Scotty's Lumber Legacy in Key West

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key West has been a tourist town for decades dating back to the time Henry Flagler brought his railroad to town. While the population remained fairly static during the same time frame, tourists and later second home owners put a strain on available housing. The town expanded south toward the Atlantic Ocean and east toward the point US 1 enters the island. Both areas had previously been barren coral rock mixed in with salt ponds. There were two principle sources of lumber and hardware - Lindsey's Lumber located at the corner of Simonton at Truman. Stunk Hardware was located at the opposite end of Simonton Street near the Gulf of Mexico. Consider this - Key West is an island located 120 or so miles from firm US soil. Lumber and most building supplies are delivered to Key West by truck. Having a single source of one style of kitchen cabinet made sense back in the day.

Scotty's lumber was located at the corner of 700 Catherine Street - just east of First State Bank. I recall Scotty's relocated back to the corner of Simonton at Truman. See photo below. 

Scotty's then moved to 2801 North Roosevelt Blvd in Key West. That building was built around the same time the adjacent Walgreens. I read online that Scotty's was a Florida based lumber yard with locations across the state. In later years Scotty's added discount pricing to a variety of goods to compete with Home Depot and Lowes. Locally the new Manley deBoer Lumber Company offered premium lumber in Key West. Scotty's was razed in 2004 and replaced by a brand new Home Depot.

That's not the end of Scotty's legacy, however. A few weeks ago I showed visiting buyers a few homes that were built in the early 1990''s. I pointed to the kitchen cabinets. I had seen the same cabinets in Truman Annex, 1800 Atlantic Condominiums, Windward Park Town Homes, and countless single family homes in Key West. Scotty's was the primary provider kitchen cabinets for years. Here are some examples. The first photo is an active listing.

The same cabinets were even in my house when I bought it.Today Home Depot offers a variety of cabinets in many price ranges. Hansen & Bringle Cabinets and Millwork make custom cabinets in Key West while other stores sell special cabinets from other areas and states. Scotty's legacy lives on.