Many Cubans immigrated to the area beginning in the late 1860s. Truman and author Ernest Hemingway, the building was restored to its formal beauty and opulence with a $3 million renovation in 1996.ĭuval Street well represents the cultural influence of Key West’s proximity and cultural ties to Cuba. One block west of the southern terminus of Duval Street is the buoy marker for the southernmost point in the United States it is close to the southernmost house, a Victorian mansion built in 1896. Although this end of Duval is more residential and less filled with tourists, the sidewalks still bustle with activity. Art galleries, boutiques, inns and Bodega’s line the wide sidewalks.
On the Atlantic Ocean end of Duval Street there is a mix of early Key West Victorian mansions and bungalows dotting the neighborhood.
The beautiful Bahamian and Spanish influenced Victorian Mansions of Duval Street have been well preserved through local preservation efforts starting in the 1960s. Duval Street was designated a “Great Street” in 2012 by the American Planning Association.
