenina. He is buried nearby. . Now a museum.
