First
a
disclaimer.
The
author
is
not
an
architect
and
this
page
is
is
designed
for
the
Plantation
Key
Elementary
and
Middle
school
for
a
special
student
project.
The
images
featured
are
actual
Florida
Keys
structures
and
the
approximate
date
the
structure
was
constructed
will
be
given.
Permission
is
given
to
copy
these
images
for
educational
use.
Newer
houses
are
not
shown.
They
come
from
copies
in
the
collection
of
Jerry
Wilkinson.
Left
click
on
any
image
to
slightly
enlarge.
J.
W.
-
The
following
are
photographs
and
will
probably
download
slowly.
-
Above
is
the
house
that
the
Perrine
family
leased
from
Charles
Howe
on
Indian
Key
upon
their
arrival
in
1838.
It
is
generally
referred
to
as
a
2
and
1/2
-
story
house
with
a
cupola.
It
is
built
on
a
coral
rock
stem
wall
with
an
inside
trap
door
to
descend
for
bathing
at
high
tide.
The
wooden
part
at
the
pier's
end
was
a
turtle
crawl
and
its
trap
door
can
be
seen.
Charles
Howe
lived
in
the
house
seen
in
the
background.
Below
is
a
floor
plan.
Above
the
community
of
Marathon.
The
living
area
of
the
F.E.C.
Railway
worked
was
to
the
left
of
this
scene.
FEC
employee
housing
had
electricity
and
wooden
sidewalks.
There
was
no
need
for
streets
at
this
time
as
travel
was
by
foot,
boat
or
train.
Note
the
outhouses.
Public
water
did
not
arrive
until
1942
-
43.
Above
was
the
Big
Pine
Key
railroad
section
foreman's
house.
It
was
modified
with
a
wrap
around
screen
porch.
Note
the
roof
dormer.
Above
is
the
Tavernier
section
foreman's
railroad
house.
To
my
knowledge
all
section
foremen's
houses
of
the
same
vintage
were
basically
the
same.
All
had
a
stove
inside
for
cooking
or
heating.
I
have
heard
that
some
had
coal
and
others
had
wood
burning
stoves.
The
above
house
was
modified
from
the
Rock
Harbor
section
foreman's
house.
It
has
about
twice
the
floor
space.
Pace
Johnson
was
one
of
the
sons
to
the
patriarch
Sam
Johnson
who
founded
the
community
of
Planter
on
southeast
Key
Largo.
The
oceanside
community
was
badly
damaged
by
the
hurricane
of
1909.
Its
residents
slowly
moved
to
Tavernier
to
be
near
the
railroad.
A
view
of
the
assortment
of
houses
at
Planter.
Above
is
the
late
Rodney
Albury
house
in
Tavernier.
It
was
originally
in
the
1880
community
of
Planter
and
moved
to
Tavernier
by
barge.
It
has
been
seriously
modified.
The
Dr.
Harris
house
on
Sugarloaf
Key
is
shown
above
leased
to
the
FEC
railway
system.
Behind
the
house
can
be
seen
tents
for
the
laborers.
Later
the
house
was
rented
to
Charles
Chase
and
improved.
Chase
built
the
community
of
Chase,
Florida
to
grow
sponges.
To
read
of
Sugarloaf
Key,
Click
HERE,
then
use
the
back
arrow
to
return
here.
The
rock
castle
was
built
by
Dr.
Engels
in
the
mid-1920s
on
Largo
Sound.
It
is
of
coral
rock
cemented
together
with
concrete
and
still
exists
on
Oceana
street,
Key
Largo.
The
Matheson
house
was
built
of
native
coral
rock
in
1919
for
the
island's
superintendent.
Note
the
covered
cistern
in
the
rear.
This
is
reconstructed
house
as
the
original
was
badly
damaged
in
the
hurricane
of
1935.
A
large
house
built
on
the
sand
berm
at
the
beach
at
Islamorada.
One
can
see
several
additions
had
been
added.
The
last
addition
at
the
right
was
for
a
grocery
store.
It
was
destroyed
by
the
hurricane
of
1935.
The
Ed
Albury
house
was
built
shortly
after
the
1935
hurricane.
It
has
been
modified
into
a
business.
This
is
oldest
remaining
house
still
in
the
same
place
in
the
Upper
Keys.
It
was
and
extended
hip
roof
over
a
wrap
around
screen
porch.
It
has
been
converted
into
a
business.
Above
is
the
home
made
home
of
the
"Key
Largo
Hermit
Artist"
Harry
Sonntag
located
oceanside
in
Rock
Harbor.
Harry
departed
the
Keys
in
the
mid-1950s.
Many
of
his
water
color
paintings
are
in
collections.
Above
is
one
of
the
29
concrete
"Red
Cross"
houses
built
after
the
1935
Hurricane.
The
house
proper
sets
on
top
of
a
water
cistern.
The
center
roof
supporting
wall
extends
through
the
house's
floor
into
the
cistern
dividing
the
cistern
into
two
parts.
The
outside
walls
are
of
reinforced
steel
rebar
12
inches
thick.
However,
the
cement
was
mixed
with
salt
water
which
rusts
the
steel
rebar
causing
spauling
of
the
concrete.
