The Old Gentleman & His Paradise Isle Ballast Key - ow.ly/CUwDC Ballast Key is a remarkable place in various respects: 15 kilometres west of Key West, the island is the southernmost inhabited place in the USA. It’s also the only patch of land in the whole of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge that is privately owned. Its owner David Wolkowsky covered his 110,000 sqm isle with palm trees and built a house for himself, plus a guesthouse for his many friends: Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Tilda Swinton… It is quite an unusual thing for an island to be given such a personal nickname. But, for very good reason, Ballast Key is quite the exception: It is affectionately known amongst the locals as “Wolkow’s Key”, after its owner David Wolkowsky. He in turn has been given the epithet “Mr. Key West” – a name that expresses respect and admiration, as well as the gratitude that the residents of Key West feel towards him. Had it not been for the now 94-year-old architect and investor, the 25,000-resident town on the southernmost tip of Florida would in all probability not look anything like it still does today. Ernest Hemingway’s house would still be standing in its wonderful tropical garden, but other than that… Many of the so-called Conch Houses, mostly two-storey wooden structures on stilts and with shady verandas, were built in the 19th century. Centurion Property Specialists | Engel & Völkers
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 13:05:36 +0000
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