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Tom Kromer Driving Tour
Item 7 of 9
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The home of West Virginia born author Thomas M. Kromer. Famous for his only full published novel Waiting for Nothing, published in 1935, he bought this house with his wife 2 years later. They would live here for 23 years before Janet Kromer, Thomas Kromer's wife, died of lung cancer in 1960. The house is now private residence.


Exterior of the Kromer House

Wall of Kromer House, Trees, Entrance to Kromer House

Wall of Kromer House

Black and White Image of the Front Outer Wall of the Kromer House

An adobe styled home that was initially purchased by West Virginian author Thomas M. Kromer in 1937. He was accompanied by his wife, Janet Kromer, whom he met while being treated for tuberculosis at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Kromer is most known for his novel Waiting for Nothing, and it is said that the Kromer household is where Kromer began working on another novel titled Michael Kohler, a canny reference to his grandfather during his time as a coal miner. After being married, they bought this very house and lived here in Albuquerque until 1960, when sadly, Kromer’s wife, Janet passed away due to lung cancer.

After her passing, Kromer sold the home and returned to West Virginia to live with family as a recluse. He would die in 1969, and is buried in Huntington, West Virginia.

Kromer House, LandmarkHunter.com. Accessed April 8th 2022. https://landmarkhunter.com/154876-kromer-house/.

Who was Tom Kromer? On the author of Waiting for Nothing, https://neglectedbooks.com/. October 5th 2020. Accessed April 8th 2022. https://neglectedbooks.com/?p=7212.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Roland Penttila

National Register of Historic Places