Lummus Park Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Lummus Park Historic District or simply Lummus Park, is a U.S.
historic district and neighborhood in Miami, Florida
. It is roughly bound by Northwest Fifth Street to the north, Flagler Street to the south, Northwest Third Avenue to the east, and the Miami River
to the west. On October 25, 2006, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
. Lummus Park has some of the oldest structures in Miami, and over the decades, has been able to retain a large part of its early pioneer character.
, and is home to Miami's old Scottish Rite Temple.
Lummus Park represents development in Miami before the phenomenal growth of the Florida land boom of the 1920s
. The Lummus Park area was platted in 1909, following the creation of Lummus Park in 1909. The park was the catalyst for the development of the surrounding area into a residential neighborhood. The land on which the neighborhood is located was originally owned by the Model Land Company, Henry Flagler's real estate company. The extant buildings and structures, such as the Scottish Rite Temple, are illustrative of the growth patterns in Miami, where areas closest to the water and downtown developed early in the history of the city.
The district is also significant as one of the last remaining residential neighborhood within close proximity to downtown Miami. Over the years, the historic district has been separated from the rest of downtown through the construction of I-95 to the east of the neighborhood and the construction of large high-rise structures on the surrounding properties.
Two of the buildings situated within Lummus Park – Fort Dallas, and the William Wagner House – are significant as the last remaining structures associated with Miami’s pioneer history. Both structures have been moved to their present site because they were threatened with demolition and there was no other alternative to assure their preservation. The erection of Fort Dallas at Lummus Park presents a combination of a reconstruction and moved structure. The 1920s endeavor to save the structure heralded the city’s first historic preservation
effort. This was quite a civic undertaking, as the city was just more than three decades old when the preservation effort began.
, but only the buildings comprising the historic district survive as a small remnant. The inclusion of the park, its recreational buildings, the Trinity CME Church, and the Scottish Rite Temple serve to recall the vitality of this neighborhood and serve as anchors to the district boundaries.
The buildings of Lummus Park represent the diversity of architectural styling that characterized early construction trends in Miami. In addition to the two pioneer-era structures, there are various examples of Frame Vernacular residences which represent an attempt to erect moderately-priced housing quickly, using locally available construction materials. The residences and apartment buildings executed in this regional style were influenced by other local buildings as well as the sub-tropical Miami climate. The presence of the Mediterranean Revival style in the neighborhood represents the firm establishment of a vernacular style incorporating architectural elements derived from countries with similar climate and proximity to water. The unique architecture of the Scottish Rite Temple makes this building a highly important architectural landmark in the city.
The other "Lummus Park" in Miami-Dade, is on the Atlantic Ocean
in South Beach
. When redesigned and improved in the mid-1980s, it became the seed project for the redevelopment of what is now the Ocean Drive
Deco District of SoBe (South Beach) from 5th to 15th Streets along Ocean Drive. The Miami Beach park initially became the location for many scenes from the television series "Miami Vice
", and its 20' wide Deco inspired three colored sidewalk, now faded to natural concrete, was the North American homage to Brazilian Landscape Architect Roberto Burle Marx
's oceanfront walk along Copacabana Beach near Rio de Janeiro
. The Miami Beach park, and the Deco streetscape along Ocean Drive continues to be featured in "Miami" location shots for television and movies, and can be seen in recent episodes of the USA Network
's "Burn Notice
".
}} Government Center (NW 1st Street and NW 1st Avenue)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historic district and neighborhood in Miami, 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 roughly bound by Northwest Fifth Street to the north, Flagler Street to the south, Northwest Third Avenue to the east, and the Miami River
Miami River (Florida)
The Miami River is a river in the United States state of Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through the Downtown and the city of Miami. The long river flows from the terminus of the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay...
to the west. On October 25, 2006, 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...
. Lummus Park has some of the oldest structures in Miami, and over the decades, has been able to retain a large part of its early pioneer character.
History
Lummus Park, was created in 1909, as one of Miami's first open, green spaces. The opening of the park in 1909, spurred development in the area, and today, most of the building around the park were built before 1926. The neighborhood has a variety of Mediterranean Revival, Frame, and Masonry Vernacular styles of architectureArchitecture
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...
, and is home to Miami's old Scottish Rite Temple.
Lummus Park represents development in Miami before the phenomenal growth of the Florida land boom of the 1920s
Florida land boom of the 1920s
The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925, leaving behind entire new cities and the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County and Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay...
. The Lummus Park area was platted in 1909, following the creation of Lummus Park in 1909. The park was the catalyst for the development of the surrounding area into a residential neighborhood. The land on which the neighborhood is located was originally owned by the Model Land Company, Henry Flagler's real estate company. The extant buildings and structures, such as the Scottish Rite Temple, are illustrative of the growth patterns in Miami, where areas closest to the water and downtown developed early in the history of the city.
The district is also significant as one of the last remaining residential neighborhood within close proximity to downtown Miami. Over the years, the historic district has been separated from the rest of downtown through the construction of I-95 to the east of the neighborhood and the construction of large high-rise structures on the surrounding properties.
Two of the buildings situated within Lummus Park – Fort Dallas, and the William Wagner House – are significant as the last remaining structures associated with Miami’s pioneer history. Both structures have been moved to their present site because they were threatened with demolition and there was no other alternative to assure their preservation. The erection of Fort Dallas at Lummus Park presents a combination of a reconstruction and moved structure. The 1920s endeavor to save the structure heralded the city’s first historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
effort. This was quite a civic undertaking, as the city was just more than three decades old when the preservation effort began.
Architecture of Lummus Park
Additionally, this neighborhood maintains importance because it exemplifies the architecture of the early part of the twentieth century. The remaining Mediterranean Revival and Frame and Masonry Vernacular residences and buildings illustrate the building styles and types that were once prevalent throughout downtown Miami, primarily in the 1910s and 1920s. The simple frame residences and early masonry apartment buildings represent the variety of residential building types that once flourished within Downtown MiamiDowntown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, but only the buildings comprising the historic district survive as a small remnant. The inclusion of the park, its recreational buildings, the Trinity CME Church, and the Scottish Rite Temple serve to recall the vitality of this neighborhood and serve as anchors to the district boundaries.
The buildings of Lummus Park represent the diversity of architectural styling that characterized early construction trends in Miami. In addition to the two pioneer-era structures, there are various examples of Frame Vernacular residences which represent an attempt to erect moderately-priced housing quickly, using locally available construction materials. The residences and apartment buildings executed in this regional style were influenced by other local buildings as well as the sub-tropical Miami climate. The presence of the Mediterranean Revival style in the neighborhood represents the firm establishment of a vernacular style incorporating architectural elements derived from countries with similar climate and proximity to water. The unique architecture of the Scottish Rite Temple makes this building a highly important architectural landmark in the city.
Historic landmarks
- Fort DallasFort DallasFort Dallas is a urban park in the Lummus Park Historic District of Miami, Florida, just west of Downtown. It once acted as a military base during the Seminole Wars, located on the banks of the Miami River in what is now Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States....
, the earliest surviving example of native limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
construction in Miami and the only remaining structure associated with Miami’s early military history. - William Wagner House, moved in 1979 to its present site and was the home of one of Miami’s leading pioneer citizens, the man responsible for erecting the first church in Miami-Dade County, and its structure represents a unique example of braced frame construction in the area.
- Scottish Rite Temple
- Trinity CME Church
- J. W. Warner HouseJ. W. Warner HouseThe J. W. Warner House is a historic home in Miami, Florida. It is located at 111 Southwest 5th Avenue. On June 1, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * at...
Lummus Park in South Beach
There are two Lummus Parks located in Miami-Dade County:The other "Lummus Park" in Miami-Dade, is on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in South Beach
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
. When redesigned and improved in the mid-1980s, it became the seed project for the redevelopment of what is now the Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive
-Locations:*Ocean Drive Beach, a community in South Carolina that is now a part of the city of North Myrtle Beach*Streets:**Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami, Florida...
Deco District of SoBe (South Beach) from 5th to 15th Streets along Ocean Drive. The Miami Beach park initially became the location for many scenes from the television series "Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
", and its 20' wide Deco inspired three colored sidewalk, now faded to natural concrete, was the North American homage to Brazilian Landscape Architect Roberto Burle Marx
Roberto Burle Marx
Roberto Burle Marx was a Brazilian landscape architect whose designs of parks and gardens made him world famous. He is accredited with having introduced modernist landscape architecture to Brazil...
's oceanfront walk along Copacabana Beach near Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. The Miami Beach park, and the Deco streetscape along Ocean Drive continues to be featured in "Miami" location shots for television and movies, and can be seen in recent episodes of the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's "Burn Notice
Burn notice
A burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
".
Transportation
Lummus Park is served by Metrobus throughout the area, and by the Miami Metrorail at:}} Government Center (NW 1st Street and NW 1st Avenue)
See also
- Downtown Miami Historic DistrictDowntown Miami Historic DistrictThe Downtown Miami Historic District is a U.S. historic district located in Downtown Miami, Florida. The district is bounded by Miami Court, North Third Street, West Third Avenue, and South Second Street. It contains 60 historic buildings...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, FloridaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, FloridaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, Florida.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Miami, Florida, United States...