When Charlotte Quinn, CEO of Crane Point Museum and Nature Center, says “Things are happening at Crane Point,” she means business, and on a national scale. Crane Point has been accepted on the National Register of Historic Places, earning its spot as a site worthy of preservation by the official program through the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is only the third place listed in Marathon on the registry, the other two being Crane Point’s Adderley House and the Sombrero Key Light.
The Crane Point Museum and Nature Center has been actively working on preserving the historic Crane House from March to November of 2021. Built in 1954, the house has overall withstood the test of time, surviving not only the heat and salt air of the Florida Keys, but also hurricanes. However, in recent years the house had finally fallen into disrepair and was unsafe for visitors. Quinn reached out to contractors to repair the old building, and got the same answer each time: the easiest thing to do would be to tear the whole house down. She had a clear response: “Tearing it down was never an option.”
Instead, she found All Keys Construction, who were willing to repair the exterior of the house, and teamed up with Lynn Voit, who donated her time, talent and expertise to do all the landscaping. The pride in her voice was evident when Quinn said, “It’s breathtaking. From what it used to be to what it is now, it is breathtaking.” The interior is currently getting its repairs now as well, and will be reopened as an events venue. With the blend of rich history, the Gulf of Mexico on three sides of the point and the newly renovated facilities inside, it is sure to be a memorable scene.
And Crane Point isn’t stopping there. It was also nominated and chosen as a top winner for the Florida Keys Historic Foundation, earning a certificate of excellence as well as the foundation’s iconic ceramic gold star. Crane Point is the first site to be awarded this star outside of Key West. Quinn takes pride in this nomination, but also spoke of how grateful she is for everyone who made this project a reality, including All Keys Construction, Voit and the staff of Crane Point. She said, “A lot of people helped us get where we are. You have to love this place to work here. It’s a special place. The employees have passion, and I could not be more happy with the staff. The work is hard and hot, but we’re here.”
Crane Point will soon be adding signs along U.S. 1 to display its acceptance to the National Register of Historic Places, as well as displaying the Florida Keys Historic Foundation’s star at the Crane House.
