REPORTER Cottage Industry Restoring John Steinbeck's California retreat BY CHARLES ROWE ohnSteinbeck'sred-shingledcot tage at 11th 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 cottage needs extensive restoration, a project that will be financed in part by 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 Nobellaureate'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 Plat, for example, Stein- beckwrote, "Formy dearsisteb 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 fatherhad the cottage built as a vacation home for the family, which lived in Salinas, about 20 miles away Stein- SeptemberjOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15 1% .itt'.4. ¥f H t 1 1 ¥ 3. beckwas six at the time, and *ent many happy days in Pacific Grove with his par- ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck was strugglingfinancially whenhe and 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 cottage, beginning with The Pastures of Heaven in 1932. Some of his work was done in an outbuilding thathe converted into a study. The cottage and its garden contain many examples of Steinbeck's handi- work as a carpenter and mason. In addi- don to the study; he built a fireplace in the living room and helped his father con- struct an entryway of wood and glass. He also built an outdoor fireplace and a small pond in the garden. St. Jeansays 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 builtout of redwood and has lasted amazingly well," she says. But during the Depression, additions were made with cheaper, less durable material, and portions 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 that 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 in Monterey Bay; justa short walkdown- 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 and the whistlingbuoy and thebellbuoy at Point Joe and China Point respectively." Another letter recounts how a puppy destroyed the first draft of the novel Qf Miceand Men at the cottage. "I was pretty mad but the poor little fellow may have .. been acting critically, he wrote. "I 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.) Steinbeckleft [Continued on page 19] NATIONALSTEINBECKCENTER , OCR Text: REPORTER Cottage Industry Restoring John Steinbeck's California retreat BY CHARLES ROWE ohnSteinbeck'sred-shingledcot tage at 11th 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 cottage needs extensive restoration, a project that will be financed in part by 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 Nobellaureate'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 Plat, for example, Stein- beckwrote, "Formy dearsisteb 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 fatherhad the cottage built as a vacation home for the family, which lived in Salinas, about 20 miles away Stein- SeptemberjOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15 1% .itt'.4. ¥f H t 1 1 ¥ 3. beckwas six at the time, and *ent many happy days in Pacific Grove with his par- ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck was strugglingfinancially whenhe and 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 cottage, beginning with The Pastures of Heaven in 1932. Some of his work was done in an outbuilding thathe converted into a study. The cottage and its garden contain many examples of Steinbeck's handi- work as a carpenter and mason. In addi- don to the study; he built a fireplace in the living room and helped his father con- struct an entryway of wood and glass. He also built an outdoor fireplace and a small pond in the garden. St. Jeansays 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 builtout of redwood and has lasted amazingly well," she says. But during the Depression, additions were made with cheaper, less durable material, and portions 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 that 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 in Monterey Bay; justa short walkdown- 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 and the whistlingbuoy and thebellbuoy at Point Joe and China Point respectively." Another letter recounts how a puppy destroyed the first draft of the novel Qf Miceand Men at the cottage. "I was pretty mad but the poor little fellow may have .. been acting critically, he wrote. "I 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.) Steinbeckleft [Continued on page 19] NATIONALSTEINBECKCENTER , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Historic Properties of Pacific Grove,11 th st,147 11th and Steinbeck,11TH ST_120.pdf,11TH ST_120.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 11TH ST_120.PDF, 11TH ST_120.pdf 1 Page 1