The playwright Eugene O’Neil, winner of four Pulitzer Prizes and the 1936 Nobel Prize, left behind a striking testament to his unique character and working habits at the Tao House. This historical site is one of the ten least visited units in the National Park System, probably because access is only by guided tours with limited availability, and newer generations are simply unfamiliar with O’Neil and his work.
I enjoyed this December centennial visit, my second in 15 months, more than the first. I didn’t know enough about O’Neil to appreciate the nuances that make this site truly interesting.
Below, the Tao House features an immaculately maintained front lawn.
O’Neil’s living and working spaces included a strong nautical theme.
As he got older, O’Neil’s handwriting became smaller and smaller, until it became illegible to anyone but his wife, who typed his manuscripts and had to use magnification to read it.
