326 William Street, Key West, Florida

326 William Street in Key West, Florida is located within a block of the historic Key West Seaport. Most of the houses in this immediate area were built in the last half of the 19th Century. The seaport was the hub of Key West commerce. The 300 block of William Street is noted as having some of the oldest homes on the island.

For some odd reason the 300 block of William Street was omitted from the 1889 edition of the Sanborn Fire Map. But it did appear in the 1892 edition. That map shows numerous small lots interspersed with large lots. Many of the smaller homes are accessed via small lanes with entrances on William, Caroline, Margaret, or Eaton Streets. While 326 William Street is a large house (1649 sq ft), it sits on a very small lot that today measures 29' X 51'.  I dug into my old shoebox to find an older photo of this property. Instead of finding a photo of the house I found a picture of a former resident, Mr. James A. Boyd, as it appeared on his Water-Front Pass issued on 2/22/18.

While I can't share with you any old photos of the house, I have many current photos which show this sturdy house.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this impressive Grand Conch house.The house rises from the street with imposing front porches on the first and second floors.

Inside the home you will find a simple but elegant formal entry that flows to either the main floor living areas or the second floor bedroom area. Today the main floor living space looks pretty much like it did more than a hundred years ago.

Dade County Pine walls, ceiling, and floors mark this property as historic. The tall baseboards, crown molding, and trim are painted a crisp white. As I photographed the house I noted the rippled glass in some windows which notes the gravitational pull of glass molecules dragged toward the earth. The rear portion of the house has been significantly updated in architecture and purpose.  Today the rear addition contains the kitchen, an informal dining area, a family room type sitting area, the laundry closet, and an outdoor covered deck. Transoms above the windows and doors bring lots of daytime light into this space.

The second floor landing provides access to the three bedrooms located on this level plus access to the second floor front porch.The porch sits high above the street and provides a commanding view of this historic block filled with some of the oldest houses in Key West.

The front bedroom has quick access to the front porch. The middle bedroom has the flexibility to share space with the master bedroom at the rear or it can be used as a third bedroom. The master bathroom is also relatively new. It is large and sunny in the daytime. A newly added spiral staircase provides easy entry or exit without disturbing friends or family using the middle bedroom.

326 William Street is offered at $775,000 or $470 per sq ft.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this home. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent (but not the listing agent of this property) and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

326 William Street, Key West Florida - Old Town

326 William Street in Key West, Florida is located within a block of the historitic Key West Seaport. Most of the houses in this immediate area were built because of proximity to the seaport which was the site of most early commerce on our island home. The 300 block of William Street is noted as having some of the oldest homes on the island.

For some odd reason the 300 block of William Street was omitted from the 1889 edition of the Sanborn Fire Map. But it did appear in the 1892 edition. That map shows numerous small lots interspersed with large lots. Many of the smaller homes are accessed via small lanes with entrances on William, Caroline, Margaret, or Eaton Streets. Unfortunately, while 326 William Street is a large house (1649 sq ft), it sits on a very small lot that today measures 29' X 51'.  I dug into my old shoebox to find an older photo of this property, but I could only locate a picture of a former resident, Mr. James A. Boyd, as it appeared on his Water-Front Pass issued on 2/22/18.

While I can't share with you any old photos of the house, I have many current photos which show this big, sturdy house that was likely built by ship chandlers. The front of the house is quite impressive. The house rises from the street with imposing front porches on the first and second floors.

Inside the home you will find a simple but elegant formal entry that flows to either the main floor living areas or the second floor. Today the main floor living space looks pretty much like it did more than a hundred years ago.

Dade County Pine walls, ceiling, and floors mark this property as historic. The tall baseboards, crown molding, and trim are painted a crisp white. As I photographed the house I noted the rippled glass in some windows which notes the gravitational pull of glass molecules dragged toward the earth. The rear portion of the house has been significantly updated in architecture and purpose.  Today one large living space  now contains the kitchen, an informal dining area, a family room type sitting area, the laundry closet, and an outdoor covered deck. Transoms above the windows and doors bring lots of daytime light into this space.

The second floor landing provides access to the three bedrooms located on this level plus access to the second floor front porch.The porch sits high above the street and provides a commanding view of this historic block filled with some of the oldest houses in Key West.

The front bedroom has quick access to the front porch. The middle bedroom has the flexibility to share space with the master bedroom at the rear or it can be used as a third bedroom. The master bathroom is also relatively new. It is large and sunny in the daytime. A newly added spiral staircase provides easy entry without disturbing friends or family using the middle bedroom.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this lovely Key West home.

326 William Street is offered at $775,000 or $470 per sq ft.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this home. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent ( but not the listing agent of this property) and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

809 Eaton Street - Key West - Henry Lowe House

809 Eaton Street in Old Town Key West dates back to circa 1840 when it was built for Henry Lowe. The house was totally restored and expanded in 2005 when it was featured in the Old Island Foundation House Tour.  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 dug deep into the old shoebox and found a photo of the roof of 809 Eaton Street (black and white photo immediately below) that was taken in 1914.  I just love the look of Key West back in the day. You can see that the Historic Seaport is only a couple of blocks away. Note all of the smaller buildings which back then were cook houses or privies.  I found another photo of 809 Eaton Street that was taken in 1965 (black and white photo second below). The house would have been about 125 years old when that pic was taken. Forty-eight years later 809 Eaton Street still looks great (color photo below taken February 2013).

 

Recently I found a photo of 809 Eaton Street that was taken in the 1960's from the Island City House located across the street. That pic reminded me of Freddy in the Nightmare on Elm Street. I took a photo from the same location a few days ago just to prove a point that what was once is often still the same on our little island where historic homes are preserved - not destroyed.

The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties, that's where I work but this is not my listing, describes 809 Eaton Street this way:

"Classic 1800's Old Town property which is a combination of the Henry Lowe House and the Samuel Kemp House, built in 1840. This 5 bedroom / 4.5 bath 3 story home with 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom guest cottage has all the amenities you're looking for! This historic home offers a spacious living area with large open kitchen which is great for entertaining. Additional features include large porches throughout, high ceilings, Dade County Pine, hardwood flooring, large covered deck, fantastic pool and jacuzzi and off-street parking. Converted cistern as wine cellar. There is also a 60,000 watt generator so you're never in the dark. On the National Registry of Historic Places."

 This house has 4712 sq ft of living space in the main house and guest cottage. The lot is an irregular rectangle of of 6079 sq ft (approximately 57' x 125'). The main level includes a spacious living room, dining room, family room and extra large kitchen and pantry. The master bedroom with en-suite bath is also located on the main floor at the left rear of the home.  Multiple sets of French doors line the back of the house and open onto a rear loggia that overlooks the pool.

A gracious staircase leads to the second floor where there are two large bedrooms and baths. These bedrooms open onto the wrap-around second floor porch. A smaller staircase leads to the third floor which has a dormitory style bedroom plus a wonderful bath at the rear which as a view looking toward the Gulf of Mexico. You can see the pool, guest cottage, and garden.This is the kind of view that  people who accomplished great things get to enjoy.

The interior finishes and materials are all of the highest quality. While the house is rich in history and the house itself has several formal living spaces, most of the living areas on the inside and outside are quite relaxed. The combined family room and kitchen provide area for family and friends to enjoy this incredible home.

It is the outdoor living area that will probably entice that special buyer to select this home. The covered rear deck overlooks the lengthy pool and spa which is surrounded by bricked walkways and sunning areas. The guest cottage on the west side was built as part of the 2005 restoration and expansion. The cottage has a separate designer kitchen and bath plus bedroom each of which looks out to the pool. (Your guests will never leave.)    

The property has two off street parking spots: one adjacent to the front entrance and a second at the rear.  The whole house generator will provide electricity to keep you comfortable and cozy in the event of power failure elsewhere on the island. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this incredible Key West property.

This is a very large house with an extra large guest cottage. You can see it has a great outdoor entertaining area with an extra large sunny pool. The property is located two blocks south of the Historic Key West Seaport and only four blocks from Duval Street. This place would make an incredible vacation rental.

Nearby Key West Seafood Market

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of this special Key West home which is offered at $2,699,000. If you area qualified buyer and would like to see this special home, please call me, Gary Thomas 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.