Key West's Heritage House Museum Closing

Key West is home to another historic non-profit enterprise left for dead by a thing called economics: the Heritage House Museum has closed after more than 30 years in business. The home, built in 1834 by George Carey and rescued 100 years later by the late Jessie Porter, hosted 20th century literary lights led by Robert Frost and Hemingway but simply got too expensive to maintain.

Peter Brawn bough the home for $2 million from Porter's family, and he added another $60,000 for some of its contents. There is no word on what Brawn plans for Heritage House nor, just as importantly, the Robert Frost poetry competition held every year in the Frost Cottage behind the house.