In the heart of our Homewood neighborhoods, there is a plot that from the outside seems overgrown. A massive wall of wisteria and ivy reaches up from Homewood Boulevard, hiding one of the city’s most iconic treasures. If only the little kids playing, dog walkers and cyclists would take a second look through the trees, they would discover rich history, stories worth passing down and an abundance of PINK. No matter how hidden it is, this house has not gone unnoticed. The Homewood Historical Preservation Society and passionate neighbors have been fighting for years to save this iconic property from the wrecking ball. Thankfully, in 2019 the family of Holley Ellis purchased the pink house with a commitment to restore and preserve the legacy left by Georges and Eleanor Bridges.
We first told you about the Pink House last February, but are now providing a closer look at the rich details and art that is the Pink House today. Soon this home will begin restoration. The land has been surveyed, some tarps have been laid out and city officials have started crawling around this historic property. We want to capture it in the “before”. Its beauty shines despite the dilapidations, crumbling walls and overgrown vines. We hope to give you a look at the restored property in the future, but for now we want the artistic nostalgia of this home to speak for itself. One can only imagine the influential personalities that strolled through the gardens and sat on the patio. We know guests of the Bridges included none other than Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and even The Grand Duchesses of Russia.
Enjoy these photos as we attempt to capture the Pink House in detail as it sits today. We are sure the renovations will be stunning. Its beauty shines despite overgrown vine and crumbling stone.
“The Stables” ruins of an apartment behind the house.
The view of the back of the Pink House from the exit of the stables.
Georges and Eleanor made plaster statues, faces and sculptures that decorate the surrounding house and property. Eleanor’s hand painted tiles also dawn the whole property.
The gardens.
The updated white interior of the home sits in stark contrast to the cracking exterior.
The details captured in these photos immortalize the Pink House in the final days of its empty life. Soon it will be restored and full of a new family. We look forward to seeing the finished project and how they keep the history of the Pink House alive.