Papa’s Home: The Ernest Hemingway House

In 2018, I had just started getting into photography. Before the Canon 6D, I was using the Canon T5 Rebel. My mom, my sister, and I also visited Key West, Florida that summer. I was keen on practicing my photography skills, so I decided to minor in photography. Around Key West, I took photos to hone my skills for the following semester. 

One of the places we visited was the well-known Ernest Hemingway house. Ernest Hemmingway was a well-known author of books, including The Old Man and The Sea, From Whom the Bells Toll, and The Sun Also Rises. In 1931, Ernest and his then-wife Pauline purchased a home in Key West. The house was initially built in 1851 in Spanish colonial style. When the Hemmingways purchased the property, they gave it an extensive renovation.

Additionally, an inground swimming pool was added in 1937 and was the first to be built in Key West. Before he purchased the home, he and Pauline stayed on the second floor of a car dealership while waiting for a new car. During those weeks, Ernest wrote his novel, A Farewell To Arms.

Prowling around the property are 60 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. The story goes that a ship captain gifted Ernest a white six-toed cat whom he would name Snow White. That cat could go on to have descendants who still lurk around the property. Not only were the cats an exciting feature, but Mr. Hemingway's tastes as well. Being a man of the world, Hemmingway had many gaming trophies from his trip to Africa and European furniture from his time there. Aside from the pool in the back of the house, there was also a small cat cemetery dedicated to the previous Fenline house tenants. 

Ernest was not just confined to his home; he also frequented many places in town. His favorite local watering hole was Sloppy Joe's Bar, which opened in 1933 and still resides today. A funny little story: the owner, Joe Russell (also known as Sloppy Joe), originally had the bar across the street from the current local saloon. When the landlord told him the rent went up three dollars, the owner and his patrons started moving bar stools to a building up for lease across the street, which is the same building that is still occupied today. Of course, with a name like Sloppy Joe, their signature dish would be the delicious sandwich. Annually, the bar would hold an Ernest Hemmingway look-alike contest. The Sloppy Joe's website shows live video of the bar and street cam of Duval Street. 

Joe was also friends with Ernest and two other men, Charles Thompson and Capt. Eddie "Bra" Saunders. The friend group would become known as "The Mob." In the group, Ernest's nickname was Papa. Ernest and Pauline divorced in 1940, but Ernest continued visiting Key West until the '50s. Throughout life, Ernest felt a connection with the Key West locals and often used them as inspiration for characters in his story. There is a rumor that Ernest's ghost still roams the property. In a book, one of his former friends claimed to have seen him waving back to him on the second floor of the house's veranda. The spirits of cats are also said to stalk the home as well. 

I plan to revisit the place when I return to Key West. There are also many more bizarre tales from there I would like to tell:

• A man who loved a woman too much, and death could not even keep him away from her.

• A cemetery dedicated to the roosters that roam the island.

• A cursed doll that people do not want to tick off. 

Ernest Hemmingway House Website

https://www.hemingwayhome.com/his-life

Sloppy Joes Website 

https://sloppyjoes.com