While Herman Melville’s novel, Moby-Dick (1851), is largely considered an American literary classic, many details were actually inspired by the author’s time across the pond. Melville spent years as a sailor on whaling ships, which is where he first learned about the albino sperm whale (called Mocha Dick) that oft attacked ships in the Pacific Ocean. Years later in 1849, he went to London in search of a publisher for his soon-to-be book. During his trip, he stayed on an upper floor of 25 Craven Street, which is now on the market for £9 million GBP or about $11,181,791 USD.
The townhouse’s initial owner was John Lucie Blackman, who set up the property as a lodging house. Blackman rented out the rooms of 25 Craven Street to local workers, travelers, and sailors—one of them being Herman Melville. The property sits just a block to the River Thames, and, at the time, a wharf with whaling ships. And so, the residence’s setting and guests became ideal inspiration for Melville. For example, the novel’s Captain Ahab was influenced by two captains who stayed there at the same time as the author: Captain George Pollard Junior, the captain of the Essex, and by Captain Archibald Buchanan, a Royal Navy captain.
Today, a historic blue plaque adorns the facade of the Georgian residence, which is now a single-family home. The six-story townhouse is complete with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, five reception areas, two kitchens, and a rooftop deck. Whoever decides to purchase the listing also has the opportunity to make this storied address their own, renovate it, or build on. The seller has obtained permission to expand the townhouse from 4,371 square feet to over 5,500 square feet.
Wetherell exclusively represents the splashy and historic listing.
