5/5 Hope R. 5 years ago on Google
An
unexpected
stop
during
our
visit
to
Key
West.
Great
historical
location,
dated
back
to
1881.
The
museum
is
now
owned
by
the
Key
West
Woman's
Club,
providing
free
of
charge
tours,
while
requesting
donations.
Very
entertaining
tour
and
the
women
were
very
friendly
and
pleasant.
Hellings
House
is
one
of
the
very
few
brick
structures
in
Key
West,
the
house
was
built
by
Captain
Martin
and
Eleanor
-Curry-
Hellings
in
1892.
Eleanor
was
the
6th
child
of
nine,
born
to
William
and
Euphemia
Curry,
one
of
Key
West's
foremost
merchants
and
Florida's
first
millionaire.
The
fire
of
1886,
which
started
near
the
San
Carlos
Institute,
quickly
spread.
Firefighting
equipment
was
not
readily
available
so
citizens
had
to
brave
the
flames
with
bucket
brigades.
More
than
600
homes,
six
wharves,
11
cigar
factories,
the
island's
supply
of
tobacco,
churches
,
cigar
box
factories
and
the
New
City
Hall
were
destroyed.
Many
residents
had
to
return
to
Cuba,
or
move
to
Tampa,
which
was
then
another
cigar
rolling
capital.
Since
1940,
the
Key
West
Women's
Club
has
owned
and
maintained
this
property.
If
in
the
area,
don't
miss
it!
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