The good news for creative fans of author Stephen King is that his house in Maine is becoming a writers' retreat. Bangor City Council has approved an application by King and his wife Tabitha to to rezone their Victorian property on 3.27 acres for use as a nonprofit.
The mansion is where the Kings raised their three children, and where the author wrote many of the horror, supernatural, suspense and fantasy novels that have made him world-famous. His books have sold over 350m copies, and they include Carrie, IT, Misery, The Shining and Pet Semetary.
From the outside, the house is suitably spooky, with bats and gargoyles on the wrought iron gates. This is a huge attraction for fans and horror enthusiasts, who visit to snap photos of themselves in front of the gates. The city of Bangor is a draw in itself as it has featured in several of the profilic author's novels and stories, including IT, Insomnia and 11/22/63.
There are actually two houses on the premises and the Kings plan to use the second one as a retreat for up to five writers to stay and work. The mansion will be used to house King's personal archive, which is maintained by the charitable foundation, the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
“We are in the very beginning of planning the writers’ retreat at the house next door, providing housing for up to five writers in residence at a time,” King wrote on Facebook. “The zoning change getting press coverage was the first step. We are one to two years away from an operating retreat. The archives formerly held at the University of Maine will be accessible for restricted visits by appointment only. There will not be a museum and nothing will be open to the public, but the archives will be available to researchers and scholars.”
