Key West Real Estate Trivial Pursuit - Part Three

Key West has changed so much since the first time I visited in 1984. I have lived here since 1993 and drive up and down the streets almost every day. I can go for months not seeing a particular area on the island, see that something has changed, and try to remember what was there before. Let's look at a few "before" photos to see if you know where the property is located. They will be easy this third time as I am placing a current photo under the property.

Number 1

 I took the above photo around 1998. I searched my old shoebox and found a photo of the same properties in 1965 - see below. There were two buildings bridged together to for what looks to be an apartment complex. If you closely it appears that first and second floor porches were enclosed with louver shutters to expand the interior living space. It also looks like the exterior had new fashioned asbestos siding added The center building may have been a laundry area.  I searched the Sanborn Fire Maps which showed buildings on both sites dating back to 1889. The building on the far right is too large to be the building on that site in 1889 and appears to have been added prior to 1912.

I also found an aerial photo of the Army Barracks located across the street. I added check marks to show the two still unidentified buildings.

This is the same location photographed a couple of days ago. Everyone will get this one.

Number 2

I remember sitting in my car at one of the few four-way traffic light intersections in town looking at the ugly one story "modern" CBS building blocking the view of some older building to the rear. I kept wishing someone would by the place, tear it down, and restore the building in the rear. I took a photo of the building but have not been able to find it. I did find the two above photos in the Monroe County Library collection. I took the photo below of that same location a couple of days ago. It is one of the more remarkable renovations in town. I am sure you will agree.

Number 3

I took photos of the side by side properties around twenty years ago. Both properties have changed immensely. The top photo was four apartments which were converted into condominiums. I took new photos of both properties yesterday. The condos are surrounded by palm trees so that photo is useless. I sold the house next door. I remember sitting inside the kitchen watching television coverage of the the US invasion of Baghdad on the day we did the home inspection. The place is beautiful today.  I think a lot of people drive by houses with peeling paint and think the insides must be awful. That is not always the case.  Some owners continue to let the outside look bad to fool the taxman. That is why I tell potential buyers to take a look. You never know what you may see.

Number 4

I borrowed a couple of photos from the Monroe County Library which show this location before there was a building and when there was a car sales lot. In recent years the property was a car rental business. That location sold in June 2020 for $7,025,000. It will become a parking lot. That was a steal.

If you are looking to buy a house in Key West consider calling me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I'll tell you lots of colorful stories about the way Key West used to be and how wonderful a place it is to live today.

1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West Florida - Just Listed

The listing Realtor describes 1307 Elizabeth Street this way:

"Once in a lifetime, does a historic Conch Home, in old town Key West, on a very quiet lane, with all the luxuries of a new build come on the market. Now is that time. This amazing, cute, and fully functional home is located just steps away from Dog Beach, world-famous restaurants, Downtown Key West and all that Key West has to offer. Perfectly located on a very quiet one-way lane. Just recently updated, it's just like moving into a new home but this home has an amazing past. Original hardwood floors, brand new kitchen, updated bathroom, and new paint, are just a few of the upgrades this Historic home has to offer. Are you ready to kick back and live the Key West Dream? Well then this is your home. Call today for your private showing and see it for yourself."

The freshly renovated house hit the Key West MLS on Friday just in time for the 4rh of July rush. I got to see it on Sunday afternoon while playing tourist in my hometown stay-cation.  A young couple was leaving the driveway just as I entered. They said hello and said "You'll like it!" 

People who saw the house  a year ago or so will be impressed to see the once over-grown lot has been cleared and cleaned. What appeared an ominous task wasn't as big a deal as feared. The grounds are now vacant and ready for a new owners' gardening fantasy to take root.

There is a brand new kitchen, new bathroom, and floors throughout. Clerestory windows in the family room fill this room with light. Glass panel doors at the rear open out to the backyard which is large enough for a small pool. The shed a the rear is plumbed for washer and dryer. The interior and exterior are freshly painted as is the privacy fence which surrounds the yard.

The "front porch" is actually a private outdoor sitting area off the bedroom. Entry to the house is on the side as shown in the earlier photo set. Now that the entry is located at the middle of the house, the front room is a much larger bedroom with adjacent bath. There are windows on three sides of the bedroom giving it a cheerful ambience. A large textured window gives the bathroom diffused sunlight in the daytime. You cannot see out nor in. I peeked to no avail.

If you'd prefer sitting on a beach rather than putting in a pool, South Beach and Higg's Beach are both within easy walking distance. This home would make a great little monthly vacation rental. It is close to all the attractions but far enough away not to be a part of the hoopla.

1307 Elizabeth Street is still a part of Old Town. This block runs only one block long from United Street at the north to South Street, naturally, at the south. Simon Street is the neighbor to the west and Villa Mill Alley is the street to the east. By the way the adjacent to the rear (1316 Villa Mill Alley) sold in February 2020 for $3, 245,575. There goes the neighborhood!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of 1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. More people arrived just as I departed yesterday. This house will sell quickly now that the guesswork is gone.

312 William Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed the William Kemp House at 312 Fleming Street, Key West. This home is located near the foot of the William Street which was and still is the principal harbor in Key West. I found a photo of William Street taken in 1895 that shows a smaller one story house in the location where 312 William Street sits today. I took the color photo a couple of the same location two days ago. The seaport has always been a center of commerce in Key West. In former days the commerce was shipping and sponging. Today the seaport is home to fishing and sailing trips, restaurants, bars, and other tourist related enterprises.

William Kemp brought the sponging business to Key West which eventually became a vital part of the economy. The house at 312 William Street is named after him. The house was awarded a Ceramic Star for historic preservation. And rightfully so. Look below.

The top image shows that 310 (right) and 312 William Street (left) were bridged together on the second floor in 1965.  The 1970s photo shows the bridge and first floor porch enclosure were removed.The house also appears to have been elevated since the 1970s photo. It sits at the same location but it definitely has two or three steps to the front porch.

I searched the historic Sanborn Fire map for 1889 only to learn that none of the houses on the 300 block of William Street appeared on the map. The entire block was omitted.  It was not until the 1892 map that 312 William appeared where the building used as was noted as "Cobbler". There was a much smaller house located directly at the front of the property. The Red Doors, a house of ill repute, was located at the corner of Caroline Street across the street from the seaport.

The Ceramic Star can be seen the left of the blue shutters that adorned so many of the older homes. They provided privacy for the occupants while still allowing air to flow through the homes. Air flow through window, doors, and scuttles was the way homes were ventilated before the advent of electric ceiling fans and air conditioning.

The lot measures 23.38' by 96.7' - there's a bit of jog so it is not a perfect rectangle. The house offers 1,375 square feet of living space on two floors including a small guest cottage at the rear. There are a total of three bedrooms and three baths (guest bath on first floor) plus a pool. The interiors have all been updated with recessed lights, crown molding, air conditioning, and so on. Cobblers and spongers never lived like this.

The black mesh fencing around the pool can be removed. It is meant to provide safety for small children. The cottage at the rear includes a bath. Furnishings in the home are negotiable. Not sure about the fish. Not sure I would want them either.

I used to own one of the earlier houses built in Key West. The staircases were handmade by craftsmen. They remain a sweet architectural element of the past you just do not see in modern buildings. It's little details like this that continue to make the old homes of Key West special and different form old homes in other parts of the country.

The second floor front bedroom has access to the second floor front porch. French doors in the back bedroom open to a balcony that overlooks the pool and cottage below. The ceilings in both bedrooms are vaulted to give the rooms a more spacious feel. The windows and doors introduce wonderful daytime lighting. The shutters provide privacy all day.

312 William Street is located about 150 feet from the newly revitalized Caroline Street Corridor and all of Key West including the once notorious Red Doors.

The Red Doors - 1975

 The Red Doors - 1980

The City of Key West renovated and upgraded the Historic Seaport shortly after I moved to Key West at the end of 1993. A new boardwalk was added that eventually will wrap all the way to near Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach. Tourist related businesses in the area flourished. All of the homes near the waterfront benefited from the revitalization. Two years ago the city completed a separate revitalization of the Caroline Street Corridor. The area is abuzz with activity during the daytime but returns to quite by late afternoon - that's the time tourists head back their inns and hotels to get ready for their adventures later in the day.

Sponging Docks in 1902

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more photos of 312 William Street, Key West offered for sale at $1,495,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West (listing broker of this home).