Spring 2005 Preservation Today News

PRESERVATION TODAY NEWS SPRING 2005

From the President of the Board

By Rich Heisenbottle

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During the past 3 months, DHT has been at the center of the fight to save the historic Coral Rock House at 900 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach. The house was constructed in approximately 1916 and is thought to be one of the oldest structures on Miami Beach. It was built by Miami Beach visionary, Avery Smith, who was one of the first residents to foresee the potential for tourism on the beach. Mr. Smith owned the first ferry service (Avery's Ferry) to Miami Beach, then known as Ocean Beach, before the opening of the John Collins Bridge to the mainland. Mr. Smith was the owner of Smith's Casino, which was the first modern bathing house and recreation pavilion of its kind on the beach.

DHT is most grateful to the following for their generous support: Gay Bondurant Jim Herrera Rod Hildebrant Marie tiefel Dolly Maclntyre

IBM EWM Mortgage BLl! U ery Motor Mellon United National Bank Swire Propenie Metro Beauty Center Churchill's Barber Shop Biscayne Bay Pilots Association The Scott & Carol lyons Charitable Foundation, Inc. R] Heisenbottle, Architects Northern Trust Bank Greenberg Traurig Ocean Bank ]. Kevin Reilly TotalBank Alex & Agnes O. Mclnto h Foundation

DHT received a request for assistance from Miami Design Preservation League.

When the Miami Beach City Commission debated how to proceed with saving the Smith Residence, which had been deemed an unsafe structure by the building department, Dade Heritage Trust sought to prove that the residence could be restored and offered to pay for the services of structural engineer Douglas Wood to develop a restoration plan. Following numerous presentations to both the Miami Dade County Unsafe Structures Board and Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board, I am pleased to report that both the City and DHT are in negotiations with the property owner, and we expect to report shortly a successful strategy for saving the house from demolition.

Goldsmith Family Foundation Peacock Foundation, Inc.

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Miami-Dade County Dept. of Cultural Affairs

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DHT's revolving fund has made this preservation effort possible.

DHT has led tile fight to save the Avery Smith House on M iami Beadt

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Preservation Today News

GOB VOTERS GIVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS A FUTURE "T he voters have now given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save a wealth of historic treasures. "

Miami's endangered historic sites now have a future, thanks to the recent passage of the MiamiDade County $2.9 billion General Obligation Bond.

Dade Heritage T rust, South Florida's largest historic preservation nonprofit organization, Congratu lations to Dr. James Hutson and his wife Miriam on the occasion of their 60 rh wedding anniversary.

Also congratulations to Blanca Mesa and husband Jonathan Ullman on the birth of their daughter, Leah Elana Ullman on Feb. 9,2005.

TI1e effervescent, creative Dorothy Zinzow, a former magazine publisher and a ---'m1gtime em..b.e.r died November 18, 2004.

Dottie was a leading force in DHT's efforts to restore the Cape Florida Lighthou e, devoting countless volunteer hours.

Our deepest sympathy goes to the family of Paul Schaefer, who died April!, 2005.

Paul, a former pilot and executive, and his wife Norah, a past DHT president, were preservation pioneers in Morningside.

Paul's wit and warmth will be missed by all.

will receive $10 million for a Preservation Fund to save imperiled historic properties throughout Miami-Dade County.

Funds will be availab le for emergency loans and grants at the neighborhood level to rescue endangered historic sites from demolition and ne-<' glect and to restore speciallandmarks.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, will receive an additional $50 million for restoration.

The main house and grounds will be improved and nine of its farm village buildings will be opened to the public for the first time.

Another ten million dol-

lars from the GOB will be distributed among numerous historic projects, based on their endangerment, public benefit, historic importance and ethnic d iversity. For example, Miami's oldest high schooLQuilt in t 905, will be rehabilitated into a community center in Southside Park, and the Coral Gables Old Fire Station, built in 1939, will be restored as a museum Also included on the funding list are the Historic Hampton House in Brownsville, Flagler Memorial in Miami Beach, the Curtiss Mansion in Miami Springs, the Original Entrance to Parrot ~ Jungle in Pinecrest, the Redland Farm Life School, the Hubbard/Alvarez Bungalow in Little Havana, the Richmond Naval Air Station in South Miami-Dade and the Dorsey Memorial Library in Overtown.

"In the face of so much rampant growth and development in Miami, we have been in danger of losing our community's architectural and historic legacy," commented DHT

Executive Director Becky Roper Matkov. "The approval of the GOB was a godsend for historic preservation. The voters have now given us a once-in-alifetime opportunity to save a wealth of historic treasures."

The campaign to secure historic preservation funding on the bond referendum was initiated in the winter of 2004 by Dade Heritage Trust.

DHT worked with Miami-Dade County Preservation Director Ivan Rodriguez, the Miami-Dade Preservation Board, County Manager George Burgess, County Commissioners, the Villagers and many community leaders to produce a list of woposed project~.

Advocacy efforts followed to enlist community support.

"Thanks to the passage of the GOB," says DHT Board President Richard Heisenbottle, AIA, "Miami's future will be enriched by its architectural past."

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Preservation T oday News

From the Executive Director

Dotson Bequest Strengthens DHT Thanks to a wonderfully generous bequest of $285,000 from Martha Jo Dotson, Dade Heritage Trust has been able to establish an Endowment Fund for the first time in our organization's 33-year history.

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"Martha [oved Miami's history and wanted to preserve the memory of her famay's rok here."

Martha loved Miami's history and wanted to preserve the memory of her family's role in our community. In 1983 , with Don Slesnick as her attorney, she put Dade Heritage Trust in her will, wanting to support DHT's efforts to save Martha Dotson was a lo ng-time Miami's architectural heritage. member of Dade Heritage Trust who died December 11, 2003 at As a Lifetime Member of Dade the age of 66. A native MiHeritage Trust, Martha atamian, she grew up in a house tended many DHT functions. on Espanola Drive in Coconut In a visit I had with her at her Grove. Her parents were Betty home a few years ago, she reand Harry Dotson, who owned called going to a DHT Herithe Dotson Tire Company. tage Touri m Conference in Martha attended Miss Harris' was a whirlwind day 1989.

It School and Coral Gables High. that began with speakers at the She was a member of the Muby trolley to Biltmo re, went seum of Science, CrimeWatch, the Art Deco District on Mithe Coral G ables W oman 's ami Beach for lunch, toured Club, the Coral Gables Counthe river and Downtown Mitry C lub, the Republican C lub ami, and ended at sunset with and the Coral Gables Congrereception at Vizcaya. a cocktail gational C hurch. She worked was one of the most She said it at Riverside Bank and was a le days of her life. enjoyab devoted daughter who cared for her aged father for many ye~rs.

Martha had a passion for ball- J' roo m dancing, dancing competitively with glorious swirling costumes.

Martha attended a fundraiser DHT held at the ho me of Bunny Bastian in Gables Estates in 2000, donating numerou antiques for our auction. We enjoyed her company that night and on everal other occa ions, going out to lunch, looking at o ld photograph and talking about an earlier Miami.

She called DHT on numerous occasions just to chat.

All of us who knew Martha will miss her. W e will always be deeply grateful to her for giving Dade Heritage Trust such a substantial gift, and for making it possible to start an endowment that we hope will grow with time.

She has set an inspiring example for all who treasure Miami's heritage.

Becky Roper Matkov

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A check from the estate of Martha Dotson was pre¡ sented at DHT's holiday party December 15, 2004.

Top: A young Martha Dotson, Midtlle: The Dotson T ire Company.

Right: Martha Dotson (left) at a 2000 DHT party, shown with Ellen Uguccioni

Shown are DHT pro bono attorney Tom Matkov, former DHT President Bill Murphy, DHT Executive Director Becky Roper M atkoll, DHT President Richard H eisenbottle, Coral Gables Mayor and Personal Representative of the Estate Don Slesnick, and event host Jim Herrera.

NONPRPOFIT ORGANIZATION u.s. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 6022

190 Southeast 12th Terrace Miami, Florida 33131 305-358-9572 www.dadeheritagetrust.org

Oldest House in Kendall Relocated to Continental Park The historic Dice House, the oldest house left standing in Kendall, was relocated to its new home at Continental Park, 10000 SW 82nd Avenue, Miami, on Monday, March 7,2005, in the early morning hours. There it wiLL be rehabilitated for use as a recreation center. Officials from Miami-Dade Parks, the Office of Historic Preservation, the Dade Heritage Trust, and County Commissioner Katy Sorenson were on hand to celebrate this occasion, along with members of the neighborhood.

The Dice House, built in 1917, had been condemned by the Unsafe Structures Board due to its advanced state of deterioration. Last minute efforts saved the house from demolition. ~ The Dice House preservation project 路is being made possible by a grant of $450,000 from the Quality Neighborhoods Improvement Program, allocated through the efforts of Commissioner Sorenson. The Dade Heritage Trust, Miami's largest historic preservation nonprofit organization, and the previou owner, Mr. Bernardo Junco, provided $45,000 each to complete the $540,000 needed for the project.

Now that the Dice House has been secured on its site in Continental Park, the rehabilitation of the structure will begin. Once the work is completed, the house will erve for community gatherings and programs.

The timing of the relocation of the Dice House couldn't have been more appropriate as it coincided with the start of Dade Heritage Days, Dade Heritage Trust's annual celebration of Miami's historic places. The theme of this year's Dade Heritage Days, which features 70 events throughout March and April, is "Growing History: Miami's Historic Landscapes, Parks and Gardens."

DHT Presidelll Rich Heisenbortle and Miami路Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson at the Dice HOII.'!e Ceremony

Dade-tferitage Days Erren-r sNorto B~ Missed DHT Cocktail Party and Auction at the Historic Vanderbilt Mansion on Fisher Island Friday, April 15[\ 6-8 p.m.

RSVP 305-358-9572 With thanks to TotalBank ************

DHT Hi toric Miami City Cemetery Commemorative Procession and Service Sunday April 24[\ 3 p.m.

Historic St. Agne Epi copal Church, 1750 NW 3,J Ave., with marching band nd to cemetery at 1800 NE 2 Ave. With thanks to the City of Miami **************

DHT 2005 Preservation Award Cocktail Reception and Ceremony to honor outstanding pre ervationi ts Thursday, April 28 th , 6-8 p.m.

700 Brickell Avenue With thanks to Northern Trust Bank