A campaign to relocate the historic Round House at Tolstoy Park in Fairhope has hit a huge milestone thanks to an anonymous donation.

The donor, who is being referred to simply as "the Friend," gave $100,000 to the fundraising effort, bringing the total amount of money raised to $322,751 at the time of their donation. The campaign now needs just a little over $46,000 to reach its goal of $369,000.

The donation campaign is led by the Tolstoy Park Committee, a group that consists of local residents, with Sonny Brewer serving as co-chairman of the committee. Brewer is the author of the 2005 novel "The Poet of Tolstoy Park," which is about Tolstoy Park and its creator.

The Round House is a structure built by Henry Stuart, an Englishman who emigrated to the United States as a child. Stuart, who lived a largely solitary life, welcomed over 1,300 visitors to his "Hermit Hut" during his time in Montrose, just outside Fairhope. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

The Round House currently resides in an office building parking lot located just along U.S. 98 East in Fairhope. Since beginning their campaign earlier this year, the Tolstoy Park Committee has been seeking to raise $369,000 to move the structure to Flying Creek Nature Preserve, a 108-acre park that opened in August.

According to Brewer, he received a phone call from "the Friend" asking to come visit to discuss funding to move the Round House. The two met the same day and agreed that Tolstoy Park spoke to the charm of Fairhope. "The Friend" cited the leadership of Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan as a motivating factor to his donation.

"Sherry personally helped us succeed with a project that I worked on when it began to look as though problems would surely stop us, and I am pleased to honor her work as mayor," said "the Friend" in a press release.

City leaders have previously supported moving the Round House in the event the necessary funds were raised.

To donate to the campaign, visit www.tolstoypark.com for more information.