Dade County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Dade County Courthouse, now known as the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, is a historic courthouse
located at 73 West Flagler Street in Miami
, Florida
. Constructed over four years (1925–28), it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
on January 4, 1989. The building is 360 feet (120 m) tall with 28 floors. When built, it was the tallest building in Miami and in Florida
.
It is still in use as the main civil courthouse of Miami-Dade County
.
, public records were so sparse they could be carried in a carpetbag and most probably were. Therefore, the "courthouse" was wherever the county's chief office holder decided to do business.
In 1890, Miami-Dade County's first courthouse stood in the town of Juno, Florida some ten miles north of West Palm Beach. At that time, Miami-Dade County covered more territory than it does today, stretching from Bahia Honda Key
, in the middle Keys up to the St. Lucie River
north of Palm Beach.
Juno was chosen as the "county seat" because of its strategic location at the southern terminus of the Jupiter-Juno railroad, as well as, the northern terminus of the boat and connecting stagecoach line to Miami. The courthouse remained in Juno (now no longer in existence), until 1899 when it was moved to Miami "down the inland waterway on a barge and was placed on the banks of the Miami River, east of the old Miami Avenue bridge.
The building was a two story wooden frame construction, housing offices and jail cells on the ground floor and a courtroom on the second floor. In 1904, this building was replaced by a new courthouse building situated on Flagler Street (then known as "D" Street). It was a magnificent building constructed of coquina rock, having an elegant red-domed top, all this at the cost of $47,000. It was anticipated that this courthouse would serve the city for at least fifty years, however, no one was prepared for the rapid growth Miami experienced during this period, and by 1924, only twenty years later, there was serious talk of the need for a larger courthouse.
In 1928, architect A. Ten Eyck Brown
entered a design competition for Atlanta City Hall
which was rejected and he then made the plans available to Miami-Dade and City and County officials readily approved them. It was decided to build the new courthouse at the same location as the existing one on Flagler Street. Construction began in 1925, with workers erecting the new building around the existing structure, which was then dismantled. Community leaders and citizens alike voiced excitement over the new 28 story "skyscraper" that would soon dominate the skyline.
Unexpectedly, construction was halted when the building reached ten stories. It was discovered that the "high-rise" was sinking into the spongy ground. Engineers consulted with an architect from Mexico City
who had encountered a similar problem while building the city's opera house. The consultant determined that the foundation pilings were not set deep enough. To correct the problem cement supports were poured which take up much of the space in the building's basement file room even to this day.
The courthouse was finally completed in 1928 at a cost of four million dollars. Initially, it served as both the Dade County Courthouse and the Miami City Hall. Jail cells occupied the top nine floors because these heights offered "maximum security" and were considered escape proof. In 1934 a prisoner housed on the twenty-first floor, picked the lock of his jail cell window and used a fire hose to lower himself to freedom. In the years following, more than 70 prisoners escaped from this so-called secure prison.
. Efforts to refurbish this magnificent structure and restore it to its original grandeur have been underway since 1981.
Currently, the restoration of the lobby to its original distinction is the passion of engineer Don Youatt, of the Metro-Dade Planning and Development Department. With a little less than half of the funding necessary for the lobby restoration project in hand ($300,000 grant approved by the Legislature in 1996) the Dade County Bar Association will act as the fund-raising umbrella and initiate a drive to raise the remainder needed from lawyers and the general public.
Today, the Dade County Courthouse, provides offices, chambers and courtrooms for the clerks and judiciary assigned to the Circuit and County Civil Court and the Family Court.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
located at 73 West Flagler Street in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Florida
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...
. Constructed over four years (1925–28), it was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 4, 1989. The building is 360 feet (120 m) tall with 28 floors. When built, it was the tallest building in Miami and in Florida
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...
.
It is still in use as the main civil courthouse of Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
.
History
When county government was established following the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, public records were so sparse they could be carried in a carpetbag and most probably were. Therefore, the "courthouse" was wherever the county's chief office holder decided to do business.
In 1890, Miami-Dade County's first courthouse stood in the town of Juno, Florida some ten miles north of West Palm Beach. At that time, Miami-Dade County covered more territory than it does today, stretching from Bahia Honda Key
Bahia Honda Key
Bahia Honda , is an island in the lower Florida Keys.U.S...
, in the middle Keys up to the St. Lucie River
St. Lucie River
The St. Lucie River is a estuary in St. Lucie and Martin counties in the U.S. state of Florida. Its North Fork flows south from St Lucie County into Martin County where it joins the north-flowing South Fork, which was once called the Halpatiokee River, just south of the old Roosevelt Bridge in...
north of Palm Beach.
Juno was chosen as the "county seat" because of its strategic location at the southern terminus of the Jupiter-Juno railroad, as well as, the northern terminus of the boat and connecting stagecoach line to Miami. The courthouse remained in Juno (now no longer in existence), until 1899 when it was moved to Miami "down the inland waterway on a barge and was placed on the banks of the Miami River, east of the old Miami Avenue bridge.
The building was a two story wooden frame construction, housing offices and jail cells on the ground floor and a courtroom on the second floor. In 1904, this building was replaced by a new courthouse building situated on Flagler Street (then known as "D" Street). It was a magnificent building constructed of coquina rock, having an elegant red-domed top, all this at the cost of $47,000. It was anticipated that this courthouse would serve the city for at least fifty years, however, no one was prepared for the rapid growth Miami experienced during this period, and by 1924, only twenty years later, there was serious talk of the need for a larger courthouse.
In 1928, architect A. Ten Eyck Brown
A. Ten Eyck Brown
Albert Anthony Ten Eyck Brown was an architect active in Atlanta, Georgia and other areas. Brown was born in 1878 in Albany, New York. He studied at the Academy of Design in New York.His works include:* St...
entered a design competition for Atlanta City Hall
Atlanta City Hall
Since Atlanta was founded, there have been four official city halls of Atlanta.-Antebellum:After half a decade of makeshift meeting places for city business , in 1853 mayor of Atlanta John Mims purchased the four-acre "Peters's Reserve" from Richard Peters for $5,000...
which was rejected and he then made the plans available to Miami-Dade and City and County officials readily approved them. It was decided to build the new courthouse at the same location as the existing one on Flagler Street. Construction began in 1925, with workers erecting the new building around the existing structure, which was then dismantled. Community leaders and citizens alike voiced excitement over the new 28 story "skyscraper" that would soon dominate the skyline.
Unexpectedly, construction was halted when the building reached ten stories. It was discovered that the "high-rise" was sinking into the spongy ground. Engineers consulted with an architect from Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
who had encountered a similar problem while building the city's opera house. The consultant determined that the foundation pilings were not set deep enough. To correct the problem cement supports were poured which take up much of the space in the building's basement file room even to this day.
The courthouse was finally completed in 1928 at a cost of four million dollars. Initially, it served as both the Dade County Courthouse and the Miami City Hall. Jail cells occupied the top nine floors because these heights offered "maximum security" and were considered escape proof. In 1934 a prisoner housed on the twenty-first floor, picked the lock of his jail cell window and used a fire hose to lower himself to freedom. In the years following, more than 70 prisoners escaped from this so-called secure prison.
Present day
For many years the Dade County Courthouse, at an elevation of 360 feet, was reputed to be the tallest building south of Baltimore. It was the County's first high-rise and is in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Efforts to refurbish this magnificent structure and restore it to its original grandeur have been underway since 1981.
Currently, the restoration of the lobby to its original distinction is the passion of engineer Don Youatt, of the Metro-Dade Planning and Development Department. With a little less than half of the funding necessary for the lobby restoration project in hand ($300,000 grant approved by the Legislature in 1996) the Dade County Bar Association will act as the fund-raising umbrella and initiate a drive to raise the remainder needed from lawyers and the general public.
Today, the Dade County Courthouse, provides offices, chambers and courtrooms for the clerks and judiciary assigned to the Circuit and County Civil Court and the Family Court.
External links
- Dade County listings, Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Dade County Courthouse at Florida's Historic Courthouses
- Florida's Historic Courthouses by Hampton Dunn (ISBN)