Glenn Curtiss House
Encyclopedia
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
. It is located at 500 Deer Run. On December 21, 2001, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
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. Curtiss lived at this large, two-story residence designed in the Pueblo Revival style, until his death in 1930.
Estates. The beautifully landscaped estate covered over 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) with a small lake on the east side of the property. Mr. Curtiss brought to the lake many species of water birds including flamingo
s and swan
s. Including the adjacent property, it formed a 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) 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.. Designated as a Miami Springs historic site in 1987. The mansion is determined eligible to be placed on the NRHP
.
during the 1920s—his designs include the former Miami Beach City Hall and the Congress Building in downtown Miami. The house is roughly V-shaped in plan and constructed of hollow clay
tile with a rough textured stucco
exterior. 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.
and a number of fires that have destroyed the house. The most devastating and last of those was in 2002, before it was closed to the public.
Miami Springs, Florida
Miami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates...
, 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 located at 500 Deer Run. On December 21, 2001, 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...
.
It is a historical landmark that was constructed in 1925 by aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
, developer of the Miami suburbs of Hialeah,and Opa-Locka, 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...
, as well as Miami Springs, Florida
Miami Springs, Florida
Miami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates...
, where the mansion is located. Curtiss lived at this large, two-story residence designed in the Pueblo Revival style, until his death in 1930.
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 ClubCountry club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
Estates. The beautifully landscaped estate covered over 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) with a small lake on the east side of the property. Mr. Curtiss brought to the lake many species of water birds including flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s and swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s. Including the adjacent property, it formed a 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) 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.. Designated as a Miami Springs historic site in 1987. The mansion is determined eligible to be placed on the NRHP
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...
.
Architecture
Its architect, Martin Luther Hampton, was one of Miami's most prominent architectsArchitecture
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...
during the 1920s—his designs include the former Miami Beach City Hall and the Congress Building in downtown Miami. The house is roughly V-shaped in plan and constructed of hollow clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
tile with a rough textured stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
exterior. 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
Limestone
Limestone 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....
(coral rock), which was a by-product of digging the lake.
Destruction
From the '70s until late 2002, it was a place of vandalismVandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and a number of fires that have destroyed the house. The most devastating and last of those was in 2002, before it was closed to the public.