Five U.S. Presidents have stayed in the Southernmost House, the historic mansion in Key West, Monroe County, now converted into a bed and breakfast. Five U.S. Presidents have stayed here, and the house still carries the air of those important visits. Judge Jeptha Vining Harris built this Queen Anne Victorian in 1897 for $250,000; his wife was the youngest daughter of William Curry, one of Florida’s first millionaires.
The Curry family were builders who left eight mansions in the Historic District, and the Harris family were prominent at the turn of the century. They even invested in Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad to Key West, often entertaining Flagler at this very mansion while the railroad was under construction. Designed as a one-bedroom mansion, the house nonetheless offers public rooms, two-story balconies, large stained glass windows, and open-water views.
It was the first home in Key West with electricity — Mrs. Harris engaged Thomas Edison to oversee the electrical design and installation — and air conditioning was installed in the 1930s. Picture those guests and conversations, then the open-water views, the two-story balconies, and the stained glass framing this house.