Marrero's History
The Marrero Family
Francisco Marrero was a prominent cigar maker during Key West's rise as a center of the cigar trade. With family roots in Cuba, just 90 miles away, Francisco was uniquely positioned to import tobacco and build a fortune as a bridge between Cuba and the growing town of Key West.
In 1890, he built a grand home for his wife, Enriquetta – meant as a forever home where they would raise their family and grow old together. For a time, it was exactly that. The house filled with the laughter of eight children as their blended family flourished.
But their happiness was short-lived. On what was meant to be a routine business trip to Cuba, Francisco died under mysterious circumstances.
A Scandal for the Ages
Enriquetta was left a widow, alone to raise eight children. Then came a devastating discovery: She and Francisco had never been legally married. He had a first wife in Cuba – Maria, a woman Enriquetta never knew existed – and Maria soon arrived in Key West to claim everything: the house, the estate, all of it.
Because Francisco and Maria had never divorced, Enriquetta had no legal claim to the home she'd built her life around. In a humiliating public spectacle, she and her children were put out onto the street, left with nothing.
As she stood outside the home she'd lost, Enriquetta made a vow that would outlive her: She would remain in the house she loved, even after death.
Legend and Legacy
What became of Enriquetta and her children afterward isn't fully documented. Some retellings claim the family met a tragic end on the streets of Key West, but the historical record tells a different story. Descendants of the Marrero family are alive today.
What is said to be true, however, is that Enriquetta kept her promise. Though the mansion never again belonged to the Marrero family, locals and guests alike believe she found her way back – and never truly left.
