By the reef

This little house feature can tell you many things. Most importantly it tells you you are by the ocean, Key West in this example. This is known as a 'Mirador' and 'Widow's Walk' and it was built as an observation post to spot ships coming into port. It was also used to spot ships that had wreck-ed on the reef. Once spotted, the call would go out and a free for all would ensue with the winner being the first to arrive at the distressed ship and thus making the first claim to the salvage rights. The Mirador is the lower enclosed section with the shuttered windows on all sides. The Widow's Walk, a much more familiar term, is the open top platform with a  rail that surrounds. Notice on this nineteenth century example how low that railing is. Of course today that wouldn't pass approval with modern code. Present codes dictate 36 inches of height, leaving this 26-28 inch sample mighity short, and if that rail is removed the owner must replace it to the taller requirement. The message here is: Work with what you have. Restoration, not renovation, helps to set truly unique architecture apart from all that follows.