Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 45

from May 26, 2017

5 Brothers Key West - An Homage

My friend Ronny Bailey dropped by my office a few days ago to show me his latest piece of folk art, a wood cutting depicting 5 Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop located at 930 Southard Street in Key West. Ronny is a native Key Wester, a multi-generation Conch. He was a carpenter by trade until he retired a few years ago. He hung up his saw, stowed the hammer, and began the second phase of his life as a folk artist. I don't think he started out to become an artist as much as he used his skills as a carpenter to create miniature versions of the facades of the old houses of Key West - the way they used to be - before the gentrification that is forever erasing memory of the past imperfect houses and their conversion into perfect tiny million dollar cottages. Later Ronny depicted larger homes and then added some commercial buildings. Most recently Ronny added added wood carving to his repertoire.

The 5 Brothers piece is Ronny's homage to the place and the people that go there each morning. If you drive by this place on any weekday morning you will invariably see a couple of cops, several healthy looking men who obviously work for a living (as opposed to guys who sit at a computer or who sell houses), some older guys who look like retirees, and some tourists. There are a couple of benches which are usually occupied. Many others stand and swap stories. A former neighbor of mine (who I will call "Norm")  told me what really goes on at 5 Brothers. Norm was also a general contractor. He said he and other contractors would meet there to discuss what projects they were working on or going to be making bids on that day or that week. He told me the same guys would meet after work at a bar and discuss the projects and prices they would quote so that they could distribute the work among each other and not get into bidding wars. I have to live here and can't tell the rest. Imagine "collusion".

Notice the three officers inside the store, two sitting on the bench, and the guy in the patrol car. Look carefully at the license plate which reads "SWEET H2O". The cop driving the car is Officer Sweetwater. Ronny chuckled with glee at his cleverness.

Ronny's depiction is more generous than Norm's narrative description. The wood cutting is three boards made into one larger piece which was then painted black. Ronny carved out layer after layer to create the building, the streetscape, the sky with helicopter, and the Key West people - each a real life Key West character.  Ronny referred to each person with the word "mister" before each person's name followed by some descriptive sentence about who that person was and why he is on that piece of art. You will notice the helicopter on the upper right side. The wood cutting depicts the real life helicopter pilot "back in the day" on a special ops mission for his Cuban coffee and cheese toast! When I saw the helicopter I was reminded of the scene in the the 1989 James Bond movie License to Kill which was filmed in Key West when Bond and his pal parachuted from a helicopter down to St. Mary's Catholic Church on Truman Avenue to attend Bond's pal's wedding. Ronny told me about the many "stories" that the pilot described from his life. I added an arrow directing your attention to the word Peace on the helicopter. Ronny adds the words Love, Peace, and Joy each piece of art he creates.

The building at 930 Southard Street has remained pretty much the same since the black and white photo below was taken in 1965. Note the cutout police figure in the lower right hand corner. The prop-cop was used to alert drivers to the Harris School located at the next corner. I found a similar roadside cop in a photo taken at 1200 White Street which warned drivers to slow down for the old Key West high school one block to the south.(Look at the far left side of the road to see the policeman) In today's Key West there are real life cops standing guard at every school in town, each adorned with bright neon yellow vests and whistles. I personally like the less expensive and more clever cutout cops. I'd slow down if I came upon one and smile for a block or two.

I looked through my old shoebox and found some photos I took over the years of 5 Brothers. I rarely go there myself. I drink way too much coffee when I get up. But I know a lot of people who do go there regularly. I stopped by 5 Brothers on my way to the office to snap a couple of photos of 5 Brothers. Those pics are at the bottom of this blog. Stop by the next time you are in town. Go inside where you will find the original Ronny Bailey wood carving. Smile to yourself as you see the Key West characters and the place that made them famous.

Photos taken May 26, 2017 below. The scene never changes. The characters do.

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 16

from: February 19, 2014

207 Julia Street - Key West - Is It Art or Is It Awesome?

 

Local artist Ronny Bailey came by our office last week to show me his latest creation - a miniature version of 207 Julia Street located in the Bahama Village area of Key West.  Everybody had to stop work and to take a peek at the cottage that got shrunk to table top size.

I wrote about Ronny before. CLICK HERE. Ronny grew up in Key West where he was a carpenter for 30 years. Recreation of Old Town Key West homes in miniature sizes is now his passion. He beams with pride as he talks about his work. This is a man in love with his life and his work. And his work is a testament to his love of the place that he has called home. He loves the Key West of yore. He recreates houses the way they looked before the gentrification and HARCifornication that has taken over so much of Old Town.

I suggested to Ronny that we drive over to the actual house to take some photos to compare his creation to the real house. He was up for it. So we drove over. He knocked on the owner's door and asked for permission to take some photos. Permission was granted.

Compare and contrast the black and white photo taken in 1965 with the modern day photos taken last week. Then compare the art with the real house. 

Ronny creates always adds the words "peace'. "love", and "joy" to each of his works of art.  Look carefully at the photos. You will see them. And you will probably see that these are words that guides this gentle man as he lives out his lifes' dream.  His is a peaceful life filled with love and joy.  This is not something I am writing. This is a testament to this man.  I wish I could be so content.  I took the last photo above with the piece of art sitting on a trash can in Julia Street.  A neighbor was walking her dog down the this quiet little street.

Ronny told me he will be showing his work this coming weekend at the 49th Annual Old Island Days Art Festival that runs from Friday, February through Saturday evening.   Free Admission. Exhibitors will set up along Whitehead Street from Greene Street to Eaton Street and on Caroline Street through the famous Presidential Gates into the beautiful Truman Annex.

Make a point of looking for Ronny Bailey.  His larger pieces are quite expensive as he works for months on those projects. He does have original artwork and reproductions that are priced for less. 

1010 & 1012 Olivia Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed 1010 & 1012 Olivia Street, Key West. If these two houses look familiar to readers. they should. I blogged about them in April 2015 and again in November 2020 when I shared the folk art of these two Ronny Bailey shown below. Click the November date to read the earlier blog which contains more of Bailey's work.

The listing agent states:

"The Historic Twins'' are two historic single-family homes located on a corner lot in Old Town, Key West and ready for the new owner to restore and build their Key West dream home. Approved plans convey with sale. May also be purchased with 911 Watson Street."  

 "City has determined both structures to be unsafe. Please see documents for more information."  The seller does have plans for renovation available to prospective buyers. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS  datasheet on 1010 and 1012 Olivia Street offered at $950,000.

And CLICK HERE for more photos of 1010 and 1012 Olivia Street.
 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on at adjacent and renovated and expanded 911 Watson Street offered at $2,450,000.

The two Olivia Street houses are among the finest of the old houses let undone. It would be shame to lose them and a task to renovate. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

 

Not me!

 

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 8

From: April 7, 2015

1010 - 1012 Olivia Street, Key West -The Beginning of the End

Local folk artist Ronny Bailey stopped by my office last week to show me (and my Dear Readers) his latest work a special commission of the two houses at 1010 and 1012 Olivia Street in Key West.  The owner of these houses wanted to capture the essence of these houses as they now exist because like much of old Key West, they are about to get renovated. I took a lot of photos of Ronny's art which you can see if you CLICK HERE.

If you look carefully you will seethe word "peace" printed on the wood floor in the photo above.  Ronny always includes the words love, peace, and joy in each piece he creates. He is a religious and loving person. This is how he sees life and how he relates to others. You meet this man and you immediately understand his ethos.

Ronny told me he salvaged wood from the actual houses to create these miniatures. The "metal" roofs are actually wood that he has painted to resemble metal. He carved the chickens on the front porch. Ronnie ripped a larger piece of wood to create the "plywood" floors on the front porches. The front door at 1012 Olivia Street has a screen door. Ronny had a piece of wire screen he had saved from another house from years before. He added a coat of paint to it to reduce the size of the screen to fit into the tiny door. It looked amazingly correct.Look closely at the second floor window on 1010 Olivia (three above). There you will see a hole in the window.  These are all little details that make up the story of old house like this. Ronny Bailey's art can be seen at local shows in Key West. He does prints of various pieces for folks that are not prepared to pay the cost of a major installation. No matter what you buy, you will always love it and cherish it for it shows the true beauty of our old homes.

CLICK HERE to see more photos of the two real houses. These will appear in at least one future blog as the renovation of these two iconic cottages take place.  Several years ago the owner of prior owner of the abutting property on Watson  Street told me that 1012 Olivia Street used to be a house of ill repute. He called it something else that's more descriptive.

I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when these houses were built. This area was entirely omitted in the earliest map which dates back to 1889. I did find both houses on the 1892 map but at that time they were identified as 922 and 924 Olivia Street. The addresses were respectfully changed to 1010 and 1012 Olivia in the 1889 map. The 1889 map showed a vacant lot next to 1012  Olivia. That vacant spot still exists. But the street does not show on that map. It wasn't until the 1912 map that Peerless Court (later named Watson Street) appeared on the map. In fact the street did not exist at all until that time. There were houses interspersed on the extra large block bounded by Frances on the east, Grinnell on the west, Olivia to the north, and Division Street (Truman Avenue) to the south.

I talked with Ronny about the coming renovation of these two old decrepit houses. I guess you can't blame an owner for wanting to fix up an old house and make it look nice - maybe even to sell it. The thing is if we keep fixing all the old houses there won't be any of the character left in our town except the derelicts that sit on Duval Street performing tricks or outright begging for money. This is the beginning of the end.

Update November 5, 2020  Nothing has happened yet. 

Historic House Tour Jan 17 & 18 - Key West

 January 17th & 18th

3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

 The annual Key West Home Tours™ is one of the oldest and longest-running home tours in America, with the first tour in 1960. Old Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF) conducts the tours and they are funded in part by our generous supporters. Each tour features five lovely homes and gardens reflecting the varied tastes and originality of their owners.he annual Key West Home Tours™ is one of the oldest and longest-running home tours in America, with the first tour in 1960. Old Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF) conducts the tours and they are funded in part by our generous supporters. Each tour features five lovely homes and gardens reflecting the varied tastes and originality of their owners.he annual Key West Home Tours™ is one of the oldest and longest-running home tours in America, with the first tour in 1960.

Old Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF) conducts the tours and they are funded in part by our generous supporters. Each tour features five lovely homes and gardens reflecting the varied tastes and originality of their owners.he annual Key West Home Tours™ is one of the oldest and longest-running home tours in America, with the first tour in 1960. Old Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF) conducts the tours and they are funded in part by our generous supporters.

I have been inside and written blogs on all but one of the homes on this tour.  You must go and stay tuned later when I spill the beans about on of them.  Neighbors know what happened.  City officials know what happened.  I wonder if the docents will tell you.  Probably not. Sometimes we learn about our history second hand - hearsay.  It doesn't mean it did not happen.  Sometimes there are photos or recordings.

You will be escorted by the Conch Train to each location.  Start at The Oldest House Museum at 320 Duval Street.

416 Elizabeth Street - This place is incredible. The house is so beautiful and simple. Go to the rear to check out the incredible pool and gardens.  The above photo was taken in 2008.  Go see how much this home has been changed and preserved at the same time.

320 Peacon Lane - This is the house I have not been inside. Great little lane close to the Seaport and Duval Street.

730 Eaton Street - Beautiful Bahama House floated to Key West by some of the earliest settlers is located at the corner of Eaton and William Street. It is one of the most photographed houses in town. See why.

1024 Grinnell Street - Key West Fire House Museum.  The firemen did live there so it is a house of sorts. The above photo shows Ronny Bailey's folk art depiction of the old fire house. Locals cherish his unique historic preservation of memories of our older buildings.

912 Fleming Street - one of the iconic Grand Conchs in Key West. Tour guests will get a chance to see one of the most stunning pool settings in Key West.

I have been out of commission the past few days. I got into a street fight with two chickens.  I fell and got banged up pretty badly.  My right hand is in a cast. My face is bruised. My left leg has a big bruise and the right hip is bruised. Moral of story don't chase chickens. I may take up my Second Amendment Rights.