Key West HISTORIC MARKER TOUR

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W. H. Albury

CIRCA 1880

Historic Marker number 90 is located at the corner of William and Southard Streets.The Albury House, built by William Henry Albury, is a perfect example of a construction method common in Key West during the 19th and early 20th century. During this period, building materials were hard to come by and skilled labor was scarce. Tropical storms and hurricanes often wreaked havoc on the burgeoning housing stock and it was common to move buildings or use the remains of a damaged structure to supplement materials for new construction.William Henry Albury built the original part of his residence, facing the seaport, on the corner of Southard and William Streets. The house was a two story classic revival with double porticos and a gable roof featuring a prominent captain's walk centered at the roof's peak. The wooden façade sported a single bay style layout consisting of a central entry door bracketed by two frame windows.Sometime during the late 1800s, a similar house structure was moved onto the lot and joined to the original residence facing Southard Street. Until a recent restoration, the two building's architectural details never quite meshed where the structures were joined. The Alburys opened a general merchandise store in 1900 out of the building's addition. For the next four decades, the family prospered from their store and close proximity to the Historic Seaport.By the beginning of the 20th century, Ms. Irene Albury owned the property and added an auxiliary building to the William Street side of the original house. Over the years, the addition was expanded to a single story hip roof structure that enlarged the living space of the original house and served as an indoor kitchen and dining area.The house remained in the Albury family for nearly 130 years.