The Houses of Key West

Key West is an architectural treasure trove of houses built in the 19th century, including eyebrow houses, shotgun houses, and Conch Victorians. Many of Key West's houses were built by ships' carpenters with no plans other than memories of seaport homes from their past: widow's walks borrowed from New England, and overhanging eaves (eyebrows) from the West Indies. Builders also added details from architectural fads of the time - from Greek Revival columns to Creole trellises. Many charming anecdotes about old Key West gleaned from interviews with descendants of the families who built houses there are included. This book, full of color photographs, is for anyone who loves to look at charming old houses and imagine their histories.