MOUNT VERNON ‒ The childhood home of author E.B. White, who wrote “Charlotte’s Web” and other classic children’s books, has undergone major renovation and is on the market for $2.8 million.
Built in 1905, the 5,000-square-foot, three-floor home of six bedrooms and five bathrooms at 101 Summit Ave. includes a third-floor room that Elwyn Brooks White, born in 1899 in Mount Vernon, was said to go seek out.
White later wrote several books from his Maine home, including “Charlotte’s Web,” published in 1952. It tells the story of Wilbur the pig, who befriends Charlotte, a barn spider. Wilbur finds out he is being raised to be slaughtered, but Charlotte tries to save him by writing messages in her web. Those spare Wilbur's life, as people come to see what new words appear. Wilbur wins a county fair prize, his life is saved, but Charlotte, who has entered old age, dies. Charlotte’s children hatch, some of which remain with Wilbur and he names them.
Jim Benjamin, who has invested in the Mount Vernon property, said more than two years were spent on restoration. He said he was drawn to its architecture and initially didn’t know that White had lived there. Benjamin researched the home’s history, learned of it as a place where White spent childhood years, and said he’s worked to turn it back to what it was.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, this is something; I want to bring it back to life,' " Benjamin said of the home.
The home needed plenty of work — pre-renovation photos showed a large hole in one room’s ceiling and the stucco exterior’s white color blotched with green. There were broken windows in places.
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But now the stucco’s sheen is restored and the main entrance features large polished wood doors. There are refurbished original fireplaces. Chandeliers abound, hanging from grand ceiling mouldings. The kitchen has been updated with modern appliances. Bathrooms gleam. The original radiators have been renovated. And various oak interior doors stand refurbished and tall — about 10 feet, 9 inches.
“These are unbelievable — this, you don’t find it anywhere,” Benjamin said of the doors, adding: “You are not going to find this kind of oak to be manufactured anymore.”
One of Benjamin’s favorites is an enclosed wraparound porch filled with tall, original windows and that has its own entrance. “This is perfect for entertainment," he said.
Helen Sobota-Diaz has the house listing for R New York. Mount Vernon is in southern Westchester and among the county's shortest distances to Manhattan.
A former barn behind the house is slated to be renovated and could be used for a garage, Benjamin said.
White’s other children’s books include “Stuart Little” and “The Trumpet of the Swan," according to a biography on the National Book Foundation's website. He won a 1971 National Medal for Literature and wrote for publications such as The New Yorker.
Among journalists, White is also known as one half of “Strunk and White,” co-authors of “The Elements of Style.” It advocates active sentences and simplicity, shedding redundant or other extraneous verbiage, as well as grammar, usage and spelling rules, and other topics.
Cornell University, from which White graduated, maintains a collection of his documents including letters, manuscripts, photos, film reels, note cards, and awards. Learn more here: rare.library.cornell.edu/the-e-b-white-collection .
Michael P. McKinney covers growth and development in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley for The Journal News/lohud.com and the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: ‘Charlotte’s Web’ author EB White's childhood house is for sale for $2.8M in Mount Vernon
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