Hemingway Medical Building

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. In the early morning fog of Key West, when most clinics are quiet and empty, a delivery driver noticed something peculiar outside Hemingway Medical Building. A cat with an old-fashioned hat seemed to be sitting on the steps, waiting for someone. Curious, he approached the cat, who calmly tipped its hat and meowed once before sauntering inside the building. The next day, a regular patient asked the receptionist if they had a new security guard in a funny hat. Smiling, she replied, ‘No sir, that’s just our resident literary feline.’

2. In the early morning fog of Key West, when most clinics are quiet and empty, an elderly gentleman shuffled into Hemingway Medical Building. ‘Doc,’ he croaked, ‘I think my umbrella is trying to kill me.’ The doctor peered at him over his glasses, then burst out laughing. 'Sir,' he said, 'your umbrella’s not trying to kill you—you’re just forgetting it’s a fan!' The old man scratched his head and walked away, muttering something about how different Key West was from Maine.

3. In the early morning fog of Key West, when most clinics are quiet and empty, a delivery driver noticed something peculiar in the Hemingway Medical Building’s loading dock. Among boxes of medical supplies lay an old, dusty suitcase, its handle worn smooth from years of use. The delivery driver opened it curiously—inside was nothing but an old photo album filled with snapshots of cats. Turns out, it belonged to the building’s janitor, who used it every day to transport his lunch. A regular joke among neighbors became that Hemingway himself must’ve been a cat lover after all.

4. In the early morning fog of Key West, when most clinics are quiet and empty, a curious cat began prowling around Hemingway Medical Building. Each day it would appear just before opening hours, meowing insistently outside the reception area. One morning, a delivery driver arrived with a box full of donuts. Thinking no one was around, he left them on the counter—only to be greeted by an enthusiastic meow and a paw reaching through the box. Turns out, our feline friend had a sweet tooth too! Since then, everyone knows that if you want to get into Hemingway’s building early, bring some treats.