Press Kit.
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About 8 Strawberry Lane.
Constructed in 1820 as a full Cape Georgian, the Edward Gorey House was first the home of Captain Edmund Hawes and his family. After Captain Hawes was lost at sea on a voyage, his home passed into the hands of Nathaniel Simpkins. The Simpkins family retained possession of the building for some time, with Nathaniel’s granddaughter, Ethel, constructing an identical replica approximately 100 feet behind the original structure in 1927. Over time, the original Georgian design of the House was diluted with the addition of dormers, a federal window, and the stick porch. Ethel’s sisters Louise and Olive, the ‘spinster Simpkins,’ used it as a vacation home in the early 20th century (although local hearsay attests that they frequented the inn next door and kept the house mostly empty). When Edward Gorey purchased the House in 1979, it had been unoccupied for some time and was in moderate disrepair. He moved from New York City and into the house in 1983 after the passing of George Balanchine, and promptly filled his new residence with approximately 26,000 books and no less than five cats at any given time.
The House is listed in the Massachusetts Historical Commission as the Captain Edmund Hawes House (YAR.180) and the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Northside Historic District (#87001777).
F.A.Q.
Did Edward Gorey live in the House?
Edward bought the House in 1979 and moved here from New York City in 1985, after the death of his icon George Balanchine.
Was he English?
No, he was from Chicago. Aside from a brief layover (presumably at Gatwick) during a trip to Scotland, he never visited the country.
Did he have a partner?
No. Edward left behind no record of any long-term relationships — outside of his enduring fondess for his cats.
Was his given name actually Gorey?
Yes. Sometimes fate gets it right.
What does Q.R.V. stand for?
Q.R.V., or the Universal Solvent, is a floor cleaner, perfume, painkiller, refreshing beverage, detergent, aphrodisiac, poison, and shoe polish — in short, whatever the situation calls for. Edward used the meaningless mnemonic as a writing exercise, as it rhymes with — well, not everything, but close enough. We encourage those staring down writer’s block to give it a try.
Our Mission.
The Edward Gorey House celebrates and preserves the life and works of Edward Gorey, an American author, illustrator, playwright, set and costume designer. In honor of his legacy, The House, owned and lived in by Gorey himself, displays his diverse and extraordinary talents and reflects his distinct personality. The House also honors Gorey's passion and concern for animals, raising awareness about local and national animal welfare issues. As a dedicated commemoration to Gorey, the House strives to educate and inspire its visitors, offering a unique introduction to Edward Gorey, the artist and person.
About Edward.
As an artist, Edward Gorey isn’t attached to a movement or a style, to a decade or even a century for that matter. Working either in New York or on Cape Cod for almost fifty years, Gorey’s work embraces a swath of Western arts & literature that includes Nonsense, Symbolism, Dada, and Surrealism, while also reflecting the influence of East Asian arts, literature, and philosophies. As a writer, illustrator, set and costume designer, his works are rife with the aesthetics of 19th Century engraving techniques, the cadences of an Agatha Christie novel, and the visual dynamics of silent film. At the vanguard of the graphic novel, experimental theatre, and the devotees of found art—long before all these terms were coined—his influence continues to run deep in American literature, design, book arts, collecting, film, and theatre. Twenty-five years after his death, Gorey continues to remain several steps ahead of us.
Press Releases.
Assets.
The House.
Edward.
Logos.
Click images to download files. Artwork used should include the credit line Courtesy of the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust. Historic images from the Archives of the Historic Society of Old Yarmouth. Full color Modern Exterior House images courtesy of Komako Akai Whitelaw. Images of Edward for non-commerical use only — please contact the House with any questions.