Have you heard the big news? Stephen and Tabitha King will be turning their infamous creepy Victorian home in Bangor, Maine into an archive and writer’s retreat!
This is bittersweet news for House Crazy Sarah because she has always loved the idea of Stephen King typing away frenetically in his attic office behind that ghoulish metal gate.
Now, the house will no longer be a home, but more of a museum 🙁
But that’s probably not the worse thing that could happen to the house. At least an archive will ensure that it is preserved as “The King House”, rather than passing on into private hands.
Here’s how this came about, according to an article that was published today by Rolling Stone online. Just last night,
…the Bangor City Council unanimously approved a request by King and his wife Tabitha to rezone their home as a non-profit, allowing it to house an archive of King’s work (offering restricted visits by appointment) and up to five writers at a time. The couple was not present at the meeting. In recent years, the family has spent most of their time on the road or in Florida or Oxford County, Maine, according to their lawyer, Warren Silver.
The thinking behind this decision was apparently to prevent the house from becoming a tourist attraction, out of respect for the neighbors. But the house is already a huge draw for curb-side lookiloos because, hey, Stephen King lives there!
Perhaps when he is no longer in residence, that appeal will fade.
The King house at 47 West Broadway in Bangor used to be a wildly popular destination for trick-or-treators on Halloween because the King family went all out with their Halloween decor and gave out oodles of candy. However, the event got so big and so crazy, the King’s had to eventually put a stop to it. Now, sadly, the iron gates stay closed on Halloween.
It looks like the future of this house will be for the benefit of studious writers and serious King scholars.
Nonetheless, if House Crazy Sarah ever lands in Bangor Maine, you can bet she’ll be striking a silly pose in front of the big creepy blood-red house!
You can read more of the Rolling Stones article here.
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