- REPORTER
Steinbeck lived at this cottage in
the 1930s and visited off and on
until his death in 1968.
Cottage -
Industry
Restorin 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 orbrass 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 Qf 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 partbythe 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 €f 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-
beckwrote, "For my dear sisce?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-
don 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-
SeptemberIOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15
1
beckwas six atthe time, and s'pent many
happy days in Pacific Grove with his par-
ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck
wasstruggling finandally when he 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 that he converted into a Study
The cottage and its garden contain
many examples of Steinbeck's handi-
workas a carpenter and mason. In addi-
don to the study; he built a fireplace iii 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.Jean says the
restoration will retain original work
where possible and replicate that which
is beyond repair.
"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 defne 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 bffers
some idea of the evocative setting: "The
wind is ashore tonight and I can hear
the sea lions and the surf and the
whistling buoy and the bell buoy at Point
Joe and China Point respectively.
Another letter recounts how a puppy
destroyed the first draft of the novel Of
Mice and 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 ruirl a good dog for a Imanu-
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
Steinbeck lived at this cottage in
the 1930s and visited off and on
until his death in 1968.
Cottage -
Industry
Restorin 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 orbrass 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 Qf 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 partbythe 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 €f 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-
beckwrote, "For my dear sisce?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-
don 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-
SeptemberIOctober 2007 PRESERVATION 15
1
beckwas six atthe time, and s'pent many
happy days in Pacific Grove with his par-
ents and three sisters. In 1930, Steinbeck
wasstruggling finandally when he 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 that he converted into a Study
The cottage and its garden contain
many examples of Steinbeck's handi-
workas a carpenter and mason. In addi-
don to the study; he built a fireplace iii 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.Jean says the
restoration will retain original work
where possible and replicate that which
is beyond repair.
"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 defne 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 bffers
some idea of the evocative setting: "The
wind is ashore tonight and I can hear
the sea lions and the surf and the
whistling buoy and the bell buoy at Point
Joe and China Point respectively.
Another letter recounts how a puppy
destroyed the first draft of the novel Of
Mice and 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 ruirl a good dog for a Imanu-
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,Names of People about town,S through T File names,Steinbeck,STEINBECK_010.pdf,STEINBECK_010.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: STEINBECK_010.PDF, STEINBECK_010.pdf 1 Page 1