713 Eaton Street, Key West - Price Reduced

The asking price on 713 Eaton Street in Old Town Key West was just reduced to $1,300,000. This truly is an historic home based not only on its historic construction also on its renovation by the iconic designer Angelo Donghia who personally resided here at the beginning of the Key West cultural and housing renaissance.   The listing broker describes this home as follow

"The house is a simple one story six room Conch house which was owned and renovated by Angelo Donghia,  I did not see the house before it was renovated, but I have seen so many old homes that I am pretty sure the original house was constructed the same as others which would have included beaver board like panels applied over the original Dade County Pine walls. This material looks similar to a dense cardboard which could be painted. Beaverboard is flexible and can move a bit during a wind storm without cracking like plaster. I believe that Donghia removed the beaverboard to expose the Dade Count Pine walls and ceiling and added a clear coat of polyurethane which gives the current day walls and ceiling a grayish patina. The wood floors have the look of a well worn shoe - comfortable. The last thing one should do is refinish the floors: they are wonderful. They are like the walls, a canvas upon which to create art. In this instance, add a great rug."

 Upon his death in 1985 The New York Times referred to Angelo Donghia as one of America's most influential designers and distinguished two of his personal homes writing "a much-publicized Manhattan town house and a turn-of-the century Victorian house in Key West, Fla. The town house espoused a sophisticated, formal look; the Key West house had a more casual point of view that highlighted renovation and preservation." That home sits today the same way as when he sold it in 1980. It has not been touched. Buyers seeking an historic home may want to consider this property.

The front door opens into the living room and dining area on the right side. This is a big impressive space. Extra large crown molding and baseboards frame this space. The custom milled white trim sets off the windows and door.

This home which first appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map. At that time a small grocery store was partially located in the right front yard and extended out into where the sidewalk is today. That appendage appeared in each successive map until 1912.

When you enter the kitchen the same wood is employed. But the room is decidedly different. The room is even thous visible from inside the more "formal" living room is less formal by purpose and also by design. There is no crown molding or baseboard. The pine cabinets are the same pine on the walls which are aligned of the same plain. The kitchen shelves dial down the sophistication one more notch. Simplicity of design reflects the intended use of this space - food preparation.  The kitchen door opens out to Peacon Lane, formerly known as Gruntbone Alley where there is a bricked off street parking spot. 

The master bedroom is located at the right front of the house. While I did not see the house as it was being renovated, I am certain Donghia re-built the front wall that now includes closets on either side of a built-in bench  

There are two bedrooms at the rear. The bedroom below is currently used as a den. Both bedrooms have closets. And both have French doors which open out to the pool.

There is an outdoor shower on the west or right side of the house. All bedrooms have access to it as do people using the pool.

One of the real estate agents in my office told me he used to go to parties in the Donghia house back in the day while Donghia still lived there. He talked about the famous (and infamous) people from New York and Key West who attended the parties. He said the house was different then - furnished with designer furniture and art and famous people. The house itself has not changed. In fact, the passage of forty years have given that Donghia design a patina that only comes from age. If you are a fan of Antiques Road Show like I am, you know not to do something stupid by trying to clean or brush away patina. 

Eaton Street at Peacon Lane,  1937

Peacon Lane current
 

 I sat for several minutes on this front porch waiting to go inside for a showing.  Tourists were walking past on their way in both directions looking around at the houses on either side of the street commenting on the architecture and how wonderful it must be to live in such a town as this. I sat back on the cane chair in the cool of the afternoon shade behind the fan palms that made me invisible.

I can see why out of all the old houses for sale forty some years ago Donghia bought 712 Eaton (across the street) and also 713 Eaton Street. He renovated 712 Eaton and sold it to Calvin Klein. He kept 713 Eaton for himself. The simple facade of 713 is the opposite of the octagon house which is way fussy. It's better to look at fussy than to be fussy. People talk about fussy people but they admire the beautiful and unpretentious. That's what 713 Eaton Street is.  And it will stay that way as long as nobody messes with it.

713 Eaton Street is now offered for sale by Preferred Properties Key West at the reduced price of $1,300,000. Please CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a personal showing. Days and times are limited. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Lock Him Up!

Six months have passed since Hurricane Irma whipped through the Lower Florida Keys. I live in Key West where most of the damage here was done to our huge old trees and with little damage or no damage to most of our homes.

Some of the people I know that live outside of Key West did not fare as well. This is a truc story of one such couple. I know a lady, husband, and their new born child who live a few miles  outside of Key West. They decided not to evacuate but to remain in the Keys for personal reasons.

After the storm passed they returned to their badly damaged home and found a stranger moving about inside. The lady got out her gun and told the culprit to "Stick 'em up!"  He complied. Her husband found some rope and hogtied the would-be thief.  The lady called the Monroe County Sheriff to report the capture of the burglar.  The voice from the Sheriff's Office said we are not open or words to that affect.

The couple were bound to not let their quarry go free. So they loaded the varmint into the back of their pickup truck and took him to the Monroe County substation on Cudjoe Key.  They removed the thief and placed him at the front door of the Sheriff's office. 

 I don't know what happened to the guy after that. I hope the Sheriff locked him up and saved him until the courts reopened where a judge may have put him away for a few days.  The fact that he didn't take anything is no reason to set him free. His intent to steal from people whose home was damaged in the storm can be inferred from his location inside the house during the daytime.

1015 Elgin Lane, Key West

At first glance you might think the photos above show two separate homes which have been renovated in first class style. Well, the style statement is correct, and yes, they were renovated, but today the two houses that once backed against up to each other are now one single family residence. 1015 Elgin Lane, Key West, Florida is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing. I got to see the house for the first time yesterday during a brokers open house. I have written previous blogs homes on Elgin Lane which is only two blocks long and runs parallel to Eaton Street. It starts at White Street and ends at Grinnell Street. The Old Town Bakery is located at corner of Grinnell Street and is a landmark all returning visitors to Key West should recognize. The lane itself is fairly narrow and not well traveled by anyone except the folks who live on the lane. 

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learned that 1014 Eaton Street (now a major component of the Elgin house) was on the 1889 Map and that the rear of the lot (the Elgin site) had no building on it nor was there a building there on the final Map dated 1912.  The black and white photo from 1965 shows 1015 Elgin as it existed at that time, but perplexed me at first sight because the gable roof of 2018 is facing the opposite 90 degrees opposite.  As the defective detective MONK would say - this is what happened:

The two houses at 1014 Eaton and 1015 Elgin Lane were joined together by the owner to create one larger home. The houses were taken apart and totally rebuilt from foundation up. I suspect the original Elgin house was rotated on its side and the kitchen addition added. New piers, joists, and all building elements were replaced or updated as necessary. New windows, plumbing and electricity, HVAC, insulation, and drywall were added. The original floors were kept, however, and they are in remarkably good shape.

Even though the Eaton Street facade still has a street numeral and separate bricked off street parking space, there is just one legal address at 1015 Elgin Lane. When I first arrived at the house I did a quick walk through the first floor and opened the front door. It was a few minutes after noon and we are in spring break. Eaton Street was busy with traffic. I shut the door and heard nothing. I opened it again and heard the traffic. I paused in the hallway behind the front door. I heard nothing. I went into the adjacent master bedroom and listened at the window. I heard nothing. I mention this for good reason - even I assumed I would hear traffic. I was wrong. By the way the louvered shutters on the historic photo may have been operational to allow air into the old house. While the shutters still exist in 2018, the wall behind the shutters is solid.

The master bedroom is fairly large and has a large en-suite bath. There is a guest bath located adjacent. The living room and dining room, entry foyer, and kitchen are located in the Elgin Lane portion of the home.

During the renovation the common living spaces were opened into an amazing open living environment. Dining room has a high pitched cathedral ceiling with French doors which open out to the pool and garden The interior living space is great but it expands immensely when the doors are opened to the great outdoors.

The pool and garden are very well thought out and purposed. French doors open out to the deck which is on the same plain as the interior floors. The transition from inside to outdoors goes unnoticed except that once outside you know you're in a magical  tropical setting. The length of the pool surprised me but should not have because the lot size is very large: an irregular rectangle that measures approximately 51.58' X 80'. The new Trex decks line the pool on either side and lead to a step-down area where the grill is located amid adjacent tropical foliage. There is a semi-formal dining area on the Elgin Lane side of the pool. The entire east side of the home is bricked and has off street parking on both Elgin Lane and Eaton Street.

There are two good sized bedrooms on the second floor which share a bath. The owners used the knee wall space to create additional storage.  In searching my shoebox for photos I found a picture of a former owner of the house, V. Oscar Arenberg (1863-1954) who was a ship carpenter employed by William Curry and Sons shipbuilders. The listing broker told me the owners have lots of photos which show the entire renovation of this home. You can see from the above photos the pride of ownership and the attention to detail that went into this very special home.

"Because Elgin produced so many watches and produced so many spare parts, they can still be easily bought and fixed, so even a 100 year old Elgin can be used, with care, on a daily basis. While mechanical watches can't compete with quartz watches for accuracy, there is something about having a watch that ticks that a quartz watch just can't replace."

The Elgin Watch Collectors Site

I think the same can be said about old houses like this one. 


CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more photos of 1015 Elgin Lane. 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. I think any buyer will be awed by this beautiful home.