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Curry Mansion, A Key West land mark

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The stately Curry Mansion Inn is all elegance, as its owner, Edith Amsterdam (above). She's owned it since 1975. Keynoter photos by KYLE TEAL
Historic home among favorites for travelers worldwide

Key Wester Edith Amsterdam's mansion doesn't feature plasma flat-screen televisions or an extensive collection of Maseratis in the driveway like so many Hollywood celebrities boast on TV and in magazines.

So what makes the Curry Mansion Inn so attractive to visitors and locals, and so widely popular, that it ranks No. 64 on Conde Nast Travelers' 2006 guide of the top 100 hotels in the country?

Good old-fashioned class with heaps of Victorian charm.

Mind you, Amsterdam is not a 22-year-old hip-hop artist laced with bling-bling, taunting MTV cameras. She wasn't thrilled about seeing her age in print, so let's just say she's wise enough to have watched Franklin Delano Roosevelt give an inaugural speech or two.

But take away the white, closely cropped hair, and it's possible cashiers would check her driver's license before selling her a bottle of wine because of her youthful energy.

"I go to a lot of parties," she said, laughing. "I go to more parties than anybody."

Conde Nast calls her the "grande dame" of Key West. Old pictures and portraits of Amsterdam reveal a striking brunette who would rival any of today's cover girls.

Generations later, she still exudes that beauty - under her light blue hat are even lighter blue eyes. She treats entering guests from all over the world as a warm hostess or an old friend.

Keeping up the mansion takes up most of her time, though she still manages to volunteer for nonprofits such as the Red Cross, Wesley House Family Services and Habitat for Humanity. She hangs out at the Key West Yacht Club, where she's a member.

But the mansion has been her livelihood since 1975, when she purchased it for $120,000 with her then-husband Al, for residential use. He's since died.

Construction on the white, four-story home at 511 Caroline St. began in 1855. It was then owned by Key West's first millionaire, William Curry.

The Amsterdams came from New Jersey in the 1960s, where Edith had an apple orchard and Al owned a medical equipment business.

When a Realtor showed the mansion, the outside was much nicer than the inside "but I knew what it could look like," she said.

"There was nothing in the house but the 1853 Chickering piano and a buffet in the dining room," she said.

Thirty years ago, she was dealing with similar tax woes we see today.

"My taxes were $800 when I started and five years later, it was $22,000" annually, in 1980, she said.

The Amsterdams renovated, painted and were able to convert the home into a guesthouse that now attracts visitors from all over the world, with the help of local attorney Michael Halpern, who helped battle community resistance to the change.

On a typical day, the mansion hosts about 25 guests; there are 28 available rooms, she said. Antiques and old paintings fill 15 rooms, making for an intriguing self-guided tour all the way to the roof of the mansion, where visitors can see a stunning view of the island.

"We have a full hot breakfast, a two-hour open bar and a cocktail hour. It's a real party every single day," she said.

Quick facts



  • Rooms at the Curry Manson Inn range in price from $240 to $365 per night during tourist season and $195 to $285 the rest of the year.

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters has a benefit there Jan. 26, Casino Night. Go for food, drink and fun.

  • Wesley House Family Services has its Valentine's Day party there Feb 14. Go for dinner, dancing and a silent auction.

  • A cocktail party for Womankind, the Key West medical center for women, is March 1.

  • A kickoff party for the annual Key West croquet tournament is March 2. The Harry S Truman Little White House Museum will host the tournament the day after.
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