The two story Conch house at
409 Grinnell Street has been lovingly updated and looks picture perfect The house first appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Fire Maps for
Key West.
I was surprised to learn that the adjacent Elgin Lane was named
"Hidalgo Alley" in 1889. As I looked through the old shoe box for
photos of the property, I found a photo of a former resident that was
taken in about 1918 - during World War I. The photo shows Lawrence
Higgs who was an inspector for the Florida East Coast Railway. The black
and white photo below Mr. Higgs was taken in 1965 and shows how the
house presumably looked for decades. The color photo beneath shows the
same property as it appeared in April 2011 - before the current owners
purchased it. Note the metal louvers on the front and sides. These
louvers were replaced by real windows during the recent renovation. The owner
told me that drywall covered two upstairs windows on the Elgin Lane
side. New windows were added, the Dade County Pine walls were sanded and sealed. The floors were sanded and refinished. Two difficult small bedrooms
became one large bedroom filled with light. Little changes were made
throughout the house. Living spaces became a bit more user friendly for
today's lifestyle. But the renovation kept the original character in
tact.
The listing Realtor describes 409 Grinnell Street as:
"Beautifully renovated 2-story Old Town home located a few blocks from the
Historic Sea Port. This grand Key West home displays Dade County Pine and a
picture perfect interior. The 45' deep by 27' back yard includes an outdoor
shower & plenty of room for a nice pool, decking, and garden."
When I first
started selling houses in Key West in 1996, a time before almost every place had granite counter
tops, stainless steel appliances, and designer baths,, houses looked more like 409 Grinnell save the 1950's appliances.
Drywall
from an earlier renovation was removed. Much of the original Dade
County Pine walls, ceiling, and floors remained intact and in very good
condition. The original wood walls were sanded and had a clear sealer
added. The trim was painted a crisp white to make the wood walls appear
more robust. The floors were all sanded and refinished. The house now
has a uniform look throughout without having a "staged" look. Let me
tell you there is a world of difference between original floors and some
of the stuff retailers are passing off today. The closet under the
elegant staircase became a wine storage room sans temperature control.
It works - naturally.
The
first floor has a bedroom which currently has an overly large bed and
armoire that makes the room seem pretty small. The room is fine. It's
the furniture that is perhaps too big for the room. The adjacent bath
does "double duty" so to speak. The bath doubles as a guest bath. The
bathroom is quite large. Notice the Dade County Pine walls and ceiling
and the old style tiled floor. The bath tub hearkens bath to yesteryear
as well. An opaque window provides lots of light and lots of privacy.
As
soon as you enter the house your eyes are drawn through the living area
then past the dining room where you see the kitchen. You see an old
refrigerator and smile. Cute. Must be a gimmick - a piece of nostalgia.
Not so. When you look more closely you see the Crosley Refrigerator and
the Kelvinator double oven stove with polished chrome top. Both appliances have been totally restored. The original
temperature settings in the Kelvinator oven still guide the cook as the best method for making
real meals (not the nuked kind so many people eat today).
The
beautiful stairway leads to the second floor landing which then leads
to three bedrooms on this floor. The bedroom on the Elgin Lane side was
previously two small rooms where drywall covered the window at the rear. An interior wall was removed to create a larger bedroom. The front
covered balcony is adjacent. You might have your morning coffee
while watching tourists and locals stop by the Old Town Bakery just
across the street and down on the corner. If I lived here I'd be ever so
fat. That bakery ought to be declared a sin for the pastries are
sinfully delicious.
A
second bedroom is located on the south side. The third bedroom is
located at the rear. It is smallish and makes a good den for the current
owners. There is but one second floor bath. It is, however, quite
large.
The
rear of this property is still pretty much a blank canvas where a new
owner could create his or her or their vision of the idyllic Key West back
yard with pool or whatever. The space is quite large and provides
adequate room for a pool. Constructing a pool would be pretty easy because a contractor could temporarily take down the fence on Elgin Lane, dig the pool and surface it, and then restore the fence. By the way, the laundry and a
cute outdoor shower are located in the backyard as well.
CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this cute Key West home.
409 Grinnell Street is now offered for sale at
$997,000 or
$652 per sq ft for this
1688 sq ft four bedroom/two bath home.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to see listing photos. After you have looked at that, please contact 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.
