The Kerouac House (Facebook | Website) in College Park managed to escape some catastrophic damage when half of a massive old-growth oak tree fell in the front yard at 1418 Clouser Avenue [GMap].
The 100-year-old home was once home to Jack Kerouac and was where he penned The Dharma Bums in 1958, which was the basis for On The Road. The home is now used for a Writers in Residence program that hosts four writers a year to spend three months each in the home free of charge in order to concentrate on their literary projects as well as regular storytelling and writing workshops that are open to the public.
The tree in question is estimated to be roughly 250-years-old and was affectionately nicknamed “Grandfather” by Kerouac himself. The section that fell is substantial, 125-inches in diameter, and it managed to damage the front porch of the home and completely block off Clouser Avenue.
The Kerouac House is asking for donations to fix the front porch as well as to shore up the home’s foundations to keep it in place for another 100 years and you can make a donation by clicking HERE.
