I have written about this historic Old Town home a few times over the ten years not because it was for sale but to share with my experience in selling this particular house because it was the first house I sold. 514 Elizabeth Street has been owned by the same people these many years. As I recall there were three factors that influenced their decision to buy this place. First, the house really is historic - it is one of the very oldest homes in Key West. Second, it has a great location equal distance to Duval Street and the Historic Seaport. Third, it had off street parking and a deep back yard with room for a pool. The owners built a pool and created a lovely rear deck and garden. The perfect location and the charming home remain.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe famously said, "Less is more." The simplicity of design and original construction make this home a stand out among the many homes in Old Town that have been over-renovated. My research shows the house was built around1855. The photo directly below shows the house in 1965. Below that is a photo I took about eleven years ago. The bottom photo was taken from the second floor of 517 Elizabeth Street in 2013. The current owner told me that 514 Elizabeth is "is typical of the conch or Bahamian house built in the Bahamas from the 1780s and in Key West prior to the Civil War. The original architectural moldings that survive are typical of the 1835-1860 period."
Mies van der Rohe would love the simple facade. The front porch is meant for sitting. If you open the front door at the right time you may get a view of the pool as is shown in the photo second from the top. Otherwise, the front door opens into a wide hallway with the formal parlor on the right and the ground floor bedroom on the left. There is a main floor bath at the left rear. The stairway to the second floor bedrooms is located on the right. The original Dade County Pine walls and floors are still intact throughout the house. The only noticeable thing I saw that has changed is the front scuttle no long is visible inside the second floor bedrooms. The house now has central air conditioning and that vitiated the need to use the scuttle for ventilation.
You probably can't tell it from the photos but the wood walls also help us date the house. The wood planks are much wider than typical houses from the 1890s and later. That means the Dade County Pine walls were "old growth lumber" which means earlier construction. The floors and walls have settled a bit with age. Purists who want a genuine old house will appreciate this. People who want something is all perfect will not. I remember staying at the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds many years ago. We stayed in the room that Oliver Cromwell stayed in the night before the Battle of Hastings in 1620. The room tilted a bit. The hotel had a fancy new addition. I preferred historic room with the tilt. And that is why I find this house so utterly charming.
One of the joys of living in Key West is the ability to open the doors in the winter and allow the sunshine and fresh air inside the house. And at night you can leave the doors open and walk back and forth enjoying winter in the tropical environment that is Key West. In this home the inside and outside become one large living space in the daytime and nighttime.
During the daytime the pool is the perfect place to get that Key West tan that will make your friends from the frozen north green with envy. The decks are perfect entertaining spots at night as well. French doors open from the kitchen and the family room area out to the deck.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 514 Elizabeth Street which is a Pre-Civil War home in Key West offered by Preferred Properties at $1,350,000. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. This is a great location and a precious home in our community.
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