Southernmost House - Key West, FL - Victorian Style Architecture on Waymarking.com

From Old Town Trolley Tours: "One of the most striking and distinctive buildings in Key West, the Southernmost House proudly sits at a prime location overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at the quieter end of Duval Street. This impressive example of Queen Anne-style architecture is just one of many iconic Key West attractions. Boasting a long history of hospitality, this building is now a historic adult-only bed and breakfast situated on the edge of the Old Town District. The inn boasts a retro, pastel-colored exterior, elegant gables and bold landscaping. It is the southernmost private residence in the United States and one of the most-photographed buildings in Key West.

Built in 1896 at a cost of $250,000, the Queen Anne-style mansion was originally the private residence of Judge Jeptha Vining Harris. His wife, Florida Curry, was the youngest daughter of the state’s first millionaire William Curry. A prominent Florida family, the Curry’s built eight mansions within the Key West Historic District. Although the home was designed with only a single bedroom, it featured elegant public rooms, large stained glass windows to let in cool ocean breezes and multi-story balconies offering dramatic ocean vistas. Mrs. Harris engaged Thomas Edison to oversee the installation of electric lighting, which was a novelty at the time. Investors in Henry Flagler’s overseas railroad, the family entertained the industrialist during the construction of this engineering marvel.

During Prohibition, the home became a speakeasy. While the first floor served as a restaurant, the second floor was used as a casino, and the top floor was the backdrop for socializing. Celebrities and notorious gangsters would frequent the establishment while on their way to Havana. In 1939, it became the Café Cayo Hueso, a Cuban-style nightclub. The club hosted legendary figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Gore Vidal and Truman Capote as well as Louis Armstrong, Gloria Swanson and Tallulah Bankhead.

In the early 1950s, the Victorian mansion was converted back into a private residence. In addition to King Juan Carlos of Spain, the Southernmost House has welcomed five U.S. presidents. They are Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. Four decades later, the mansion was renovated into the modern-day, 18-room bed and breakfast that features numerous modern amenities. Many visitors and locals celebrate important events like birthdays and anniversaries at the hotel, which is also a famous wedding venue with its mansion, seaside and garden settings." (visit link)

From the NRHI — Nomination Form: "Perhaps the best example of a Queen Anne house in Key West is at 1400 Duval Street locally called the "Southernmost" house. This brick house features the irregular plan, diverse use of materials, and decorative variety of the Queen Anne style. It is, however, more balanced and formal than "ideal" Queen Anne houses found elsewhere in the United States. This may be due in part to its late date of construction, 1899. By that time the Queen Anne style had begun to give way to a new wave of "classical" influence expressed in newer styles. The most telling details are paired Tuscan columns, which stand on paneled pedestals, and the urn balusters and entablatures above the porch and gallery. The tower, with its Tudor arch windows, and the pointed arch window in one of the gables facing the street are among the more traditional medieval or picturesque fetures normal in a Queen Anne house." (visit link)

Public/Private: Public Tours Available?: Yes Year Built: 1896 Web Address: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:

Category Visiting Requirements

An original photo is necessary to log a visit in this category along with a description of the visit. No extra visit requirements are allowed by the waymarker.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/08/2021 petendot visited it