Though you may now be aware of Moorish architecture in Miami, and you've undoubtedly encountered Mediterranean Revival architecture, as well as Art Deco on Miami Beach, you probably were unaware that there's a Pueblo Revival home here in the heart of Miami. Like most locals, you probably have not even heard of it, or think it's something only to be found in the Southwest. The Curtiss Mansion was the home of aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss, developer of Hialeah and Opa-locka, and a rival of the Wright Brothers. The Glenn Curtiss House is one of the largest and most architecturally distinguished of the Pueblo Revival residences associated with Curtiss's Miami Springs development, so it's worth a visit.
The home was constructed in 1925 and Mr. Curtiss lived in the home until his death in 1930. The architect behind it, Martin Luther Hampton, was the same architect behind former Miami Beach City Hall and the Congress Building in downtown Miami. It is constructed of hollow clay tile and a stucco exterior, and surrounded by palm trees, it faces the eastern perimeter of the Miami Springs golf course. There is a one acre lake, which brought along many water birds in its day (and was even stocked with flamingos), and the original barbecue grill by the lake remains intact as well.
From the '70s until late 2002, the Curtiss Mansion was the victim of vandalism and three arson fires that nearly destroyed the building. Eventually, it had to undergo a massive restoration, in which only the exterior walls remained intact. Blueprints were dug up from the time of its construction, and they allowed the restoration to be completed true to the original. Its doors reopened in 2012 for visitors. Tours are offered mostly on weekdays, and rarely, on weekends (subject to reservations). The mansion is also a popular wedding venue.
UPDATE: After much waiting, I finally got the chance to see the interior of the mansion through a privately requested tour. Melinda graciously gave me a tour of the interior and provided me with a lot of information that is usually not found on the website, in addition to showing me a collection of historic photos of the mansion, the Curtisses, and visitors to the home. Because it is not a museum and the exterior tends to be the part of the home used for weddings, the inside is barely furnished (though it was beautiful, when it was furnished, as seen in black and white photos). These days, the event planners bring their own furnishings for weddings.
The original furnishings were mostly taken out of the home by prior owners when it was deeded to the City of Miami Springs. Whatever did remain ended up being lost in the arson fires. Something that is eye-catching and worth admiring inside the home is the beautiful, large oolitic limestone fireplace, which is original and the only thing that remained intact, as the roof, second floor and most of the interior walls were ruined in the fires. It'd be great if they could somehow integrate a museum with the event space concept, sort of like Vizcaya, but there already is a Miami Springs Museum, so it is unlikely that this is something they'd consider. read more