| Glenn Curtiss House | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 |
|
| Location: | Miami Springs, Florida |
| Added to NRHP: | December 21, 2001 |
The Glenn Curtiss House (also known as the Miami Springs Villas House or Dar-Err-Aha or MSTR No. 2) is a historic home in Miami Springs, Florida. Miami Springs is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the It is located at 500 Deer Run. On December 21, 2001, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of
It is a historical landmark that was constructed in 1925 by aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss, developer of the Miami suburbs of Hialeah,and Opa-Locka, Florida, as well as Miami Springs, Florida, where the mansion is located. Glenn Hammond Curtiss ( 21 May 1878 &ndash 23 July 1930) was an American Aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Opa-locka is a City located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Miami Springs is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Curtiss lived at this large, two-story residence designed in the Pueblo Revival style, until his death in 1930. The Pueblo Revival Style is a regional Architectural style of the Southwestern United States which draws its inspiration from the Pueblos ' and
Contents |
History
Facing the eastern perimeter of the golf course, it features a central patio and was the largest of Pueblo theme houses built by Curtiss-Wright company in their development of Country Club Estates. A country club is a private Club which offers a variety of recreational Sports facilities usually located in city outskirts or rural areas The beautifully landscaped estate covered over 30 acres with a small lake on the east side of the property. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Mr. Curtiss brought to the lake many species of water birds including flamingos and swans. Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family Swans are Birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and Ducks Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in Including the adjacent property, it formed a 21-acre complex. After Glenn Curtiss's death in the early 1930s, Lena Curtiss married an old friend and business associate of her husband, H. Sayre Wheeler. Wheeler served as mayor of Miami Springs from 1942 to 1944 and was also part owner of the Michaels and Wheeler Insurance Company. The couple lived in the house until the late 1940s. The estate was sold in the mid-50's and became the world renowned Miami Springs Villas. It was sold to Forte Hotels, International, Inc. in the late 1970s and is currently owned by Manor Care, Inc.. Manor Care Inc, through its operating group HCR Manor Care, is a major provider in the United States of both short-term post-acute and long-term care Designated as a Miami Springs historic site in 1987. The mansion is determined eligible to be placed on the NRHP. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of
Architecture
Its architect, Martin Luther Hampton, was one of Miami's most prominent architects during the 1920s--his designs include the former Miami Beach City Hall and the Congress Building in downtown Miami. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation The house is roughly V-shaped in plan and constructed of hollow clay tile with a rough textured stucco exterior. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water The roof is flat with very irregular parapet walls embellished by projecting waterspouts and irregular shaped openings. The main entrance to the residence is set within a deeply recessed T-shaped opening and marked by a flat-roofed porte cochere. At the south end of the lake is an arbor and barbecue grill. The grill was constructed of oolitic limestone (coral rock), which was a by-product of digging the lake. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3
Local Treatment
Paranormal
The mansion's eerie look and shady history drew many locals to it. It is thought by many locals to be haunted. Many organizations like the Florida Ghost Team visit and explore it often.
Visit their Website: FloridaghostTeam. com
Destruction
From the '70s until late 2002, it was a place of vandalism and a number of fires that have destroyed the house. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable The most devastating and last of those was in 2002, before it was closed to the public.
Future Plans
The Glenn Curtiss House is currently not open to the public while it is being restored to serve as a museum honoring the life of Glenn Curtiss. The museum plans to open eventually. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the
See also
Sources
- http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/gle.htm Accesed in 2006
External links
- NPS Glenn Curtiss Mansion
- Florida Ghost Team EVP
- MiamiSprings.com
- Dade County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs