Henry Stuart, “Hermit of Montrose”

“A Hermit’s Refuge Is Now a Writer’s Muse” is a New York Times article about an eccentric in Mobile Bay, Alabama, named Henry Stuart. Stuart was called the “Hermit of Montrose,” and built a concrete hut in the 1920’s where he wove rugs for a living. Local resident Sonny Brewer has published a novel about Stuart entitled The Poet of Tolstoy Park, so named because Stuart had an interest in Tolstoy. Brewer is trying to have the unusual hut declared a national landmark in order to preserve it. Meanwhile, Brewer uses the hut for meditation. His guestbook shows over two thousand visitors to the hut, many interested in communicating with the spirit of Stuart.
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/fashion/sundaystyles/07AUTHOR.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.