Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: On April 2, 1891, J. Vining Harris, Jr., son of Confederate surgeon Dr. Jeptha Vining Harris (1839-1914), married Florida E. Curry, daughter of Bahamian émigré and Florida millionaire William Curry. The marriage united two of Key West’s wealthiest and most distinguished families of the late nineteenth century. Harris worked as an attorney with the law firm Patterson & Harris. He served as the Monroe County solicitor from 1906-1914, director of Island City Bank, and legal counsel for William Curry & Sons, a mercantile business run by his in-laws. In 1906, he purchased corner properties on South Street for $3,500 and built three matching homes for family members and guests. The houses were designed in the Queen Anne style, popular during the late Victorian era. Harris gave this house to his only daughter, Marian, in 1916 as a wedding present. The Harris House is significant for its affiliation with two of Key West’s most prominent families. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as a contributing building in the Key West Historic District.