As fans around the world celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s final studio album, In Utero, a truly unique opportunity is being presented to own the home where, it could be said, the iconic grunge rock group was born. This week, the childhood home of Kurt Cobain has been placed on the market by his mother, Wendy O’Connor, who hopes the eventual buyer preserves it as a historic landmark.
Located in a quiet residential neighborhood three blocks from the Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, the Craftsman-style bungalow includes the garage where Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic practiced when they first got Nirvana together in the late 1980s.
“We’ve decided to sell the home to create a legacy for Kurt, and yes, there are some mixed feelings since we have all loved the home and it carries so many great memories,” Cobain’s sister, Kim Cobain, tells the Associated Press. “But our family has moved on from Washington, and (we) feel it’s time to let go of the home.”
Beyond selling the home, the Cobain family is interested in the possibility of a joint venture with the buyer in transforming the home into a destination landmark in Aberdeen or moving the home to Olympia, WA — where Cobain reportedly “had found his true artistic muse.”
Marks and drawings on the walls made by Kurt Cobain have been left untouched.
The home is an amazing look into Cobain’s past, as everything is still more or less preserved and captures his early years that led to his legendary career. There are even marks and drawings on the walls made by Cobain, and pieces of original furniture including family dining table/hutch, Cobain’s childhood mattress, the rug in his room and more. A hole in one wall marks where he punched it as a teen, almost breaking his hand.
Cobain lived in the home from when he was a few months old until he was nine, when his parents separated, and then again from age 16 until about 20.
For those interested in purchasing the home, there are a number of exciting possibilities for the historic property, including renovation, moving the building and incorporating it into a larger institution or private collection or creating a museum in Aberdeen or elsewhere (provided the necessary consent is obtained). The family has photos of Kurt throughout his life in the home and would be willing to share a few select copies with the purchaser.
More photos of Kurt Cobain’s childhood home.
AP video story below:
