Hemingway's granddaughter fears Hurricane Ian will destroy famous writer's home

Hemingway House says it is taking precautions to ensure safety of property's six-toed cats

The Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. There are concerns for the landmark, which is in the path of Hurricane Ian. Photo: Adam Fagen / Public Domain

The Florida home of writer Ernest Hemingway. Photo: US National Register of Historic Places

Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter said she hoped the late American author's home in Florida was spared from the destruction of the Category 4 storm. Photo: Tony Hisgett / Public Domain

A balcony and view at the Hemingway House in Key West. Photo: Adam Fagen

Cancelled payments once owned by Ernest Hemingway hang in the house. Photo: Adam Fagen

A painting of six-toed cats hangs in a hallway of the house. Photo: Adam Fagen

A black-and-gold tiled bathroom. Photo: Adam Fagen

An ornate chandelier in the late, great writer's house. Photo: Adam Fagen

A bookcase in the Hemingway House . Photo: Adam Fagen

A resident six-toed cat relaxes in a bedroom. Photo: Adam Fagen

Decorative plant holders line the edge of the pool. Photo: Adam Fagen

A six-toed cat in residence at the Hemingway House. Photo: Adam Fagen

Six-toed cats rule the roost at the house. Photo: Adam Fagen

Monuments to the six-toed cats that once called the Key West house their home. Photo: Adam Fagen

A house for the six-toed cats in residence. Photo: Adam Fagen

A cat cemetery at Hemingway House. Photo: Adam Fagen

Detail of the Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. Photo: Adam Fagen

Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter has revealed her family is worried that the US author's home in Key West, Florida, will be destroyed by Hurricane Ian as the Category 4 storm barrels towards the US state's coast.

The 180-year-old house was given to Hemingway as a wedding gift from the uncle of his second wife, Pauline. Hemingway lived there from 1931 to 1939.

Mariel Hemingway told the Daily Mail that she feared for the property's well-being. The author of The Sun Also Rises cared deeply about his homes, she told the news outlet.

She said the pain would be “palpable” if it were destroyed.

Hurricane Ian had top winds of up to 250kph on Wednesday, marginally short of the strength of a Category 5 hurricane.

Residents on Florida's west coat were advised to seek shelter on higher ground. Homeowners were seen boarding their windows to protect their properties from the storm's destructive winds.

The Key West estate was one of three homes owned by the author. He also owned properties in Havana, Cuba, and Ketchum, Idaho.

Hemingway's property in Florida, which now operates as a museum, is home to about 60 six-toed cats.

“We are keeping a close eye on Storm Ian. We are taking all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of our staff and cat residents,” a representative for The Hemingway Home and Museum said.

Hemingway's home in Cuba was spared by the storm, his granddaughter said.

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