My Valentine is The Homewood Pink House

If you follow me on social media you are probably already aware of my current crusade bordering on obsession: saving a pink house nestled in a secret garden that has been a part of the neighborhood since 1921. Since it’s Valentine’s Day I can’t help writing about this house that I have absolutely fallen in love with, I truly feel like this house is the embodiment of a love story much bigger than the couple’s who originally built and occupied the house. *Skip to the end for links and ways to help*

A few months ago I was taking my two year old for a walk in his stroller and saw a little wooden spire, painted a fading pink, peeking out from the top of a tall, overgrown fence. My brain had a flicker of recognition, I’d seen a newspaper article about a famed and mysterious “Pink House” that a local group was trying to save but at the time I had no idea where the house was and failed at doing the Nancy Drew work to find it. I continued the walk down the sidewalk and found an old door and steps, a few more steps and I came upon am open gate, painted pink with whimsical cutouts, into the driveway. I’d stumbled upon a real life Secret Garden and my childhood dreams were realized.

Thick brush and bushes surround the house but during winter the house is visible enough to subtly peer over at during a stroll. Or, if you’re me, to get as close as you can without actually trespassing and staring until someone drives by and makes you feel spotted, like you’ve been busted staring at a crush. There are a few good peeking in points, (including a bright blue door at the front of the house), and even in winter the gardens are absolutely beautiful and shockingly maintained.

The History of the Pink House

I have found myself completely infatuated, it was absolutely love at first sight and with everything I learn the more I want to know and consume this house and its history. I feel like I’m re-reading this Madame de Pompadour biography I loved every time I get a new detail. I can’t do the house justice, I still know too little, but I will tell what I know. The original owners were the Bridges, Eleanor and Georges, a painter and sculptor respectively. Georges built the house himself in 1921, nearly 100 years ago, and Eleanor planted the garden, including the bushes to keep the rest of the neighborhood talking. They became ex-patriots in Paris for a while where they befriended Ernest Hemingway and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who were known to have visited the Georges at the pink house. The neighborhood was abuzz with talk of lavish parties at the house and my greatest downfall is arriving to Birmingham about 90 years too late. I’d give up my life as an introvert for just one of those parties.

The Georges were generous and hosted refugees and recovering alcoholics at different points of their lives at the house. Their daughter, “London,” taught art classes to children there, and there are the most beautiful memories written about art classes at the house and hearing about London’s beloved Paris, (a woman after my own heart if there ever was one). Eleanor Bridges painted the most wonderful dog portraits, (I would so love to see one in person, so putting it out there in case anyone can make that happen for me), and Georges was a sculptor of note who was commissioned for a “Brother Bryan” statue that currently resides at Five Points in Birmingham. Eleanor and Georges were movers and shakers in Birmingham, they loved the city and they have really inspired me to love this city even more than I’ve grown to in the 10 years that I’ve been here.

What’s going to happen to the house?

In the late 80s a lovely couple who knew the Bridges bought the house and the torch was passed to them, they became the caretakers for Eleanor’s garden and still are now, 32 years later, living in and loving the house. Back in 2004 there were unfortunate circumstances, (medical bills), that led them to sell the house, but the benevolent new owner has been letting them rent the house the past 15 years.

Recently, however, with the real estate market booming in Homewood, where the house is located, it seems the time had come for the developer to gather up the return on the investment, and a plan came to the surface to demolish the house to make room for 5 new lots. This house is only 2 years shy of the 100 years needed to qualify for the National Register. This is the part where I start envisioning myself channeling the rage that I felt during Fern Gully as a child and making the local news as the crazy woman who chained herself to a porch. I did not know about the pink house when these plans came to light and I was not there to protest during the initial zoning meeting, but several members of the community were and they were rightfully saddened and outraged. We can’t get a house like this back once it’s gone, and certainly not one that entertained two of our most famed American authors. [Think of the 20’s parties we could have there next year, guys. Clearly a short-sighted plan.]

What happens if the house is saved?

The Homewood Historical Preservation Society would love to turn the house into a community space with free art classes for kids and also a venue, (I’m all about it, sign me up to photograph the first wedding, please). The current owner is willing to sell for his asking price of $2.5 million, so there’s lots of money raising to be done, and time is running out. I have fundraising schemes galore but none that can come up with the asking price in a short amount of time, (if I did you’d be looking at the newest owner). As much as I’d love to keep my secret stolen glances to myself as I’m sure many other neighborhood looky-loos have for the past century, I love this house so much even though we’ve just met, and I’m not ready to say goodbye.

Ways to contribute to the movements already in motion:

•Save the Homewood Pink House website (to donate or learn more); follow the Homewood Historical Preservation Society on Facebook.

•Spread the word! Share this or any other posts about the house so that there’s a greater potential for them to find investors and/or a potential buyer who would help save the house. If you post on social media please use the hashtag #savethehomewoodpinkhouse (long but there are other pink houses that need to be saved so this one is sure to get people to the right places).

•Pick up a “Save the Homewood Pink House” sign for your yard at the Homewood Pharmacy!

• Local businesses: consider a fundraising event to get the community involved (all pink ice cream scoops for one night will go towards the pink house, etc.). I will promote the heck out of it.

•If you know of any higher-ups in any organizations, colleges, or local governments that you think may be able to help the cause please share with them about the house (or put me in contact with them)! I would love to get in touch with someone at the Museum of Art and the Botanical Gardens to see if there are any affiliated donors or groups that might be interested in saving the house!

• Write a letter to the City of Homewood to talk about what the Pink House means to you (many generations have walked their children past the house or taken art classes there and if you are one of them what a great thing to be able to add to the defense of the history of the pink house.

•If you cannot contribute financially consider signing the change.org petition. Money is more critical for the future of the house but a petition can also demonstrate that our community is not in favor of developing the property. They only need 1500 more signatures to reach the 5,000 goal and it takes about 30 seconds if you use a facebook log-in. Sometimes the least you can do ends up being just enough.

Learn more about the Pink House:

I am the fbomb • Could we Save Birmingham’s Secret Garden? by Carrie Rollwagen • Style Blueprint • Over the Mountain Journal • Bham Now • Homewood Star • Bham wiki •

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