328 Elizabeth Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, the picture perfect home at 328 Elizabeth Street located near the Historic Key West Seaport.  I found this home shown on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West.  So we know it was built prior to that date. Interestingly the house next door to the north 324 Elizabeth Street  (opposite Donkey Milk Lane) was built in 1867.  The seaport area is where the first houses and commercial buildings in Key West were first built. My guess is that 328 Elizabeth was built about the same time as it's neighbor to the north.  But it is only a guess.

328 Elizabeth Street photographed in 1965

324 Elizabeth Street built in 1867 as photographed in 1965

Donkey Milk Lane

Today 328 Elizabeth is a beautifully restored two story home with 2808 sq ft of living space under air but not including the finished third floor attic.  That is a "lot of house" in Old Town Key West.  The lot measures 28' x 101' (2830 sq ft).  A small cottage is located rear of 328 Elizabeth Street. Even though the lane is public, that cottage is the only user of this lane.  The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Beautifully renovated 4 bedroom historic home in the highly desirable Key West Seaport section of Old Town. Great open floor plan with Australian Cypress hardwood floors, detailed woodwork, Dade County Pine wood walls and bright, airy rooms. Gorgeous chef's kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quality finishes. Large master suite with artist studio/office ensuite. Lush tropical yard with custom designed pool and waterfall. Incredible location and off street parking make this the perfect Old Town Key West Hideaway. Close to Solares Hill, restaurants, night life and walking distance to marina and the Key West Bight. A Historic Seaport Beauty!"

The front porch offers a restful perch for watching locals and tourists as they walk or bike up and down Elizabeth Street toward the seaport or as they head for Duval Street or other local destinations.  I can never stress how wonderful it is to be able to sit on your front porch and have so many interesting people to watch.  But when you must go inside the house, and especially this house, your mind quickly appreciates the beauty of owning a historic home in Key West.  

When you enter the house your eyes are first drawn to the brawny Dade County Walls and the crisp white painted staircase at the right front.  Then your eyes move to the left where the left where the informal livingroom is located. Although the walls and ceiling in this space are all Dade County Pine, the spaces are painted so as to break up the monotony of a single color. The room is both masculine and feminine - a bit of ying and a bit of yang.  And totally sophisticated.

The combined kitchen and dining area with the adjacent "sun porch" complete the main level of this house. These spaces repeat the variation between exposed Dade County Pine walls and painted walls. Crown molding, baseboards, and windows are all painted crisp white and accentuate the architectural beauty of this home.

It is the sun porch, however, where I suspect you would spend the most of your indoor time. What an absolutely delightful space this is. You can watch your mate make you a meal or look out to the pool and garden and garden. Understand this, not every home in Key West has a view as pretty as this. Not by a long shot!

The pool with magical waterfall is a recent addition to the property. A small shed is located at the left rear of the lot.  The off street parking space is located adjacent to the pool. A newly erected privacy fence with subtle high-end exterior lighting provides compliment the exterior. It is, however, the beauty of the pool and the tropical foliage that make this space so lovely. Sitting in the chairs you might notice the custom wood shutters with palm trees. Or you might just bask in the sun and be oblivious to anything other than the sunny skies and wonderful temperature that is typical of Key West.

The master suite with adjacent sitting room and extra large en-suite bath are located at the rear of the second floor. Like the first floor, the Dade County Pine walls are a mix of natural wood and painted wood.  When I see spaces like this my mind takes me back to mind childhood in Colorado where we would stay in cabins while my folks would go fishing. Certainly this house is no rustic fishing cabin, but the mix of the rich wood with the painted wood creates a very warm and restful atmosphere.Two other bedrooms and another bath complete the second floor.

There's still more to this old house. The third floor attic has been turned into bonus space that is not included in the reported square footage of this home as shown in the Monroe County Property Records.  The third floor space includes what is now used as an extra bedroom, a third floor sundeck, a cedar lined closet, and a/c space tucked away behind the closet. The kids or grand kids will love this space. So will adult guests who want to use the deck to get an all over tan.

CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this really wonderful Old Town property.  As I write this and look at the photos I can see some of the details I missed as I was photographing the house. There is a lot of attention to detail in this house that you will likely not see in many homes in Old Town.  As a buyer you need to consider not only how cute a place looks but also how well built it is and how recent the improvements were added. Click on any photo to enlarge so that you can examine the pic in detail.

328 Elizabeth Street is offered at $1,495,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  But even better than looking a photos, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to let me show you this beautiful Old Town home. I know you will like it. It is really beautiful.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.