Architectural, Cultural sights in Miami
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A
Casa Elián
The surreal house of Elián Gonzales, subject of one of the most bitter international custody battles of the 1990s, is a shrine, a time capsule and an exercise in the creation of public iconography. Since 2001, the house has become a temple to the symbology of the most anti-Castro Cuban exile politics. The little property is scattered with homages to Jesus, American flags and images of Elian himself, who is all but explicitly labeled a little saint of his people.
Elián's great-uncle Delfin bought the house in late 2000 and then froze time inside: Elian's clothes hang in the closet, the inner tube that saved his life at sea hangs on the wall and his Spiderman pajamas are l…
reviewed
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B
Stiltsville
This collection of seven houses that stand on pilings out in Biscayne Bay has been around since the early ‘30s, when ‘Crawfish’ Eddie Walker sold chowder from his shack, out on the mudflats, and soon gained neighbors who liked the idea of off-shore living. By the end of the ‘50s there were 27 houses on stilts. Most were wiped away by hurricanes, but the rest are visible, way off in the distance, from the southern shore of Bill Baggs park. In 2003 the nonprofit Stiltsville Trust was set up by the National Parks Service to rehabilitate the buildings into as-yet-unknown facilities; proposals include an NPS Visitor Center, artist-in-residence colony or community center. For u…
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C
Casa Casuarina
Perhaps more widely known as the Versace Mansion, Casa Casuarina was the residence of late fashion designer Gianni Versace. Long before Versace, however, the 1930 building was known as the Amsterdam Palace. A Mediterranean Revival house constructed partially of coral and featuring exposed timbers, the three-story palace was modeled after the Governor’s House in Santo Domingo (where Christopher Columbus’ son laid his head). When Versace purchased the property in the early 1980s, he locked horns with local preservationists after announcing plans to tear down a neighboring hotel so he could build a pool. After a battle, the moneyed designer won – but also struck a deal that …
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D
Casa Bacardi
This site is of one of the best Cuban and Cuban-American studies programs in America, but there’s no reason to drop in unannounced unless you’re really into the Spanish–American war. Call ahead if you’d like to attend the Casa’s open informative lectures and seminars (check the website for a calendar). Movie presentations about Cuba are screened at 2:30pm Monday to Friday, and there’s an underwhelming Cuban music pavilion that true son buffs will appreciate.
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E
Merrick House
It’s fun to imagine this simple homestead, with its little hints of Med-style, as the core of what would eventually become the gaudy Gables. When George Merrick’s father purchased this plot, site unseen, for $1100, it was all dirt, rock and guavas. The property is now used for meetings and receptions, and you can tour both the house and its pretty organic garden. Today the modest family residence looks as it did in 1925, outfitted with family photos, furniture and artwork.
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