Tolstoy Park
From Daphne heading South, as you leave the Montrose area and just before you enter Fairhope, on the right is a special piece of our local history. Across the four-lane from the Fairhope Publix shopping center, nestled in a commercial office building is all that remains of the dome “hut” house and the grand oak tree of the Henry Stuart House.
The Henry Stuart House (sometimes referred to as the Hermit House) was once located on 10 wooded acres known as Tolstoy park. Henry Stuart began construction of his home in 1925 and it took him 10 months to finish construction of his humble and minimalist dome home. There was a fireplace for heat, a stove for cooking, and his bed hung from hooks in the dome ceiling. Henry Stuart loved to read as well as gardening. Tolstoy was one of Henry Stuart’s favorite authors and was the inspiration in naming the property.
A novel based on Stuart’s life, The Poet of Tolstoy Park, was published in 2005. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006
Marcus Walker – Waters Edge Realty
(251) 401-1416
