Construction of the Historic House 1850-1851

Construction of the Historic House 1850-1851. . In 1846, Asa Tift married sixteen year old Anna Wheeler from South Carolina. The newlyweds routinely traveled together on Asa's business trips until their first child, Annie, was born. Asa then determined the time had come to build a home for his family., He chose this one-acre parcel of land, then located on the far edge of town. At 16 feet above sea level, it was the second highest point in Key West and not likely to flood during a hurricane. The property's coral limestone was excavated by Tift's crew and used to construct the home's exterior walls. Tift's workers dug a 14 foot deep hole that was later backfilled, creating a nine foot deep basement., Asa included opulent embellishments such as New Orleans-styled wrought iron porch railings and Italian marble fireplaces. At completion, it was clear that Asa had designed and built one of the finest homes in Key West., Asa Tift was one of the wealthiest men in the nation, but wealth could not shield him from tragic loss when a yellow fever epidemic swept the island in May 1854., One year old Maurice Wheeler and two year old Cora Nelly died within days of each other. Perhaps most devastating was the loss of Asa's beloved wife. Anna, who died shortly after giving birth. The newborn boy, who was also given the name Maurice Wheeler, lived a year. Annie, the only surviving child, died at 19. Tift did not remarry. He lived in this house until his death in 1889., The house fell into disrepair after Tift's death and remained largely uninhabited until 1931, when it became the home of Ernest and Pauline Hemingway., Look for the 18-inch limestone block, visible at the corner of this building., Photo caption: two cisterns provided water for the house. Electricity was added circa 1899 with plumbing added when Key West received piped-in water fro Florida City, circa 1944.