The James Merrill House is a 19th-century house at 107 Water Street in Stonington Borough in southeastern Connecticut, formerly owned by poet James Merrill. Upon his death in 1995, the house was kept by the village as a home for writers and scholars.
If I am host at last It is of little more than my own past. May others be at home in it.
—James Merrill, Water Street
The American poet James Merrill and his partner David Jackson moved to the borough of Stonington, Connecticut, in 1954, purchasing a property at 107 Water Street.[3] It had once been a nineteenth-century residential and commercial structure that had first served as a drug store and a residence for the owner's family. Merrill spent summers in Stonington borough until his death in 1995. Village life and the apartment itself inspired some of his most important work, including The Changing Light at Sandover, his book-length epic poem based on Merrill's and Jackson's communications with the spirit world by means of a Ouija board in the turret dining room on the third floor.
After James Merrill's death in 1995, the Stonington Village Improvement Association (SVIA) transformed the Jackson and Merrill apartments into a place for writers to live and work. A group of Stonington residents and friends of Merrill began a program that would make the apartment available, rent-free, to writers and scholars for academic-year residencies. The Merrill apartment looks much the way Merrill left it – the personally eclectic décor remains as it was two decades ago. In the years since Merrill's death, over thirty writers have used this space as a residence and retreat.[4]
The house is usually occupied by just one writer at a time, for stays of one month in fall and winter or three months during spring.
^ ab"National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List". National Park Service. September 6, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
^ ab"Secretary Jewell, Director Jarvis Announce 10 New National Historic Landmarks Illustrating America's Diverse History, Culture". Department of the Interior. November 2, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^James Merrill: Selected Poems, J. D. McClatchy and Stephen Yenser, editors. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. "Short Chronology," pp. 289–294.
^Stonington Village Improvement Association. . Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
^"Eryn Green Wins Yale Younger Poets Prize". Poets & Writers. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
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January 01, 1970
james, merrill, house, 19th, century, house, water, street, stonington, borough, southeastern, connecticut, formerly, owned, poet, james, merrill, upon, death, 1995, house, kept, village, home, writers, scholars, national, register, historic, placesu, national. The James Merrill House is a 19th century house at 107 Water Street in Stonington Borough in southeastern Connecticut formerly owned by poet James Merrill Upon his death in 1995 the house was kept by the village as a home for writers and scholars James Merrill HouseU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic LandmarkJames Merrill House exteriorLocationStonington CTCoordinates41 20 1 32 N 71 54 23 88 W 41 3337000 N 71 9066333 W 41 3337000 71 9066333Built1901 1901 Architectural styleVictorian EclecticNRHP reference No 13000618Significant datesAdded to NRHPAugust 28 2013 1 Designated NHLOctober 31 2016 2 Contents 1 History 2 James Merrill House Writers in Residence 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editIf I am host at last It is of little more than my own past May others be at home in it James Merrill Water Street The American poet James Merrill and his partner David Jackson moved to the borough of Stonington Connecticut in 1954 purchasing a property at 107 Water Street 3 It had once been a nineteenth century residential and commercial structure that had first served as a drug store and a residence for the owner s family Merrill spent summers in Stonington borough until his death in 1995 Village life and the apartment itself inspired some of his most important work including The Changing Light at Sandover his book length epic poem based on Merrill s and Jackson s communications with the spirit world by means of a Ouija board in the turret dining room on the third floor After James Merrill s death in 1995 the Stonington Village Improvement Association SVIA transformed the Jackson and Merrill apartments into a place for writers to live and work A group of Stonington residents and friends of Merrill began a program that would make the apartment available rent free to writers and scholars for academic year residencies The Merrill apartment looks much the way Merrill left it the personally eclectic decor remains as it was two decades ago In the years since Merrill s death over thirty writers have used this space as a residence and retreat 4 The house is usually occupied by just one writer at a time for stays of one month in fall and winter or three months during spring The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28 2013 1 and designated a National Historic Landmark on October 31 2016 2 James Merrill House Writers in Residence edit nbsp Historical marker outside James Merrill House Eryn Green 5 Peter Kline and Brittany Perham December 2013 January 2014 Mieke Eerkens November 2013 Amy Beeder October 2013 Caitlin Doyle September 2013 Dan O Brien June 2013 James Reidel 2013 Spring Sally Ball December 2012 Gimbiya Kettering November 2012 Amy Greacen October 2012 Lydia Conklin September 2012 Peter Filkins 2012 Spring Will Schutt 2011 Fall Jedediah Berry 2011 Spring Josh Weil 2010 Fall Bruce Snider 2010 Spring Cate Marvin 2009 Fall Ivy Pochoda 2009 Spring Piotr Gwiazda 2008 Fall Langdon Hammer 2008 Spring Nancy Reisman 2007 Fall Rick Hilles 2007 Fall Anna Potter Jacob Gamage 2007 Spring Michael Snediker 2006 Fall Jason Zuzga 2005 2006 J S Marcus 2004 2005 Matthew Zapruder 2003 Spring Paul Merrill 2002 Fall Sarah Gorham 2002 Spring Jeffrey Skinner 2002 Spring Molly McQuade 2001 Fall Brigit Pegeen Kelly 2000 2001 Michael Madonick 2000 2001 Aidan Wasley 1999 2000 Ted Deppe 1998 1999 Annie Deppe 1998 1999 Daniel Hall 1997 1998 Scott Westrem 1996 1997 Peter Hawkins 1995 1996 Gallery edit nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp See also editNational Register of Historic Places listings in New London County Connecticut List of National Historic Landmarks in ConnecticutReferences edit a b National Register of Historic Places Program Weekly List National Park Service September 6 2013 Retrieved October 25 2013 a b Secretary Jewell Director Jarvis Announce 10 New National Historic Landmarks Illustrating America s Diverse History Culture Department of the Interior November 2 2016 Retrieved November 3 2016 James Merrill Selected Poems J D McClatchy and Stephen Yenser editors New York Alfred A Knopf 2008 Short Chronology pp 289 294 Stonington Village Improvement Association James Merrill House History Archived from the original on November 20 2012 Retrieved March 18 2013 Eryn Green Wins Yale Younger Poets Prize Poets amp Writers March 13 2013 Retrieved March 21 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Merrill House Official site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Merrill House amp oldid 1183841676, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
