Hermit Hut at Tolstoy Park is one of Alabama’s most unusual homes

The Hermit House at Tolstoy Park

My wife and I were in Baldwin County the other day and found ourselves in the vicinity of the old “Hermit House” in Montrose. Neither of us had ever seen it up close, so we whipped into the parking lot for a closer look. What we saw was one of the most unusual residences that I’ve ever seen in person.

Those of you familiar with the Hermit House will remember that it was built by Henry James Stuart. Stuart was born in England in 1858, but moved to America as a young child. While living in Idaho, he contracted tuberculosis, and doctors told him to move to a warmer part of the country.

Stuart eventually purchased 10 acres of land outside of Fairhope in 1923, naming his property Tolstoy Park in honor of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. Two years later, Stuart began building a round, domed, hurricane-proof hut and finished construction in 381 days. Sources say that the house is 14 feet in diameter and that Stuart poured each concrete block of the house himself.

In all, 239 blocks were used in the hut’s construction. Each block is 24 inches long, eight inches wide, six inches tall and weighs about 95 pounds each. Each block is also etched with the date on which it was cast.

The floor of Stuart’s hut is two feet below ground level, and you have to take a short set of steps to make your way down through the building’s only door. Sources say that Stuart built the hut two feet below grade, which keeps the structure cool in the summer and warm in the winters.

Stuart moved to Baldwin County when he was 67 years old, and he lived there for 19 years until his eventual death in 1946. He lived a simple life, baking his own bread in an outside oven and growing his own vegetables. He took baths in nearby Rock Creek.

Today, when you visit the hut, you will see a guestbook filled with names of visitors from all over the world. It’s said that Stuart also kept a guestbook for visitors to sign. Perhaps his most notable guest was the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow, who visited Stuart’s hut at least six times. Crystal and I added our names to the list before setting off.

I later learned that a novel based on Stuart’s life was published in 2005. Written by former Baldwin County real estate agent Sonny Brewer, “The Poet of Tolstoy Park” details the life of Stuart and his years in Baldwin County. While finishing the book, Brewer rented the hut and began restoring it.

In the end, if you’re ever in the Montrose area, I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to check out the “Hermit Hut.” Located just off U.S. Highway 98, the hut is located near the Parker Street intersection. If you do get a chance to stop by for a quick visit, be sure to sign the guestbook. You might find a few familiar names elsewhere on the page.