522 Grinnell Street, Key West, Florida - A Virgin Restoration

Today marks the seventh time I have blogged about 522 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West. Maybe this will be the last time I get to write about this property that I described as a "virgin" in an earlier blog. The view from the street as well as the inside indicated nothing had been done to update and protect the home for years and years. The home belonged to the same family since it was built in the 1880s until it was sold to the current owner in 2007. Up until then the  house was listed for sale by several different agents over the years. Instead of allowing the listing Realtor to show the house, the former owner insisted on doing all showings herself so that she could tell her family history as she moved from room to room. She said this house, like so many of the grand old homes in Key West, was built by ship chandlers. Key West was after all a major port. Large houses like this one had to be built to withstand strong winds and the elements. I remember standing on the second floor front balcony with the owner as she reminisced and told the story of her standing in the same spot with her father decades earlier as a huge storm passed across the eastern sky. Nothing happened. The house has withstood many storms over the years and will withstand more in the future.

If you look at the old black and white photo above as well as other front facing photos, you will see three sets of doors with pediments above. Petite French style total glass panels provide dramatic light in the living room. The third door is a bit of a mystery, however, because the door is not visible inside the house. That door is the backside of the interior stairway. And what a stairway it is. This stairway is ever-so-graceful. It has to be one of the most beautiful stairways in Key West. The stiles and handrail have been meticulously restored.  As you walk up the stairs take a look at the width of the Dade County Pine walls. You will see that many of the boards are extra wide. This indicates this wood came from old growth trees. All of the interior floors were refinished - not replaced.  Many of the floor planks are extra wide as well. 

The original doors, hardware, and door knobs were refurbished and put back into use. The original glass window panes were removed. The windows were all restored and made workable once again. The windows were re-glazed and look incredible.  An ancient addition to the back of the house was removed and a two story wrap around back porch was added. Portions of the front exterior were replaced. If you compare the front facade as shown in the black and white photo and compare it with the current color photo you won't see any difference. The back of the house, however, is totally changed. The views from the second floor rear balcony are incredible.

I would not call this house "grand", but there are many design elements that make this house very impressive nonetheless. They include the first and second floor wrap around porches. Inside, the main floor has a ceiling height of twelve feet. The second floor ceiling is a mere eleven feet. A south facing bay window in the living room and a north facing bay window in parlor add sophistication to this otherwise understated house. Two very large interior doors separate the living room from the dining room where there is a petite fire place. (There is no chimney, but what the heck. Having a fireplace in Key West is a hoot!  

Earlier I mentioned the non-functional front door and the stairway. What a stairway it is. This stairway is ever-so-graceful. It has to be one of the most beautiful stairways in Key West. The stiles and handrail have been meticulously restored.  As you walk up the stairs take a look at the width of the Dade County Pine walls. You will see that many of the boards are extra wide. This indicates this wood came from old growth trees. All of the interior floors were refinished - not replaced.  Many of the floor planks are extra wide as well.

 

CLICK HERE to view photos that show this historic home during various stages during and after the restoration.  Please look through the photos and see what treasures you may find. This home ought to appeal to a purist - a buyer who wants the closest thing to the original house. You will notice I did not post any photos of the kitchen.  There is no kitchen, but the room is restored and awaits the new owner's choice of cabinetry and appliances.  This home has off street parking and room for a large pool and possibly a cabana in the extra large rear yard.

522 Grinnell Street is offered at $2,000,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this simple but very elegant Key West home.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

206 Harbour Place Condominium - Elegant Key West Waterfront Property

During the Spring of 1987 I attended a party held at the World Famous La Te Da hosted by proprietor Lawrence Formica who introduced Pritam Singh to Key West society and announced plans for the Truman Annex. I wish so much that I had a camera that night or that I could find a photo online.  In today's world of Twitter and Instagram,  there would be several such photos. But 27 years ago people did not record every day events like they do today. In fact that day was not an everyday event. It was a transformative day in Key West history because the Truman Annex became the most popular vacation destination in Key West.  Pritam Singh redeveloped prime ocean front real estate that had been NAVY property for decades. He removed old structures, built seven new communities of condominiums, town homes, and sold single family lots for development by individual homeowners. He added streets, trees and tropical foliage that has grown and matured into a beautiful city-scape. Today Truman Annex is a gated community located behind the historic Presidential gates on Whitehead Street and the Key West waterfront. The Shipyard Condominiums are the least expensive of the properties. Many owners in each of the communities have obtained special transient rental licenses from the City of Key West which allows owners to rent their homes on a weekly basis. The ability to rent one's unit has given would-be Key West second homeowners a realistic and affordable alternative to the purchase of a single family house in Key West. The Harbour Place Condominiums are the most luxurious of the Truman Annex communities. 206 Harbour Place is the largest condominium on the Key West waterfront.

Unit 206 is located on the second floor of the original Naval Administration Building.  I found a couple of photos of President Harry S. Truman standing at the front of the Administration Building in 1969. This was President Truman's last visit to Key West. Today that area looks out to the boardwalk  and Sunset Key beyond. The Administration Building was renovated and became the Harbour Place Condominiums. Balconies and decks were added. Office interiors were transformed into living spaces. Over the years some individual owners have done their own interior renovations. In recent years the windows and doors were replaced with wind impact resistant glass. The building itself was built NAVY STRONG. It may be the safest structure in Key West. It undoubtedly has one of the very best views on the Island of Key West.

The listing Realtor describes unit 206 as "unparalleled elegance and understated luxury".  Two units were combined to create a one-of-a-kind 3073 square foot luxury residence. When you enter the residence your eyes are drawn through the beautifully decorated foyer past the living and dining areas and out to ocean.  The "great room" measures 44 ft in length and has four sets of windows/doors with Plantation Shutters. One set of French doors opens out to the front deck and another set at the south end opens to another deck that overlooks the huge pool. The kitchen has dual counter top cooking surfaces, dual ovens, and dual dishwashers. This place was designed for entertaining and everyday sophisticated living.

The foyer leads into the great room but it also provides access to the master suite at the south end of the unit and provides a genteel entry to the guest bedroom wing by passing through the den. The two guest bedrooms each have baths. The guest rooms have access to a separate balcony that looks out to the community pool, the "outer mole", and Ft Zach Taylor in the distance. There will never be a day when you won't have something new to see.

 

The master suite shown above is probably larger than most condos or town homes in the Truman Annex and anywhere else on the island for that matter. The suite includes the extra spacious bedroom chamber and adjacent office and sitting area. Just to the west is a lady's make-up room with access to the huge walk-in closet. Both the make up area and bedroom enter into the opulent master bath that includes shower and tub, dual vanities, and lots of mirrors.

Unit 206 Harbour Place Condominium is a 3 bedrooms plus a den, and 4.5 baths waterfront residence that includes 3 covered parking spots and a special Truman Annex Transient Rental License which allows the property to be rented up to 25 weeks each year.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property that is offered for sale at $2,699,000.  You can view more photos if you CLICK HERE. My photos include many more water views and that is part of why you would buy this home.

After you have look at the photos and property description, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this very special waterfront property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise. I'd love to be with you on the day you move in and post a selfie on Instagram looking out to the magnificent Key West sunset.