322 Duval Street

Bahamian Style Construction

The Oldest House was built circa 1829 by Richard Cussans, a Bahamian who arrived in Key West around 1826 while in his mid-twenties. Believed to have trained as a ship's carpenter, Cussans brought maritime building techniques to the island, though he was likely still early in his career.

​An ambitious craftsman and entrepreneur, Cussans built several of Key West's earliest structures, many of which have since been lost. It is believed he left the island in the late 1830s for the newly established Republic of Texas.

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The house was constructed from durable South Florida lumber, including cypress, cedar, and Dade County pine. Its timber frame reflects traditional shipbuilding methods, using mortise-and-tenon joinery secured with wooden pegs rather than nails. This technique created an exceptionally strong and flexible structure, well suited to Florida's challenging climate. The frame was further reinforced with thick pine sheathing on both the interior and exterior walls, creating a remarkably sturdy "box-within-a-box" construction that has helped the house endure for nearly two centuries.

photo circa 1930s

How Did It Survive?

Circa 1900 photograph of multiple generations of the Watlington family

Built to last:

Crafted using traditional shipbuilding joinery techniques including mortise-and-tenon where beams are fitted and pegged together instead of nailed, creating a tight, flexible frame that moves safely with wind and weather

The house is lifted on stone piers to protect it from flooding and provide airflow

Built from cypress, cedar, and Dade County pine which are known for their resistance to decay and termites

Enduring the Elements:

1846 - The Great Hurricane is estimated by modern experts to have been a category-5. Every house in Key West, except for this and seven others, was destroyed or damaged

1886 - The Great Fire destroyed 50 acres and 500+ buildings of downtown Key West, but the Oldest House escaped by pure luck. 

The black section of this map shows the area that was affected by the Fire of 1886. The red dot is 322 Duval Street.