Buena Vista, Miami, Florida
Encyclopedia
Buena Vista is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida
, United States
. It is located south of Little Haiti
, north of the Design District.
Buena Vista is primarily a residential neighborhood with historic single-family home
s primarily from the 1920s. The Buena Vista East Historic District is located in Buena Vista, and includes some of the oldest homes in the neighborhood.
immigrants from Georgia
and North Carolina
, the neighborhood soon became popular with the owners of nearby businesses. The houses reflect their original owners' rising social status and include fine examples of Mediterranean Revival, Mission
, Craftsman, and Art Deco
architecture
style residences.
Buena Vista, Lemon City, and Little River were founded before the turn of the 19th-century and represent some of the earliest settlements in Miami-Dade County. The area known as Buena Vista was once a small village adjoining, but not within the corporate limits of Miami proper. Although preceded in age by pioneer Lemon City, a town located a little further north, the small village of Buena Vista dates its birth, development, and growth along with Miami’s. The founding of Buena Vista dates back to the days when the immense rock ridge extending between the Atlantic Ocean and the Florida Everglades was covered by a dense pine forest. The earliest history of the village is recorded in a survey made by government surveyors, and the locations of ht eland tracts are to this date still founded on this early document.
The land which became Buena Vista was originally part of the homesteads of William Henry Gleason
and E.L. White. Gleason, a prominent and somewhat notorious figure in early Miami-Dade County politics, arrived in Miami after the Civil War
was elected Lieutenant Governor of Florida
. He left the area in 1876 but retained his homestead for several years, eventually turning it over to his son. As early as 1892, E.L. White homesteaded the area from N.E. 41st Street to N.E. 54th Street between N.W. 2nd Avenue and N.E. 2nd Avenue. This was the area from which the Biltmore and Shadowlawn Subdivisions, which today make up the "Buena Vista East Historic District", were carved in the early 1920s.
The arrival of the railroad in 1896 marked the end of an era for the pioneer bayfront village of Lemon City, which had enjoyed tremendous importance to the Miami area by virtue of its docks. Now the train brought much needed supplies to the rest of Dade County, and lured people away from the bayfront community to Miami and its outlying areas. The Lemon City depot, built in 1896, drew business further west away from the bay, and the small village of Buena Vista gradually developed. One of the earliest subdivisions in the Buena Vista areas was the Buena Vista Biscayne Badger Club Subdivision, which was developed in 1910 as a bayfront community with a private water plant, streets, and a park with recreation dock on the bay. However, it was inland where the village took shape. By 1910, suburban Buena Vista could boast of one hotel known as the Courley House, its very own railroad depot on the Florida East Coast Railway
line, a small post office building, tropical fruit groves, a fruit-packing house, a grocery store, and one religious institution, the Holy Cross Episcopal Church.
Other prominent citizens acquired land in Buena Vista. Among them was the millionaire, Charles Deering
, who purchased a large tract of bayfront land east of the railroad, in the area now known as the Upper Eastside
. This land is where the "Baypoint" neighborhood is now located. Much of the area fronting the bay was naturally wooded, and here Deering created an arboretum and sanctuary for birds and animals. There were no public roadways in the area east of the railroad, and since Deering strongly opposed the opening of such streets, the area was preserved in its pristine, virgin state for many years.
As the population of Miami grew between the late 1910s through the Boom era of the early 1920s, new areas reached northward along the old Dixie Highway (N.E. 2nd Avenue) and Avenue D (N. Miami Avenue), which was extended northward from N.E. 36th Street. The northern city limit of Miami was moved to N.E. 38th Street, and this took in a part of Buena Vista. Finally, on August 4, 1924, the new town of Buena Vista was incorporated and, together with the other incorporated areas of Coconut Grove and Silver Bluff, was annexed to the City of Miami the following year.
to the south, I-95 to the west, and Biscayne Boulevard to the east.
As of 2000, the percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all made up 13.5% of the population. The percentage of residents born in Florida was 41.5%, the percentage of people born in another U.S. state was 16.8%, and the percentage of native residents but born outside the U.S. was 4.3%, while the percentage of foreign born residents was 37.4%.
operates area public schools:
The Archdiocese of Miami operates:
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located south of Little Haiti
Little Haiti
Little Haiti or La Petite Haïti, and traditionally known as Lemon City, is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States known as a traditional center for Haitian immigrants, and Francophone culture in the city.-Lemon City, early farming days:...
, north of the Design District.
Buena Vista is primarily a residential neighborhood with historic single-family home
Single-family home
A single-family detached home, also called a single-detached dwelling or separate house is a free-standing residential building. It is defined in opposition to a multi-family dwelling.- Definitions :...
s primarily from the 1920s. The Buena Vista East Historic District is located in Buena Vista, and includes some of the oldest homes in the neighborhood.
History
In the 1890s, Buena Vista was a small village whose founding and growth paralleled Miami's. During the Land Boom of the 1920s, the area was developed as the Biltmore and Shadowlawn subdivisions. Originally home to many Florida crackerFlorida cracker
Florida cracker refers to original colonial-era English and American pioneer settlers of what is now the U.S. state of Florida, and their descendants. The first Florida crackers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain...
immigrants from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, the neighborhood soon became popular with the owners of nearby businesses. The houses reflect their original owners' rising social status and include fine examples of Mediterranean Revival, Mission
Mission style
Mission style may refer to the following:*Mission Style Furniture*Mission Revival Style architecture*American Craftsman, an architectural and design movement*Mission School, an art movement of the late 20th century...
, Craftsman, and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
style residences.
Buena Vista, Lemon City, and Little River were founded before the turn of the 19th-century and represent some of the earliest settlements in Miami-Dade County. The area known as Buena Vista was once a small village adjoining, but not within the corporate limits of Miami proper. Although preceded in age by pioneer Lemon City, a town located a little further north, the small village of Buena Vista dates its birth, development, and growth along with Miami’s. The founding of Buena Vista dates back to the days when the immense rock ridge extending between the Atlantic Ocean and the Florida Everglades was covered by a dense pine forest. The earliest history of the village is recorded in a survey made by government surveyors, and the locations of ht eland tracts are to this date still founded on this early document.
The land which became Buena Vista was originally part of the homesteads of William Henry Gleason
William Henry Gleason
William Henry Gleason was an American politician from Florida. He was Florida's second Lieutenant Governor and was very briefly, acting Governor.-Early life:...
and E.L. White. Gleason, a prominent and somewhat notorious figure in early Miami-Dade County politics, arrived in Miami after the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
was elected Lieutenant Governor of Florida
Lieutenant Governor of Florida
The Lieutenant Governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the Governor of Florida, and succeeds to the office of Governor if it...
. He left the area in 1876 but retained his homestead for several years, eventually turning it over to his son. As early as 1892, E.L. White homesteaded the area from N.E. 41st Street to N.E. 54th Street between N.W. 2nd Avenue and N.E. 2nd Avenue. This was the area from which the Biltmore and Shadowlawn Subdivisions, which today make up the "Buena Vista East Historic District", were carved in the early 1920s.
The arrival of the railroad in 1896 marked the end of an era for the pioneer bayfront village of Lemon City, which had enjoyed tremendous importance to the Miami area by virtue of its docks. Now the train brought much needed supplies to the rest of Dade County, and lured people away from the bayfront community to Miami and its outlying areas. The Lemon City depot, built in 1896, drew business further west away from the bay, and the small village of Buena Vista gradually developed. One of the earliest subdivisions in the Buena Vista areas was the Buena Vista Biscayne Badger Club Subdivision, which was developed in 1910 as a bayfront community with a private water plant, streets, and a park with recreation dock on the bay. However, it was inland where the village took shape. By 1910, suburban Buena Vista could boast of one hotel known as the Courley House, its very own railroad depot on the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
line, a small post office building, tropical fruit groves, a fruit-packing house, a grocery store, and one religious institution, the Holy Cross Episcopal Church.
Other prominent citizens acquired land in Buena Vista. Among them was the millionaire, Charles Deering
Charles Deering
Charles Deering was an American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist. He was an executive of the agricultural machinery company founded by his father that became International Harvester. Charles's successful stewardship of the family firm left him with the means and leisure to indulge...
, who purchased a large tract of bayfront land east of the railroad, in the area now known as the Upper Eastside
Upper Eastside
The Upper East Side neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. It is north of Edgewater, east of Little Haiti, south of the village of Miami Shores, and sits on Biscayne Bay...
. This land is where the "Baypoint" neighborhood is now located. Much of the area fronting the bay was naturally wooded, and here Deering created an arboretum and sanctuary for birds and animals. There were no public roadways in the area east of the railroad, and since Deering strongly opposed the opening of such streets, the area was preserved in its pristine, virgin state for many years.
As the population of Miami grew between the late 1910s through the Boom era of the early 1920s, new areas reached northward along the old Dixie Highway (N.E. 2nd Avenue) and Avenue D (N. Miami Avenue), which was extended northward from N.E. 36th Street. The northern city limit of Miami was moved to N.E. 38th Street, and this took in a part of Buena Vista. Finally, on August 4, 1924, the new town of Buena Vista was incorporated and, together with the other incorporated areas of Coconut Grove and Silver Bluff, was annexed to the City of Miami the following year.
Geography
It is located at 25.813°N 80.192°W, with an elevation 13 feet (4 m), making it one of the higher areas in the city. It is bounded by NW 54th Street to the north, I-195Interstate 195 (Florida)
Interstate 195 is a spur expressway connecting Interstate 95 in the west with Miami Beach in the east, crossing Biscayne Bay by traveling over the Julia Tuttle Causeway, named after Miami founder Julia Tuttle....
to the south, I-95 to the west, and Biscayne Boulevard to the east.
Buena Vista East Historic District
The Buena Vista East Historic District is located on the eastern side of Buena Vista, and is bound between NE 2nd Avenue and Miami Avenue from NE 42nd Street to NE 48th Street.Demographics
As of 2000, the population of Buena Vista had 11,290 people. The zip codes for Buena Vista include 33127 and 33137. The area covers 1.265 square miles (3.3 km²). As of 2000, there were 5,396 males and 5,894 females. The median age for males were 31.5 years old, while the median age for females were 36.9 years old. The average household size had 3.2 people, while the average family size had 3.8 members. The percentage of married-couple families (among all households) was 31.3%, while the percentage of married-couple families with children (among all households) was 14.7%, and the percentage of single-mother households (among all households) was 20.7%. The percentage of never-married males 15 years old and over was 19.4%, while the percentage of never-married females 15 years old and over was 18.5%.As of 2000, the percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all made up 13.5% of the population. The percentage of residents born in Florida was 41.5%, the percentage of people born in another U.S. state was 16.8%, and the percentage of native residents but born outside the U.S. was 4.3%, while the percentage of foreign born residents was 37.4%.
Education
Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsMiami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
operates area public schools:
- Shadowlawn Elementary School
- Design and Architecture Senior High School
The Archdiocese of Miami operates:
- Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High SchoolArchbishop Curley-Notre Dame High SchoolArchbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States...
, private/Catholic