The asking price on
514 Elizabeth Street in
Key West was just reduced to
$1,350,000.
I have written about this historic Old Town home a few times over the ten years I have
written my blog, not because it has been offered for sale but rather to
share with my Dear Readers that this is the first house I sold in Key
West. It has been owned by the same people these many years. As I
recall there were three factors that influenced their decision to buy
this place. First, the house really is historic - it is one of the very
oldest homes in Key West. Second, it has a great location equal distance
to Duval Street and the Historic Seaport. Third it had off street
parking and a deep back yard with room for a pool. The owners built a pool and created a lovely rear deck and garden. The perfect location and the charming home remain.
Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe famously said, "Less is more." The simplicity of
design and original construction make this home a stand out among the many homes
in Old Town that have been over-renovated. My research shows the house
as having been built circa 1855. The photo directly below shows the
house in 1965. Below that is a photo I took about ten years ago. The
bottom photo was taken in 2013 from the second floor of the house across the street at 517 Elizabeth. The current told me that 514
Elizabeth is "is typical of the conch or Bahamian house
built in the Bahamas from the 1780s and in Key West prior to the Civil
War. The original architectural moldings that survive are typical of the
1835-1860 period."
The
facade is so simple. The front porch is meant for sitting. The front
door opens into a wide hallway with the formal parlor on the right and
the ground floor bedroom on the left. There is a main floor bath at the
left rear. The stairway to the second floor bedrooms is located on the
right. The original Dade County Pine walls and floors are still intact
throughout the house. The only noticeable thing I saw that has changed
is the front scuttle no long is visible inside the second floor
bedrooms. The house now has central air conditioning and that vitiated the
need to use the scuttle for ventilation.
You
probably can't tell it from the photos but the wood walls also help us
date the house. The wood planks are much wider than typical houses from
the 1890s and later. That means the Dade County Pine walls were "old
growth lumber" which means earlier construction. The floors and walls
have settled a bit with age. Purists who want a genuine old house will
appreciate this. People who want something is all perfect will not. I
remember staying at the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds many years ago. We
stayed in the room that Oliver Cromwell stayed in the night before the
Battle of Hastings in 1620. The room tilted a bit. The hotel had a fancy
new addition. I preferred historic room with the tilt. And that is why I find this house
so utterly charming.
The
previous owner added a new kitchen and dining area more than twenty
years ago. It is showing its age a bit. A new owner might update it.
One
of the joys of living in Key West is the ability to open the doors in
the winter and allow the sunshine inside and merge the inside with the
outside at night. Two separate spaces become one environment to share
with family and friends. It's meals on heels instead of meals on wheels
here.
During
the daytime the pool is the perfect place to get than Key West tan that
will make your friends from the frozen north green with envy. The deck are perfect entertaining spots at night as well. French doors open from the kitchen and the family room area out to the deck.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on
514 Elizabeth Street which is a Pre-Civil War home in Key West offered by
Preferred Properties at
$1,350,000. Then call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. This is a great location and a precious home in our community.
No comments:
Post a Comment