The thing that makes Key West different from every place else in America is that it is not like everyplace else - not the people, not the climate, not the rat race, and certainly not the houses. Some current local business people may want to change that. We know who they are; where they live; and they better just not get too far out there if they know what's best. In the meantime let's celebrate our rich heritage of old homes saved from wrecking balls and developers.
408 William Street, Key West, was brought to Key West from Green Turtle Cay in 1847, and settled into
its current home on one of the best streets in Old Town. It has received
numerous local and state historic preservation awards. All rooms have windows and or doors to provide natural ventilation (there were no air conditioners in the mid 1800s).
Local folk artist Ronny Bailey created his artistic homage to the "Old Bahama House" also known as the "Richard Roberts House" which I recently photographed on the back of Ronny's pick-up truck. Ronny is a multi-generation Conch who retired from the carpentry trade several years ago. He never lost the joy of working with wood. He started messing around with left over pieces of Dade County Pine from old houses. He cut the old boards into tiny pieces which he used to build replicas of real houses in Key West. He created windows, doors, roofs, and shutters using tiny pieces of the salvaged wood which he meticulously painted. Note the attention to detail even showing variations of the wood actually used in the real house. See also the peeling paint and evidence of potential wood rot forming at the base of the building. This effect was achieved through paint technique.
Ronny told me this project was too important for just one folk artist to undertake. So he enlisted his grandson to paint the picture of the fish which hangs on the inside wall of the house. Even though the green painted Bahama shutters have a few failing slats, you still cannot see inside the front windows. However, Ronny left the red door ajar where we can see the inside is equally detailed. All of the interior is also painted including the walls, ceiling, floors, baseboard, and door trim. Look carefully at the grime on the red entry door framed by green trim and weather-beaten yellow siding.
Note the scuttle visible atop the roof above. It can be seen in both the lithograph and in the 1934 black and white photo taken by a WPA photographer who photographed many of the old houses in Key West during the Great Depression. Scuttles were retractable metal boxes on top of roofs which allowed warm air to rise to the outside. This house house has porches on the south and north sides with windows and doors which allows natural air to cool the inside. The metal roof shows signs of age and rust. Remember this is a tiny replica. Ronny taught himself how to bend old metal to the same shape as real roofs. This ain't easy folks. One time Ronny told me that some of his carpenter friends saw his work and decided to emulate (better word for copy) him. He said they gave up. They could cut and put pieces of wood together, but they could not create any piece that resembled his works. I suggest we nominate Ronny to go on America's Got Talent, but we'd all get bored to death because these pieces take months to create.
You'll also see Ronny's watch words "joy, peace, and love" painted on
the house. Ronny's watch words appear on each of his works. See if you
can find them.
Ronny's homage to the Old Bahama House will be on display at the Key West Custom House.
The Key West/Bahamas Connection
January 18 - April 7, 2019
Custom House Museum | Bryan Gallery
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