When I started talking about going on this journey, a friend of mine gave me a copy of “On the Road” by Kerouac. It had been at least a decade since I had read it, yet I remembered the feeling of freedom I experienced just by his story. The gift seemed like a perfect fit for this adventure. Little did I know, that shortly after reading the book, I would be at the house where some of the book had been compiled.
The house itself is a simple wooden affair that one could pass, never knowing it was once home to one of America’s most beloved poet’s and writers. Kerouac lived in the home with his wife and ailing mother producing one of his most iconic works, The Dharma Bums, while in the home. After his death the house remained with his family, but was never capitalized on as a literary landmark until recently.
A group known as the Friends of Jack Kerouac have owned and run the house as a writers’ residency called the Kerouac Project since 2000, where writes live expense free for three months while developing new work. In 2013, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and 2014 saw a sign placed outside the house as part of the Florida Historical Marker Program to designate the house’s importance as a Florida Heritage Site.
Closest Supercharger Alta Monte Springs 9.2 mi
Renaissance Centre, 355 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
jack Kerouac House
1418 Clouser Ave, Orlando FL 32804
