As a fan of architecture and history I was delighted to spot this historic marker in the North…read moreShore neighborhood in Miami Beach. Stopping for a minute to read a historic marker is a great way to learn more about the history of an area. I have gained so much knowledge about Florida from these blue historical markers that can you find all around the state. This marker is on a median next to Tatum Park and it recounts the history of the mid century North Shore neighborhood. The North Shore Historic District in North Beach, Miami Beach is famous for having the most intact mid-20th century resort architecture (MiMo) in the Greater Miami area. The neighborhood was platted in 1929 and is bounded by 87th Street, Collins Avenue, 73rd Street, and Hawthorne Avenue. After WWII many GI's moved to Florida where the warmer weather was beneficial for helping to recover from their war wounds. A post WWII construction boom saw the creation narrow garden apartments with features designed to adapt to Miami. These architectural details included patios, loggias, flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves, exterior staircases, and catwalks. The architecture in the district is primarily Miami Modernism MiMo style featuring futuristic and modern elements, unique to Miami. Design features include acute angles, delta wings, pipe columns, sweeping curved walls, and soaring pylons. Other architectural styles reflected in the district, include Mediterranean Revival, Art Deco, and Moderne. The North Shore Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Marker F-1090 was erected in 2020 by The City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State.

This is a Pueblo Revival style home built in 1925 as part of the Hunting Lodge Development in the…read morecommunity of Country Club Estates. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and and designated a Miami Springs historic site in 1989. It was designed by architect Martin Luther Hampton who also designed other historic homes in the area including the Curtiss Mansion, the Lua Curtiss House #2, and the Curtiss-Bright Company headquarters building which is no longer exists. The first residents of the home were George Carl Adams and his wife Dorothy. Mr. Adams was the business partner and half brother of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. One of Mr. Adams ventures was the Everglades Construction Company which built all of the roads in Opa-locka, Hialeah and Country Club Estates. He also served as mayor of Country Club Estates from 1930 to 1942 and during his tenure changed the name of the community to Miami Springs. The house is a U shaped two story structure with an open courtyard in the center and an arched entry. The roof is flat and the windows are recessed into the stucco walls. This home is a private residence and not open for tours, On Saturday mornings however you can tour the nearby Curtiss Mansion which is also done in the Pueblo Revival style. At the time this house was built it was the second largest in the community with the Curtiss Mansion being the largest.

Overtown was incorporated as a colored neighborhood in 1896 during segregation. It was the place…read morewhere Henry Flagler's black railroad workers lived while building the infrastructure of Miami. Overtown is the second oldest neighborhood in Miami. During the 1920's, it was home to D.A. Dorsey, one of the first black millionaires in the south. After WWII it became the epicenter of black culture and was known as the Broadway of the South. Many famous entertainers stayed here when performing in Miami like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. In the 1950's the area suffered an economic decline and in the 1960's many residents were displaced by the construction of I-95. Almost 40 percent of the people live in poverty but the area has some exciting things happening like Marcus Samuelson opening the second location of his hugely successful Harlem restaurant, Red Rooster. St. Agnes Episcopal Church is a historic church in Overtown. It is one of Miami's oldest and largest churches. St. Agnes was organized in 1898 when Reverend James O. S. Huntington, a visiting Episcopalian Father Superior, learned that the Anglican Bahamians who had come to the Biscayne Bay area to work had no place to worship. The first service was held in a home near Flagler Street. In 1901, the Bahamian worshippers built the first St. Agnes' church building on a large corner lot donated by Henry Flagler at NW 3rd Avenue and NW 8th Street. St. Agnes' was chosen as the name because the majority of them had been members of the Saint Agnes Parish in New Providence on Blue Hill Road. Eventually the congregation grew so large that they outgrew the building. In the 1940s, St. Agnes was the third largest African-American Episcopal congregation in the nation. In 1929 Reverend John E. Culmer joined the church and worked to complete the building of the St Agnes Church building that exists today. A foundation was laid at a larger lot at NW 3rd Avenue and NW 18th Street. The building was designed by Harold Hastings Mundy, a prominent Miami architect in the early part of the twentieth century. He was known for the Spanish Colonial influence in his buildings. He also designed e Miami-Edison Senior High School and the Coconut Grove Public School. The outside of the building has elements of Gothic Revival and Mission. The roof was rounded instead of gabled in order to better protect it from storms. After becoming distraught over the tuberculosis deaths of several of his young parishioners, Rev. Culmer began a mission to improve conditions in Overtown. He brought the issue to the Greater Miami Negro Civic League and volunteered to serve as chairman of the league's fact-finding committee. By the early 1930s he had won the support of the editor of the Miami Herald, who published a series of columns on the unhealthy conditions in the community. St. Agnes' Episcopal Church was designated a historical site in 2003. You can still worship at St Agnes today.

Sad to see - it looks tired, unkept and pretty sad. This is what I discovered about this place -…read more Constructed to house one of Miami's oldest African-American congregations, this church building reflects a mix of architectural styles, including Neo-Classical and Mission style elements. The interior ornamentation is particularly noteworthy and includes an ornately carved marble altar from the congregation's original church and detailed ceiling. Although the building foundation was laid in 1923, a variety of setbacks delayed its construction, and the first service in the new sanctuary of St. Agnes' Episcopal Church was held in 1930. St. Agnes' Episcopal Church has served the religious and humanitarian needs of Miami's African-American community for many years, and it remains an active center in the Overtown area.

While driving through Miami Shores, I came across this blue historical marker in front of Village…read moreHall. The marker is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, colleges, historic districts, schools, and churches. Historical Marker F-1178 was erected in 2021 by the Miami Shores Historic Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State. During Florida's land boom of the 1920s, developer T. V. Moore envisioned an upscale, master-planned residential community on land he owned in what is now Miami Shores' commercial district. In 1924, the Shoreland Company purchased Moore's property, along with the Gordon Tract, Bay View Estates, and other scattered parcels, to create the community of Miami Shores. Homes were designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, reflecting the company's vision of creating "America's Mediterranean." The development was named after Victor Jacobi's popular 1919 waltz, On Miami Shore. Although the devastating 1926 Miami hurricane and the collapse of the Florida land boom slowed construction, the community continued to grow steadily over the following decades. Miami Shores was officially incorporated as a village in 1932. It developed into a primarily residential community known for its tree lined streets, green spaces, and commitment to preserving its architectural heritage. A major milestone came in 1940 with the founding of Barry University which grew into one of the village's largest institutions and an important cultural and educational center. Miami Shores is one of my favorite South Florida communities because of its beautiful historic homes and welcoming small town atmosphere, despite being surrounded by the larger Miami metropolitan area. I always enjoy visiting for its historic preservation efforts, parks, and convenient location just minutes from downtown Miami.

Some more history for you history buffs. Magic City, Aka this area, is getting a makeover people!…read moreThis building is derelict, but does have some history attached to it - It is the old DuPuis Medical Office and Drugstore, it was built is 1902 and is located at 6041-6045 NE 2nd Avenue, miami. Dr. John G. DuPuis constructed his medical office and drug store in the rural community of Lemon City four years after he arrived in South Florida. One of the region's most noted early physicians and community leaders, DuPuis founded the Dade County Agricultural School and established what would become one of the area's largest dairies. This traditional Masonry Vernacular style building features pressed metal detailing typical of turn-of-the-twentieth-century American commercial architecture.

Lemon City is an unincorporated area that predates Miami. It was a farming community that sprang up…read morein the 1850's, 26 years before the founding of Miami. The community took their name from the unusually sweet lemon trees that grew in the area. By the time Miami was incorporated Lemon City already had a population of 300. Lemon City had the areas oldest school, the Lemon City School, and the first library, the Lemon City Library. Lemon City was segregated with Black families living in three neighborhoods, Nazarine, Boles Town, and Knightsville. The exact boundaries of Lemon City have been lost to time since it was never incorporated. During the 1980's many Haitian immigrants made what was once Lemon City their home. The area has now been designated as Little Haiti which upset some of the descendants of the pioneers of Lemon City who thought the name change was insulting to their history. To be more inclusive of all of the history of the area, 10 historical signs marking the history of Lemon City were erected by the Mayor's office. Markers were placed at the Lemon City Train Station, Lemon City Port, Lemon City Library, and here at the Lemon City Pharmacy. Dr. John Gordon DuPuis was born in Newnansville Florida in 1875. He graduated from medical school at the University of Kentucky in 1898 and then moved to Lemon City where he began his practice and pharmacy in a one room building behind the Conolly Hotel. The Lemon City Pharmacy Dupuis Office was built in 1902, four years after he arrived in South Florida. It was the first concrete building north of downtown Miami and served as Dr. DuPuis medical practice and pharmacy and his families residence. The pharmacy was designed in a Masonry Vernacular style. The building features pressed metal detailing and the type of commercial architecture that was popular at the turn of the century. Dr. DuPuis was one of the first doctors in the area and a community leader. He treated the sick during a yellow fever outbreak in 1899 and counted the Seminoles and among his patients who held him in high regard. Dr. DuPuis was a white doctor who made house calls to Black families in the area, which was unusual for the time. Based on his belief that fresh milk was necessary for good health, he established what would become one of the area's largest dairies. White Belt Dairy consisted of 900 cows over 2,000 acres and was managed by Dr. DuPuis wife Katherine and his son John. Dr. DuPuis was also passionate about education. He founded the Dade Agricultural School in 1915 which focused on vocational training with a stress on agriculture. In 1925 Dr. DuPuis family moved out of the building and he continued his practice there until he passed away in 1955. The Dr. DuPuis medical building is currently in pretty sad shape. It was on the Dade Heritage Trust list of 12 most historic endangered buildings in 2018 however there may be hope for it because big plans are in the works for this area. The Miami City Commission are considering a billion-dollar real estate project in Little Haiti called the Magic City Innovation District, It is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete and will turn Little Haiti area into an international draw for tourists and businesses. Spread out over 17 acres it will include residential units, hotel rooms, retail space, and a pop-up theme park with multimedia and interactive installations, designed by Lune Rouge, the Montreal-based company owned by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. Best of all the developers want to preserve the historic aspects of this neighborhood. The DuPuis Medical Office and Drug Store will be incorporated into the western side of the project. A drawing of the project shows it turned into an art gallery. I am watching with anticipation to see what is going to happen in Little Haiti. You can already see the spark with new businesses opening like the Citadel Food Hall in the Little River area. I had heard of Lemon City in passing when bones were discovered in an unmarked cemetery during construction of an affordable housing unit. I always meant to learn more about this historic area but never had the time. I finally got to explore this area and was really delighted to find all of the historical markers. It was like a scavenger hunt discovering them and learning another piece of Lemon City's history. The pharmacy is currently fenced off in anticipation of the new project and there is a huge MAGIC sign set up across the street heralding what will hopefully be good things to come for this area. I am excited to see the next chapter of history unfold here.

Beautiful walking path and landmark. Easy, flat walk that is shady and surrounded by trees.read more

The Chinese Bridge is an iconic landmark in Palmetto Bay. The bridge is located on a pedestrian…read morestreet within a natural wildlife preserve of the Charles Deering Estate which is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County. The entrance to the trail that takes you to the bridge is a little past the Deering Estate. You can park your car on the side of the road and walk down until the road ends. That is where you pick up the trail that is only open to foot and bike traffic. Half way down the trail is the colorful bridge. The bridge was built in 1918 by Charles Deering who was a Chicago industrialist. The bridge was built to allow him to cross Cutler Creek to his retirement home. When Mr. Deering built the bridge he moved a portion of the original Cutler Road, which was located on the property he purchased that included the abandoned town of Cutler. The Chinese theme of the bridge reminded him of his travels in the Pacific as a young naval officer. I have wanted to find the bridge for quite some time. The hike to the bridge is an easy one that anyone can do. On my way to the bridge I saw a cardinal fly right past me. If you are in the area this is a very pleasant walk to take and this is a nice place to take a picture. I really like the history of this area which not only includes the Deering estate but ten thousand years of human occupation including 10,000 years of nearly continuous human occupation including Paleo-Indians, Tequesta settlements, Seminole hunting grounds, and Bahamian and Florida Cracker homesteads.

The kids and I had so much fun swinging through parrot jungle together! The frozen lemonade was…read morehelpful given how hot it was. They have really cool outdoor parks and a few cool animals you get to encounter as you stroll the park. Luckily for me I caught two love birds sharing a pec

I love a historic building and this storybook looking structure was once the site of the original…read moreentrance into the attraction Parrot Jungle. 1936 an Austrian named Franz Scherr rented the site of a former nudist colony for $25 a year. He used to visit Monkey Jungle offering unsolicited advice until the exasperated owner told him to open his own jungle. He did just that charging 25 cents to tour his garden and visit his birds. Parrot Jungle did very well for many years especially through the 1970's. Famous visitors include Winston Churchill, US President Jimmy Carter, and Steven Speilberg. During its 66 years of operation, a million people visited the attraction. It was eventually designated a historical landmark making it difficult to make changes to the park to keep up with the changing tastes of consumers. Attendance began to drop due to hurricanes and larger theme parks opening. The decision was made to move the park to Watson Island where it opened in 2003. It has struggled ever since, never finding the following it once had in Pinecrest. Jungle Island closed to visitors during the pandemic and never reopened except for events in the ballroom and camp groups. The land for the park is owned by the city and the operators of the park are unable to pay back the millions of dollars of debts it owes. I have heard many rumors surrounding Jungle Island like plans to turn it into an action park and to build a hotel on the property. What a sad turn of events for the once beloved attraction. Meanwhile back in Pinecrest on December 17, 2002, the Village of Pinecrest, with grant assistance from the Florida Communities Trust and Miami-Dade County were able to purchase the former Parrot Jungle site and turn it into a lovely garden which opened on March 8, 2003. In 2011 this site was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Parrot Jungle Historic District. Although the parrots are gone the winding paths and beautiful plants remain along with the Parrot Bowl which now hosts community performances. You can still see the original attraction entrance on Red Road as you drive up to the gardens. It was built from Dade County pine, impervious to termites and it had a palm-thatched modeled after the roofs on the Seminole chickee huts. In the 1940s, the roof was replaced with clay tiles and the building front was covered in natural coral rock. According to the historic marker out front, the entrance was damaged by fire in 1994. It is nice to see that although the birds are gone, Franz Scherr's gardens still thrive.

Another iconic building in Downtown Miami. Definitely worthy of a visit. If you do go, hit the…read morebutton to the top in the elevator, to see sweeping views. The public are allowed to go there. Once you are up there, you can see this area of Miami from a different wow factor insight. Check out my pictures for a taster.. The Miami Tower is a 47-story, landmark office skyscraper in Miami, Florida, United States. It is located in central Downtown. It is currently the 16th tallest building in Miami and Florida. Add to your "must see" list for Down town Miami.

Newly renovated "Sky Lounge" is awesome! The gym is nicer than some gyms you have to pay for. Staff…read moreis nice and the building is clean.