Fairhope, Alabama
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| Montrose hut. |
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| Sonny Brewer addressing council. |
DEMOLITION POSSIBLE
Fairhope author Sonny Brewer has proposed moving the famous Montrose dome house of Henry Stuart, to keep it from being demolished (22787 Hwy 98).
About 20 years ago, Brewer penned 'The Poet of Tolstoy Park' a novel about Stuart's adventures building and living in the unique house in the early 1920s, 30s, and 40s. He sold the film rights as well and still expects it to be produced someday.
The property is currently owned by Niemeyer Realty's Ken Niemeyer, who has vowed to preserve it but cannot guarantee his heirs will do the same, Brewer said.
Brewer is proposing seeking donations to move the hut onto appropriate city property somewhere, possibly the nearby Flying Creek Nature Preserve just across Fly Creek (the former Dyas Triangle): around $150K to $200K would be needed for the move, according to unofficial estimates. A spot behind the history museum was mentioned too.
The hut is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with this description:
".... from 1923 to 1944, a barefoot old man lived in the small, concrete building located just off
U.S. Highway 98 near the towns of Fairhope and Montrose. He was called both "the hermit of
Montrose" and "a modern Thoreau". As evidenced by his nicknames, his philosophy was one of
individualism and of "getting back to nature ... speculation on why he chose to live near Fairhope range from his attraction
to the Single Tax Colony's concept of individualism ... to the
city's connection with the great sociologist, Henry George, who proposed the theory of the Single
Tax and who had ties to Leo Tolstoy. The great Russian writer was a favorite of Henry Stuart, and
Tolstoy mentioned Henry George on several occasions in his writings (Brewer 2005, 261). Stuart
named his ten-acre parcel, "Tolstoy Park"... ."
ALREADY ONE DONATION RECEIVED
Mayor Sullivan said one donation has already been received, from Niemeyer himself. To donate, someone "would just make it payable to the City and we will put it in a restricted account."
Councilman Boone was assigned to look for an appropriate site and report back to the council.
(Establishing a "heritage village" on the triangle property was proposed about five years ago, but never gained traction.)
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| National Historic Register |
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