Books

You Can Buy The Barn From 'Charlotte's Web'

by Emma Oulton

If you're not afraid of spiders, this house newly on the market will be just the place for you: The house where Charlotte's Web was set is for sale. The house in Maine once belonged to E.B. White, the author of the beloved children's book about a "humble" and "terrific" pig and the talented spider who saves his life. In the garden, you'll find a barn exactly like the one in the story where Wilbur the pig once lived.

In Charlotte's Web, Wilbur is a lonely pig, snubbed by the other barn animals, and befriended only by a spider named Charlotte. When Charlotte learns that Wilbur's owner intends to slaughter him, Charlotte begins weaving messages into her spider webs praising the pig, and winning him so much fame and glory at the country fair that he is considered too precious to slaughter.

Of course, spiders don't live as long as pigs, and so Charlotte tragically dies shortly afterwards (which remains the saddest moment of my childhood). Her offspring, however, accompany Wilbur back to the barn and keep him company for many generations to come — and I'm pretty willing to bet that you'll find some of her great-great-grandchildren still camped out in the barn of E.B. White's beautiful house.

The stunning farm house where Charlotte's Web was written, and which E.B. White and his wife bought in 1933 but which actually dates all the way back to the 1700s, costs a whopping $3.7 million. I advise investing in a prestigious pig to save up enough riches for this incredible house — and thanks to the 44 acres of land that the home is set in, there will be plenty of room for your celebrity pig to roam around!