REPORTER Cottage Industry Restoring John Steinbeck's California retreat BY CHARLES ROWE J ohn Steinbeck's red-shingled cot- tage at 11 th Street and Ricketts Row in Pacific Grove, Calif., has changed little since the writer lived there in the 1930s. Small and somewhat ramshackle, the house has no sign or brass plague to declare its significance as one of Cali- fornia's most important literary land- marks. Steinbeck wrote some of his most enduring fiction there, including the novels Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men, and he worked on the house itself over a period of nearly 20 years. More than a half-century later, the cotrage needs extensive restoration, a project that willbe financed inpartby the sale of some Steinbeck first editions. At a February auction, the books fetched more than $200,000, including $47,800 for a copy of the Nobel laureate's The Grapes of Wrath, a record price for any Steinbeck work. The books had belonged to the author's sister Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth, and the personal inscriptions made them particularly valu- able. In Tortilla Flat, for example,· Stein- beck wrote, "For my dear sister Elizabeth without whom I should never have known of the people about whom this book is written." Ainsworth's granddaughter, Virginia St. Jean, says parting with the books wasn't easy, but proceeds from the auc- tion will defray the considerable expense of restoring the cottage and ensure that it remains in the family. St. Jean and her husband, Ron, a contractor, plan to do some of the work themselves. Steinbeck's father had the cottage built as a vacation home for the family, which lived in Salinas, about 20 miles away: Stein- SeptemberIOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15 f:i,t.> i beckwassixatthe time, and *ent many happy days in Pacific Grove with his par- ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck was struggling finandally when he mid his first wife, Carol, moved there. Steinbeck helped his father enlarge the structure, and his father provided the couple with a monthly allowance as the young writer pursued his craft. Steinbeck published four books while living at the cortage beginning with The Pastures of Heaven in 1932. Some of his work was done in ati outbuilding that he converted into a study. The cottage and its garden contain many examples of Steinbeck's handi- work as a carpenter and mason. in addi- tion zo the study; he built a fireplace in the living room and helped his falher con- struct an entryway of wood and glass. He also built an outdoor fireplace and a small pond in the garden. St.Jean says the restoration will retain original work where possible and replicate that which is beyond repair. Steinbeck lived at this cottage in the 1930s and visited off and on until his death in 1968. "The original structure was built out of redwood and has lasted amazingly well," she says. But during the Depression, additions were made with cheaper, less durable material, andportions of the house have suffered water damage over the years. The largest challenge, and greatest expense, will be to provide a new foundation. The study also has been damagedby a large Monterey pine whose roots have grown beneath it. That tree and another large pine suffering from canker blight were removed late last year follow- ing a long process involving the city of Pacific Grove, which provides extensive pro- tections for its trees as well as the modest vintage dwellings thar largely define the town. Most of Steinbeck's years on 11th Street were spent in bohemian poverty. Friends gathered at the Cottage for evenings of talk, potluck, and cheap wine, and the Steinbecks often had to fish iii Monterey Bay,just a short walk down- hill from the cottage. An excerpt from a 1948 letter written by Steinbeck offers some idea of the evocative setting: "The wind is ashore tonight and I can hear the sea lions and the surf aid the whistling buoy and the bell buoy at Point loe and China Point respectively. Anotherletterrecounts how a puppy destroyed the first draft of the novel Of A.lice and Men at the cottage. "I was pretty mad but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically," he wrote. "1 didn't want to ruin a good dog for a [manu· script] I'm not sure is good at all." (The book turned out to be a great success.) Steinbeck left [Continued on page 19] NATIONALSTEINBECKCENTER , OCR Text: REPORTER Cottage Industry Restoring John Steinbeck's California retreat BY CHARLES ROWE J ohn Steinbeck's red-shingled cot- tage at 11 th Street and Ricketts Row in Pacific Grove, Calif., has changed little since the writer lived there in the 1930s. Small and somewhat ramshackle, the house has no sign or brass plague to declare its significance as one of Cali- fornia's most important literary land- marks. Steinbeck wrote some of his most enduring fiction there, including the novels Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men, and he worked on the house itself over a period of nearly 20 years. More than a half-century later, the cotrage needs extensive restoration, a project that willbe financed inpartby the sale of some Steinbeck first editions. At a February auction, the books fetched more than $200,000, including $47,800 for a copy of the Nobel laureate's The Grapes of Wrath, a record price for any Steinbeck work. The books had belonged to the author's sister Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth, and the personal inscriptions made them particularly valu- able. In Tortilla Flat, for example,· Stein- beck wrote, "For my dear sister Elizabeth without whom I should never have known of the people about whom this book is written." Ainsworth's granddaughter, Virginia St. Jean, says parting with the books wasn't easy, but proceeds from the auc- tion will defray the considerable expense of restoring the cottage and ensure that it remains in the family. St. Jean and her husband, Ron, a contractor, plan to do some of the work themselves. Steinbeck's father had the cottage built as a vacation home for the family, which lived in Salinas, about 20 miles away: Stein- SeptemberIOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15 f:i,t.> i beckwassixatthe time, and *ent many happy days in Pacific Grove with his par- ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck was struggling finandally when he mid his first wife, Carol, moved there. Steinbeck helped his father enlarge the structure, and his father provided the couple with a monthly allowance as the young writer pursued his craft. Steinbeck published four books while living at the cortage beginning with The Pastures of Heaven in 1932. Some of his work was done in ati outbuilding that he converted into a study. The cottage and its garden contain many examples of Steinbeck's handi- work as a carpenter and mason. in addi- tion zo the study; he built a fireplace in the living room and helped his falher con- struct an entryway of wood and glass. He also built an outdoor fireplace and a small pond in the garden. St.Jean says the restoration will retain original work where possible and replicate that which is beyond repair. Steinbeck lived at this cottage in the 1930s and visited off and on until his death in 1968. "The original structure was built out of redwood and has lasted amazingly well," she says. But during the Depression, additions were made with cheaper, less durable material, andportions of the house have suffered water damage over the years. The largest challenge, and greatest expense, will be to provide a new foundation. The study also has been damagedby a large Monterey pine whose roots have grown beneath it. That tree and another large pine suffering from canker blight were removed late last year follow- ing a long process involving the city of Pacific Grove, which provides extensive pro- tections for its trees as well as the modest vintage dwellings thar largely define the town. Most of Steinbeck's years on 11th Street were spent in bohemian poverty. Friends gathered at the Cottage for evenings of talk, potluck, and cheap wine, and the Steinbecks often had to fish iii Monterey Bay,just a short walk down- hill from the cottage. An excerpt from a 1948 letter written by Steinbeck offers some idea of the evocative setting: "The wind is ashore tonight and I can hear the sea lions and the surf aid the whistling buoy and the bell buoy at Point loe and China Point respectively. Anotherletterrecounts how a puppy destroyed the first draft of the novel Of A.lice and Men at the cottage. "I was pretty mad but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically," he wrote. "1 didn't want to ruin a good dog for a [manu· script] I'm not sure is good at all." (The book turned out to be a great success.) Steinbeck left [Continued on page 19] NATIONALSTEINBECKCENTER , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Historic Properties of Pacific Grove,Eardley,421 _ 425 Eardley,421 - 425 EARDLEY_028.pdf,421 - 425 EARDLEY_028.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 421 - 425 EARDLEY_028.PDF, 421 - 425 EARDLEY_028.pdf 1 Page 1