635 William Street - Old Town - Key West

The house at 635 William Street is a bit of a rarity in Old Town Key West because it has fairly deep front yard. Passers-by and internet house hunters may mistake the house as being a simple cigar maker's cottage that sits on a large Old Town lot. The lot is impressive, but this is no cigar maker's cottage. Instead, 635 William Street is gracious 1670 sq ft home with three bedrooms, three baths, a large great room with doors that open out to a remarkable pool and entertaining area. Before we look inside, let's consider the history for just a moment.

635 William street first appeared in the 1899 Sanborn Fire Map for Key West.  The lot itself was identified in the 1889 map - I had never seen a lot that was "cut out" as the address was on this property. There was a small building that sat to the rear of 635. I thought at first that was the house, but it wasn't. The building was too small. Other houses sat closer to the street - the same way they do today.  Perhaps a structure existed an an earlier time and was destroyed by fire. That happened a lot in olden days. That is why they had the fire maps in the first place - to identify houses and out buildings by by size and location that existed at given points in time.  While searching around, I found a photo of Mr. Ulrick R. Henson who resided at 635 William Street in 1918.  Mr. Henson was an employee of the United States Public Health System.  The waterfront pass gave him authorization to enter upon the seaport, located a little over three blocks to the north, which was the center of Key West commerce.

Charlie's Grocery is located at corner of William at Windsor Lane. Upper William continues a dogleg to the west

In his book Panama Thomas McGuane wrote "Marcelline's house is on the dead end of William Street, what was the dead end until the fire department opened on through for access to the wooden tinderbox houses of this old quarter... so that what was once still as a countryside now carried the tin murmur of Truman Avenue".  While researching another nearby home I learned that before Charlie's Grocery was built, a much smaller butcher shop occupied that location (the previous dead end of William Street).  A neighborhood bakery was located next door to the west. Today the 600 block of William Street is one of the most sought after locations in Old Town. The late Shel Silverstein (A Boy Named Sue) and Jerry Herman (Hello Dolly) lived in houses on the opposite side of William Street.

The listing broker describes 635 William Street this way:

"Lush landscaping and excellent curb appeal. This remarkable Old Town home has been impeccably restored. A single story home featuring 3 bedrooms & 3 baths including 2 master suites. Brazilian cherry floors flow throughout the home. The kitchen, open to the living and dining areas, features cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and high end appliances. The wonderfully open floor plan extends to the outdoor areas including the drape covered lanai overlooking the heated pool, spa & waterfall - perfect for entertaining. A hidden space on the side of the home is perfect for overflow guests with custom awnings and roll down walls for privacy and shelter from the weather."             

 Behind the white picket fence sits the house that must be seen to be appreciated. The house is now laid out similar to many homes in Old Town where the bedrooms are located near the front and the living areas are located at the rear. What you cannot see from the street is that the house has a new rear addition that extends both to the rear and to the north. The formal entry leads from front to rear with two bedrooms on right side, each with private bath. Entry to the master suite is located midway down the hallway on the left side.

Formal entry hall leads to the rear addition that includes master suite, kitchen, and living room

Vaulted ceiling in Master Suite and French Doors that open out to rear deck add sophistication to this cozy space

The living room at 635 William Street is totally unexpected.  Like many readers, I was not prepared for how large the living space actually is. The vaulted ceiling is quite dramatic as are the multiple sets of stack-able glass paneled doors that let the owners use the inside and outdoor areas for entertaining.

635 William Street is offered at $1,660,000. Besides the house, this property includes gated off street parking.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos taken by (and used by permission of Michael Phillip of Doug Mayberry Real Estate). After you've done your clicking, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this very sophisticated Old Town home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your home in Paradise.