626 William Street - Old Town - Key West

626 William Street, Key West, is now offered for sale at the asking price of $2,950,000.  This home is one of fifteen Key West properties that Broadway impresario Jerry Herman (Mame, Hello Dolly, and La Cage aux Folles) and his former partner Marty Finkelstein renovated.

Before I started to write today's blog I decided to do a bit or research about Herman. He and his partner flew to the Florida Keys for a weekend in 1984. They met up with a local Realtor who showed them two nearly identical houses in the 700 block of Fleming Street across from the Monroe County Public Library. They ended up buying the two houses, restoring and selling them.  They like Key West so much that they formed Majer Design (a combination of their names) to buy, renovate, and sell the various properties. They worked with local architect Tom Pope on these projects. One Herman biographer described Herman's design aesthetic as "sumptuous" with a penchant for clean, classical lines.  

I found an old black and white photo of the house that was taken in 1965. The house probably looked about the same before Majer Design started its renovation and expansion. Today when you look at 626 William Street you will appreciate this house for its classic revival style architecture that Herman and Finkelstein improved upon. The carriage house visible in the black and white photo is gone. Today there is an alle that flanks either side of a lengthy swimming pool to the rear of the property where a guest cottage exists. 

The listing Realtor describes this historic property this way:

"A Historic Masterpiece, come revel in this homage to the art filled mansions of long ago. In the heart of Old Town w/5BR/4.5BA, incl. 1BR/1BA guest cottage, relax by one of the largest pools in Key West or indulge your creative side in the detached studio/office. Massive greatroom & flowing design make entertaining a delight. Master BR has soaring ceilings & a pair of his/her closets bigger than most Manhattan apartments! Access to Baker's Ln via an electronic locked gate, Dynasty & SubZero appliances, storage for over 3000 bottles of wine, 25KW gen., video security system, off-st parking for 8 SMART cars, 18ft above sea level, even a well to water the extensive grounds! This is one of the rare properties that can truly say it has it all!"

Below you will find photos I recently took of this unique home starting at the front entry, progressing to the great room in the Herman-Finkelstein addition to the property, kitchen and front main floor bedroom or study. Second floor photos show two guest bedrooms with baths and the master suite with expansive bath and walk-in closets.

Dade County Pine walls make great backdrops for the art collection that extends up the stairway to the second floor bedrooms. The front bedroom has a door that opens to the front balcony that overlooks beautiful William Street. The Herman-Finkelstein addition at the rear has a back balcony that overlooks the pool and rear gardens. Imagine as I did Jerry Herman standing on the rear balcony peering out to the pool, surveying the wonderful renovation and expansion he achieved in this property.

 The covered loggia off the great room includes a professional bar and informal entertaining area.  An alle of tropical foliage flanks either side of the pool where there is plenty of space to catch a Key West tan. The guest cottage at the rear comes with its own kitchen, bath, and living space. An adjacent building is used as an office. Other buildings at the rear provide storage. And then there is that gate that leads to Bakers Lane. Years before Herman bought and sold 626 William Street, James Leo Herlihy (author of Midnight Cowboy) owned 709 Bakers Lane. 

CLICK HERE to view 97 photos I took of this incredible property. Imagine how you might decorate it to fit your own design aesthetic.

You can view the details of this classic revival house if you CLICK HERE. 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. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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622 William Street - Old Town - Key West - Short Sale

Here is a great property to keep your eyes on. 622 William Street is located on one of the very best blocks in all of Old Town Key West. And it is now a short sale. I think it is aggressively priced to sell at $750,000 or $538 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to read the mls listing data and view photos of the interior and that pool!

The listing Realtor describes the listing this way:

"This Charming Property Was Lovingly Restored A Number Of Years Ago To Include The Historic Conch Home And Two Pool Houses. The Main Home Has Natural Dade County Pine Walls And Ceilings And Tile Or Wood Floors Throughout With A Master Bedroom Upstairs."

I showed this home about six weeks ago. The interior walls and ceilings are natural and unpainted Dade County Pine. The home has a rich and warm old feeling about it. It has not been all gentrified and slicked up. The kitchen is at the rear and overlooks that wonderful pool in the foreground and the two separate cottages at the rear. Some buyer that just insists on putting in a new kitchen could do it here, but the existing kitchen works just fine.

(I had an inspection on another house on Friday. The certified home inspector commented that the kitchen was old. It is the same age at 622 William Street. Even inspectors are getting critical of this 15 or 16 years old. Perhaps it is time for a new City of Key West Commission whose sole purpose would be to save kitchens!)

To me dealing with the interior of 622 William Street is a no brainer. A new buyer could gut and paint and whatever else he or she or the decorator decides. It is the rear area with the pool and two cottages that make this Old Town home such a buying opportunity. The photos in the mls listing CLICK HERE show the pool area and cottages from several angles. We Key Westers spend so much of our lives outside. This space is just wonderful as is, but a new owner could just as easily go native and do a total renovation on this outdoor space.

There is a spiral stairway between the cottages at the rear that leads to the tree house type sundeck. What a great feature. This is what buyers want. Something so damned precious and unique. And what a place to get an all-over tan.

622 William Street is a short sale. It is in my opinion a buying opportunity. You cannot beat the location. Jerry Herman of Hello Dolly fame redid the house next door CLICK HERE to the south several years ago. And the late Shel Silverstein lived next door CLICK HERE to the north. This particular block has some of the finest homes in Key West. There is a mix of large conch homes and smaller cottages with a mix of medium sized homes added.622 William Street is one block from the top of Solares Hill. The location is close to the Historic Key West Seaport and all of the attractions of Duval Street, but it is far enough away not to be part of the hoopla. This is a real residential neighborhood--accept for the little corner grocery store at the end of the street. That means you are never too far from a con leche, a gallon of milk, or a loaf of bread.

Some lucky person is going to own this great property. If you are looking for a special place in Old Town Key West you owe it to yourself to see 622 William Street. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a showing for you.