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The Gingerbread House


Perhaps the most decorated house on the island, this is a prime example of a "Victorian" house that isn't a "Victorian" house. It is a large box of a Classical Revival which has been decorated with what has become associated with Victorian embellishments. This highly ornate gingerbread was ubiquitous in Key West, almost every house in town has some. It was massed produced and generally available when rail transportation brought such items to distant parts of the country. In the case of Key West, a final trip by ocean transport was also necessary, however, as the overseas railroad wasn't built until 1912. This house was once moved a few feet off its foundation piers during a heavy hurricane and replaced. Its bright peach color is unusual in Key West. It is also referred to as the Illingsworth house, after its first owner.

 


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The Houses Of Key West 2004