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.

907 Frances Street, Key West

The above is Ronny Bailey's folk art depiction of how 900 Frances Street used to look like back in the day. I took a photo of the current building yesterday which is located just below along with a photo taken outside the gate of 907 Frances Street Key West about which you are to read further. (That building has been renovated. It looks decrepit on purpose.)  Living in and among Key West's historic structures is what makes our little town out in the middle of the ocean so different than all the rest of Florida. It's hard to get here and even harder to leave.

I rummaged thru my old shoebox and found a photo dated 1965 of 907 Frances Street. Compare it to the current day color photo. This lovely Conch Cottage was built around 1884. I found it on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map when it was then identified as 106 Frances Street. Many of our historic houses have had house numbers changed. Many of the other smaller cigar maker cottages located on Frances Street, Havana Lane, Pohlalski Lane, and Jerome Lane remain. The old Pohalski Cigar Factory is gone. Each house is different today but much of the character remains.

This house has two bedrooms and two baths one of which is in the separate guest cottage shown later. The building sketch shows the main house. The livingroom photos dhow the Dade County Pine walls and ceiling. Two of the windows face the south side yard whch allow light to flow into the room.

The main bedroom is located just off the kitchen and the bath is located on the opposite side of the kitchen. If that configuration bothers you, Key West may not be the place for you. Out old houses have been updated to give them amenities never intended. This house has all the style of a Ralph Lauren cottage going on. It is perfectly imperfect.

While the guest bedroom looks reminiscent of a cabin in the woods, locals and returning visitors know Key West has great local theater, music, arts, plus lots of bars, gyms, restaurants, and water sports of all types. We can compete with almost any destination resort. Hotels and real estate developers can make new buildings look old, but, like COKE, the real thing is best.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more photos of 907 Frances Street, Key West offered for sale at $835,000. 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.

Sawyer's Bakery, Key West - Architectural History Preserved in Folk Art

A couple days ago my friend Ronny Bailey pulled his pickup truck across the street from Preferred Properties Key West to show me his newest piece of folk art - his depiction of the former Sawyer's Bakery that used to exist at 913 Eaton Street. Later I searched the Sanborn Fire Map of 1892 and learned the house existed at least that early. I then searched through my old shoebox and found two photos of the property which date as early as 1960 when workers at Southernmost Sign were photographed out front - see below followed by a 2019 photo of the same property.

Ronny Bailey is a fifth generation Conch from the Roberts family line who immigrated to Key West from the Bahamas. He was a carpenter and roofer in his younger years. He started creating these folk art depictions of our older homes and businesses after he retired. He re-purposes salvaged wood which he cuts and cobbles together to make these miniature buildings. He carves the chickens and folk figures like "Nana" inside the store. Ronny gave me a brief history of the property dating back to when it was home with the adjacent house. Later the owner updated the front of 91e Eaton with larger windows so that so that passers by could look inside to see the hats that were for sale. Some of the most important homes in Key West were located on Fleming and Eaton Street back in the late 1800s.

Ronny is a man of faith and always adds what I call his three watch words to each of his pieces of art: love, peace, and joy. If you study the cake in the window above you will see the word joy. Peace is written on the yellow bench. And I Love Cake is on the top of the building.

Stop and checkout the underside of the roof. It's painted blue to keep bees from nesting. The places looks as old as the real thing. That is fresh paint made to look ancient. Inside Ronny's humor can be found on various signs including the yellow sign that reads FREE CAKE TOMORROW. Ronny recreated an actual sign advertising Key Lime Pie for five cents a slice. Check the spelling for accuracy.

Some of Ronny Bailey's folk art can be viewed and purchased at his online Etsy Store CLICK HERE.

If you are in the market for a real house in Key West, please contact 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 . I also bring joy to the world for people who realize the dream of owning a place in Paradise.

527 Fleming Street, Key West - Transient Licensed Property

 

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West - 527 Fleming Street, Key West. This historic property is located in the Historic District just one-half block east of Duval Street. While it is referred to as a "mixed-use property" which includes retail space on the first floor, an apartment on the second floor, and a guest cottage with a valuable Transient Rental License at the rear, it has been "home" to the current owners for more than thirty years. If you are a buyer and get a chance to see the inside, you will appreciate the care and attention to detail the owners have put into this property. I say "chance to see inside" for good reason - I expect this property will be purchased within a couple of days of hitting the MLS.

I dug down into my old shoebox and found the three black and white photos above which show 527 Fleming Street in several decades ago. The top photo was taken in 1965.  It shows the house when the second floor front porch was screened. The middle photo was taken in 1940 from the La Conch Hotel looking eastward down Fleming Street.  The bottom black and white was also taken from the La Conch Hotel looking down Fleming in 1965. One of the two houses to the west of 527 Fleming Street was relocated to Key Lime Square in the 600 block of Duval Street.  The eyebrow house presumably relocated to another location. Fausto's Grocery appears for the first time in the lower photo.

The street presence cannot be understated. It is magnificent. This Revival style home is the archetype would-be buyers aspire to own. The first floor has been a needlepoint shop for several years. The interior includes Dade County Pine walls, high ceilings, and two-over-two windows. The original interior staircase was removed years ago. The owners occupy rooms at the first floor rear including a bedroom with French doors that open out to the pool. An exterior staircase was added on the right side of the house which provides access to the apartment on the second floor. There is an interior staircase in the apartment that leads to the third floor bedrooms and bath.The previously screened second floor porch is now open. The first and second floor front porches provide lots of people watching opportunities.

The property across the street at 532 Fleming Street was originally the Louise Maloney Hospital. Folk Artist Ronny Bailey created the artwork featured above depicting the building in earlier times.  CLICK HERE to read my blog about that property.

I was simply awed the first time I entered the second floor apartment.  It's sort of a throw back to the the interior renovations made during the 1980s and early 1990s - a time before quartz counter-tops, vessel sinks, and designer this and that. The original Dade County Pine walls have been white washed or painted and framed by custom trim work, crown molding, and high base boards painted crisp white.

I checked the Historic Sandborn Firm Maps to determine the age of the building. The 1889 map showed a grocery store was located at the corner of Fleming and Simonton Street. The black and white photo shows a gas station at that location in 1965. Today that space is a Chinese restaurant. 527 Fleming Street remains in place and looks better than ever. CLICK HERE to view more photos of 527 Fleming Street Key West.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of  527 Fleming Street, Key West, offered at $2,675,000. Then contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a personal showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.