904 Frances Street - Old Town - Key West

 904 Frances Street - Old Town - Key West - June 2012

I recently got  a chance to view the charming bungalow located at 904 Frances Street in the Old Town area of Key West. I had not been inside this recently remodeled house. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I had missed. This not so little four bedroom home is worthy of further consideration.  The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Delightful renovation of a cigar makers cottage on one of the best streets in the heart of Old Town Key West. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the main house and a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom pool cabana make for a wonderful retreat or permanent residence. Gorgeous designer kitchen and baths, Dade county pine walls and floors, high ceilings, and a pool with waterfall are just a few of the features that make this home so special. Offered furnished."904 Frances Street as it appeared in 1965 - plants for sale and all!

The current owner purchased the property from the original owner. I dug into the old shoebox and found a taken back in 1965 (above). The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show that this house was built circa 1933, but we know those records were createded by workers from the WPA during the Great Depression. The old courthouse burned to the ground, and the WPA workers helped create new "records" and used 1933 as the construction date for many homes where other records were not available. We also know that not much of anything was actually built in Key West in 1933, or the rest of the country for that fact. The straight clean lines and the generous verandah at the front of the house suggest more of an arts and crafts style of home built just after the turn of the Twentieth Century.

 Front Bedroom

Master Bedroom with Pool View

 Posh! Master Bath

The inside of the house is fairly utilitarian. I mean that in a most polite way. The front door opens  into the living room on the right. Minimal dividers sit on either side wall which serve to separate the living room from the dining area. The kitchen is located at the rear. The home has three bedrooms. The front bedroom has a view of the front verandah. It shares the Jack and Jill bathroom with the second or middle bedroom. The Jack and Jill bath has all of the finer amenities including travertine marble in the custom shower. The oversized master bedroom is located at the back. French doors open out from that bedroom onto the rear deck. Inside, the master bath is like one you would find in an upscale English hotel.

 Renovated but non-public side of 900 Frances (located next door) to north

The back deck is huge and will provide lots of space for sun worshipers who won't need to move a lounge chair to catch a golden Key West tan. The pool, isn't large compared to the rest of the property.  To my surprise there is a guest cottage at the very rear complete with a fourth bedroom and a full bath. The bath has a door that also opens from the pool and ought to prevent lots of wet feet running through the main house. CLICK HERE to view a photo album of pics I took of 904 Frances Street and it's neighbors to the north and south.

Before some locals chime in and start to pooh-pooh the location, let me share a couple of my thoughts. 904 Frances Street is located next door to an historic and nearly iconic piece of Key West - the former home of the Busy Bee Bakery. I wrote about that location a couple of years ago as it was the subject of a Ronny Bailey art construction.

904 Frances Street as depicted by Ronny Bailey

 900 Frances Street - June 2012

CLICK HERE to read and see what I wrote then. Most of what I wrote was about Ronny Bailey, but if you love Key West as much as most of us who live here, you might just appreciate the proximity of location to such a great old landmark. Bare Assets is located at the far end of Frances Street at Truman Avenue. The place is always well maintained and clean. I guess it's the nearly naked ladies on the inside that gives the goody-two shoes part of the population concern. Those naked ladies don't bother me, and I don't bother them. St. Mary's Basilica is a couple of blocks further west where tourists and locals can confess their sins after going to Bare Assets. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to see listing photos. This 1243 sq ft home sits on a deceptively large lot (36' x 93' or 3348 sq ft). There is even double off street parking. The home has beautiful Dade County Pine walls, ceiling, and floors, crown molding and nice crisp trim everywhere. The windows are new and everything appears to look and work just fine. The home has been successfully rented as a vacation rental. 904 Frances Street is offered at $895,000. If you would like to see this home please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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