513 William Street in an eyebrow house. It is the most beautiful home in all of Key West. And it is for sale. In his book The Street of Key West J. Willis Burke describes the Key West eyebrow house as architectural eccentricity with "windows fitted up high, dropped just beneath the eaves, for shade and to capture the sea breeze and efficiently circulate air within."
I started to take photos of this house in 2006 soon after renovation began. Unfortunately, most of my photos were stored on a defunct website and are lost. Fortunately for the person who buys this home, the owners who did the renovation took a lot of progress photos and gathered historical memoranda that is in an album which will conveyed to the new owner. The listing Realtor states this home was built in 1845.
513 William Street - 1965
The owners hired Tom Pope as their architect and worked with their interior designer to create the most perfect of perfect homes in Key West. It was and still is, but there was one important thing missing - a real pool and rear gardens. You can't grow ground, but you can buy an adjacent property. 1 Pinder Lane with its 5,500 Sq Ft lot was listed for sale in 2009 and several months later was acquired by the owner of 513 William Street. Mr. Pope and the interior designer went to work and, in collaboration with HARC, created the masterpiece this property is today. Both properties were torn apart and rebuilt. Steel beams were added to William. HARC granted permission to take down all but the façade of of Pinder Lane. Pinder became the guest cottage with garage. A stunning pool and gardens were create. .
2001
Upon completion the combined homes offer 4.373 Sq Ft of interior living space including five bedrooms, six baths, study, multiple living and entertainment areas, and a captivating pool and garden area. Let's take a look.
I have written before that none of the eyebrow houses are the same. This one certainly is not. The four quadrants off the center stairway include the study first floor right; bedroom and bath left front, second floor bath; and second floor bedroom
Dormers were added at the rear which allowed the introduction of more sunlight into the area. The property is wired for the 21 St Century and has a control center located on this floor as well. I watched in amazement at all the things an owner can do in a faraway place to a house located on a little island at the end of America.
The rear of the house has only one level. The day I showed he home all of the French doors were open. The summer heat and humidity were gone. The skies were blue and sweet breeze blew the curtains inward. It was magical!
Everything you see in this house is included in the sale price except for two paintings. The furnishings alone cost more than some of our finest homes. The views are priceless.
Remember the guest cottage was newly built The spaces are enchanting, the colors vibrant and subtle, the furnisins inviting, the pool views made me so wish I could live there - forever.
The guest cottage has a smaller sitting area off the main living space. It also has French doors which open out to the pool I climbed the stairs to view the tree-top room with twin beds. I marveled at the colors I would never imagine working. But they did. Then I went down stairs to the large bedroom with cathedral ceiling and French doors that opened to a private tropical garden. This place does not stop.
Serious buyers must experience this home in person. But anyone can watch the YouTube video by clicking below.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 513 William Street, Key West, Florida offered for sale at $6,999,000. Then please text me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to discuss viewing this home. I am a buyers agent and full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
The listing Realtor describes this deceivingly versatile historic home like this:
"An exceptional opportunity exists to secure this versatile property located a short stroll from all that the world-famous Duval Street has to offer. This charming island-style house pays homage to its history without forgoing the comforts of modern living. The design incorporates a good flow, lots of natural light, timeless finishes, and two comfortable and welcoming bedrooms on the main level. The second story houses another living space with classic features, including decorative ceilings, polished wood floors, a studio kitchen, a private entrance, and an outdoor patio tucked away in the trees. Opportunity awaits for owner-occupiers and investors alike."
1008 Whitehead Street is located a few paces south of Truman Avenue. The Key West Lighthouse is located on the same side of Whitehead Street but north of Truman. This home first appeared on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map. The 1892 Map omitted a small section of homes in this area. I think it must have been there earlier than 1889 but that is a guess based on what I could find.
I found a photo of the property taken in 1965 in my old shoebox. The house next door south used to belong to Larry Formica, the founder of LaTeDa. The building to the north is a funeral home today.
Don't let that spook you. They''re quite. The neighbor to the rear is a huge piece of vacant land. It has value but a lot of restrictions. It may get developed or it may sit vacant for another decade and only grow more valuable.
The house packs a lot of usable rooms in a somewhat small space. The first floor has two bedrooms on the left followed by the bathroom at the rear which is located opposite the kitchen. You enter into the living room which proceeds to the kitchen. Glass panel doors at the rear allow daytime light to infuse the space with light and open out to the rear deck.
There is more living space accessed by the front gate which leads to the private second floor landing. The read dormer leads to the interior living area which includes bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom.
Closets are tucked between the dormer facing Whitehead Street. The bathroom is adjacent on the left. As you can see this little home offers many options for living or as an investment property. It is well located near Duval and tourist attractions. And its cute. Who doesn't like cute?
I came across the "Autobiography of Stephen Moreno Whalton". Whalton was born in 1872 and grew up just a few paces off Division Street which he said was previously known as Rocky Road. Mr. Whalton further wrote:
"Another event in my life that I have never forgotten happened when I was about seven years old, at that time there were a very few houses on the Southeast side of our Truman Avenue, most of that part of the Island was a wilderness, my grandfather and my father raised quite a number of horses in the woods of Key West, and my grandfather gave me a horse and my father had him broken to harness and saddle, this was a stallion, and somewhat mean. The only time that I was put on his back, was on a Sunday morning, when one of my father’s hired men put me on him without a saddle, as soon as he got out of the yard, he started to run, and I was too small to stop him, there was a man coming up the street who stood with his arms open, but when my horse got near this man, he made a quick turn to go by him, and landed me on a flint rock, I recovered from that accident in about six weeks, but I never had a chance to get even with that horse, as my father sold him before I became old enough to handle him. This was the end of the events of my early childhood, which have remained fresh in my memory down through the years, due of course, to the fact, that they made a great impression on my mind at the time of happening."
Imagine a wild horse running down a dirt road and across the fields and forest in Key West. What a sight that must have been. Today this area is abuzz with tourists in the daytime as they trek their way to the Hemingway House, the lighthouse, and the Southernmost point. The leave the area by 5:00 to head to Mallory Square, dinner, and night time fun. CLICK HERE to read Whalton's autobiography. History fans will love it.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1008 Whitehead Street Key West offered for sale at $899,000. Then please text 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.
The late night comics, the press, the pundits at FAUX NEWS, The Twitter-verse, and TikTok Creators poke fun of the crazy sh*t that happens in Florida, Last week they took aim at the Key West county jail. Our real jail a few years ago below.
Florida inmate charged with assaulting his roommate told cops that the victim “farts too much stinking up the cell” and fails to “give a courtesy flush” after using their shared toilet, according to an arrest report. Investigators allege that Christopher Callen, 33, pummeled Amado Dominguez-Quevedo, 57, during a confrontation Thursday night inside their cell at the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West. Callen (seen above) has been jailed since his arrest in late-September for failing to register as a sex offender with Florida officials (he was convicted of a sex offense in Colorado in 2012). Dominguez-Quevedo, locked up on $40,000 bond, has been in custody since his February arrest for aggravated battery and indecent exposure. During an interview at a hospital emergency room, Dominguez-Quevedo said he was cleaning the toilet when Callen grabbed him by the shirt and began punching him in the face and ribs.
Amado Dominguez-Quevedo above.
Readers may recall my recent blog about the County Sheriff letting inmates go free. If you see either the inmates mentioned on the streets of Key West, avoid either at all costs. You may get your face punched or your teeth knocked our or both.
This is a true story. A few years ago a husband & wife team in Ky West at a real estate office
where I worked several years ago. They went to the Ft. Zach Taylor to have a picnic
lunch at the beach. That's Ft Zach Beach in the photo above. I put an "X" to mark the spot where today's story occurred.
They saw a woman running around in her bathing suit frantically waiving at a cruise ship as it was sailing away from the
Mallory Square Pier. The woman and her husband were passengers on the
ship. They rented a scooter to see the island. They went to the beach
and let time slip away. All of their clothes were on the boat and it
was headed toward Mexico. They asked the Realtor couple what they should
do. My friend suggested that they stay in Key West a few days and then
rent a car and meet the boat when it returned to Ft.
Lauderdale. He said they had missed the boat, and the cost of flying to
Mexico would defeat the purpose of a cheap cruise.
This also a true story. It occurred several years ago during Key West annual fast boat races. Last week was the annual boat race week and I was reminded of this tale.
We have two annual boat races - one for fast boats and the other for sail boats. Many of the people who come here to view or participate in the races are very well to do. A buyer who attended the 2014 November races contacted me to look at big houses. I showed him a gracefully restored Grand Conch house on Margaret Street. It had a large guest cottage in the rear, a sunny pool with an outdoor bar, and off street parking. And drop dead street appeal. It also was one of the most expensive homes for sale at that time. He fell in love with it. It had been on the market for almost a year. I remember him saying he wanted to buy it but also wanted to have his girl friend or wife see it first. He planned to come back to Key West the next month or so. I told just because something has been on the market "forever" doesn't mean it will be available when you return.
Stuff does happen and it happened to him. He did return. He looked me up and wanted to see the house again with his mate. I told him it was sold. He was painfully sorry. I remember him moaning that he should have bought it. He missed the boat. End of story.
Key West has been alive with tourists and wannabe homeowners ever since the barriers were removed from US 1 and the Key West International Airport started to allow outsiders inside. I thought we'd get a rest after Fantasy Fest. Nope, they are still here or replacements keep coming in. I have never seen anything like this. There are a lot of potential buyers for Key West properties waiting for something nice to buy. I have just the place you may be looking for.
OPEN HOUSE
SUNDAY
November 14
12:00 to 2:00
1621 Sunshine Drive
Offered at $1,300,000 by Preferred Properties Key West
