809 Eaton Street in
Key West just became a
Bank Owned Property.
It is an historic house. It is a very large house with 6 bedrooms 5 1/2 baths, a pool, a guest cottage, two off street parking places, and an incredible street presence. It is priced beyond
the means of most potential buyers. But it is an incredible buying opportunity for
the buyer who wants to own a significant home in a great
Old Town Key West location. It is offered for sale at
$1,995,000.
The
front section of the house stands three stories tall and appears to
resemble an eyebrow house in construction except that it has wrap-around
balconies on the first and second levels. The front portion of the
house dates back to circa 1840. I found a photo of the property taken
in 1965 which shows the front portion, a sawtooth addition, and an
extension. The building was meticulously restored in the early 2000s and
was was
featured in the Old Island Foundation House Tour in 2005.
The
house is typical
of other Bahamian styled homes of that era located in the immediate
neighborhood. Many
of the Key West's founding fathers were expatriates from the Bahamas.
They brought with them the architectural style and construction
techniques with which they were familiar. Bahamian styled houses were
placed on piers and had wood frames and had tall ceilings and large
windows
with Bahama shutters which permitted air to circulate through the house
to provide natural cooling. The houses were built with wood clapboard
siding. I stood on the front porch of this home a couple of days ago and
noted the extra wide siding which suggested to me that the wood used
was quite old when the house was built around 1840. That suggested that the trees used in construction must have dated back to the
founding of our country or even before. Old growth lumber only comes from
old trees. The wood inside the house is Dade County Pine and would be
of similar age. Dade County Pine is as tough as petrified lumber. This house is
about as solidly built as any you are apt to find. Look at the photo
immediately below and notice the tiny window just under the roof as it
slopes downward. That window is located at floor level on the third
floor. In the time before central air conditioning the windows and doors could remain open to ventilate the house. The architecture was not only graceful but also
functional. The graceful style survives.
I
believe that the original main floor wood walls were
removed to provide a grand open space. The configuration today provides a
semi-formal dining room on one side and a large living area on the
other. Large posts and beams appear to have been added to support the
weight of this massive building. An elegant stairway at the rear
provides access to the second floor.
I
have been inside numerous eyebrow houses in Key West. They all have a
similar interior layout which includes a center hallway with rooms on
either side on the ground floor. Rooms on the second floor vary
depending on the size of the house. Smaller houses have one bedroom on
either side and perhaps a narrow passage on one side of the second floor
stairway landing which might lead to the rear where a bathroom has been
added. Some larger homes have a larger bathroom addition with doors
leading from the bedrooms on either side. This home has two large
bedrooms on the second floor each of which has private baths and a large
hallway with a set of stairs that goes up to the third floor where
there are two more bedrooms which share a bath at the rear. A dormer with a bank of windows looks off to the Gulf of Mexico just a couple of
blocks to the north. A few years ago you could see the water from the
window. Today trees have grown so tall that the water views are pretty
much obscured. But the blue skies and white clouds still illuminate that
room in the daytime.
The
two additions seen in the old black and white photo were reconfigured
to provide an open living and kitchen area with high vaulted ceilings. A
bank of French doors at the rear open out to the covered rear deck that
looks down toward the rear gardens, pool, and guest cottage.
The
kitchen is even larger than the photos suggest. There is a butler's
pantry at the rear of the kitchen where there is a side door that leads
to the off street parking spot on the lane. This makes delivery of
groceries and beverages a breeze. Your caterer will love this! There is a
main level bedroom with en-suite bath located just off the great room.
It has a set of French doors that open out to the covered rear elevated
veranda. The guest cottage at the rear expanded the total living area to 4712 sq ft
(per
Monroe County Property Appraiser records). The irregularly lot runs 57'
X 125' or around 7079 sq ft. The house sits at the corner of
picturesque Caraballo Lane where one of the two off street parking spots
is located.
If
you look carefully you'll see a whole house generator tucked away at
the end of the pool. There's plenty of space to get a famous Key West
tan here. The guest cottage can be accessed via gate and pathway from
the Eaton Street entrance or off the lane entrance. Guests can come and
go without disturbing anyone.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet then please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642
to schedule a showing or to provide more information on this exciting
new bank owned property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West. This property is owned by a local bank.
Decisions will be made locally and will be made promptly. Don't miss out
on this exciting buying opportunity of an important historic home.
