F. Scott & Zelda's "Cottage" for Sale in CT

And it's only $3 million and change. Summer share, anyone?

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived in the 18th-century house in Westport for six months in 1920. (It's been substantially renovated and added onto in the years since.) Barbara Probst Solomon wrote "Westport Wildlife," a fascinating article for the New Yorker (September 9, 1996) positing that Gatsby may have been inspired by an eccentric Westport millionaire. (Solomon's article is not available online.)

The Fitzgeralds moved to the house not long after marrying in New York, after stops at the Biltmore (from which they were thrown out) and Commodore hotels. A chronology at zeldafitzgerald.com notes that "they spen[t] a riotous summer [at the Westport house] entertaining their New York friends, including the influential American literary critic, George Jean Nathan. whose flirtations with Zelda annoyed Scott."

Ironically, the abstract at the New Yorker's archives mentions that one of the reasons writers and other artists flocked to Westport in the 1920s was because it was cheap.

photo of the Fitzgeralds' "honeymoon cottage" borrowed from William Raveis real estate

Comments

[Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves]

God what a place. Two thumbs up!

[Mary Lee]

We won't get very close to the asking price with the amount I can offer for my share -- something in the two-digit range, I'm thinking...

[Susan T.]

VKBMKL, if you're interested in F. Scott & co., check out that New Yorker article. So interesting--and a different take on the origins of Gatsby than the usual. Every time I read Gatsby I pick up something new.

Mary Lee, if 300,000 of us chip in $10, we're all set. Ha.

[Cindy]

Hey--If we give $100, do we get dibs on the master bedroom?

[Susan T.]

Okay, but only if you'll take an hour shift as a lifeguard at the pool for the other 299,999 people.

[Vivian]

Wow. This is some house. I'll just hang out on the veranda...

[Susan T.]

Vivian, I so wish I had a porch or veranda!

[Wisteria]

Sorry I'm so late responding. Tomatoes. I live in an old house, but I've always wanted one with history, especially literary history. This might work.

[Susan T.]

Pretty neat place, isn't it, Wisteria? It was a much simpler house when the Fitzgeralds were there. Some owners remodeled it vastly, and added an ugly high stone wall, to boot.