Uncommon doc shows unconventional Westmoreland home

Today, we are lured to the largely unknown, a strangely beautiful place unfamiliar to our space and time — ostensibly, not of this world!

Buckle up as you are transported on an exploratory voyage to the outer limits of your imagination, transcending boundaries of the bold, daring, and free-spirited, where dream living dwells as an escape from reality.

Immerse yourself in the curious architecture that is astonishingly unconventional, projecting historical, artistic, musical, and horticultural rhapsody through the very veins of its physical composition.

We commence with an artfully clad, full timber, four bedroom, three (stone-constructed) bathroom, wicker furnished house on five acres; with a complete wrap-around verandah, rewarded with exhaustive views encompassing Sav-la-Mar, Negril, the sea, and cane fields — in a completely isolated environ, off the Darliston Road, in the Caledonia Hills of Westmoreland.

The Hyltons, who once lived here, were haberdashers and sold the property to Pulitzer prize-winning Alex Haley (1921–1992).

Alex Haley, best known for authoring the mega-bestselling novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, partly wrote it at this house.

In 1975, Dr Russel Gruhlke, an optometrist from Washington, United States, who administered free eye care examinations to rural folk in various parishes, took possession of the premises with a clear vision of its future transformation. Here goes:

He added 600 acres from his neighbour. The entire locality is a gardener’s delight. Also added, along with four others, is the Buddha Cottage, a two-storey self-contained circular dwelling with a Buddha sculpture inside. A lily fish pond appealingly positions itself at the front door. In fact, there are a few Tilapia fish ponds that tranquillise the surrounding areas.

The compassionate doctor also built a wholly rounded theatre gallery for the performance and reception of the harmonising attributes of classical music.

Copious dramatic works of art omnipresent, in the form of colourful paintings, and humongous garden sculptures, in symphony with other artistic expressions, have the signature of the accomplished artistic doctor on many of them.

An imposing, circular, stone-hewed observatory tower was erected some years ago to commemorate and entomb the ashes of the doc’s dearly departed son. It has special pride of place atop the structure.

His other son Canute, a retired banker in America, lives here with his father in a separate cottage, overseeing the welfare of the property.

Are we today in a world of make-believe, with surreal qualities? Does such a place as this really exist in the here and now on the island?

Yes, it does, although once you are here, it’s difficult to distinguish if you are in a dream or not!

Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barry-rattray@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.