At least The Barnacle is taken seriously
Someone mentioned in a comment in a previous post about Charles Avenue. Ironically, I took a little tour of the area by the cemetery last weekend. This could be a great tourist spot. It is actually the birthplace of Coconut Grove.
Right next to the cemetery on Charles is The Weathered Edge, a small cottage that is at this point totally dilapidated. At one time it was an artist's house at 3036 Allamanda, off of Shipping. About 10 years ago, it was moved to this location next to the cemetery in Village West at Douglas and Charles. It has been sitting and rotting since.What has has become of the cottage is a shame -- real Grove history rotting away. It could have been cleaned up and made into some sort of museum or just a house to be toured, showing the "old Grove."
Some paint and flowers could have done the trick.
Below is a painting of how the house looked originally on Allamanda.
The Grove has a very important distinction in the Miami area -- we are historical, we are one of the first settlements in the county along with Lemon City and Perrine/Cutler. Why don't we capitalize on this for tourist dollars and just for history's sake?
Part two tomorrow -- the run down shotgun houses up and down Charles Avenue. What happened to the renovation plans?
posted by Tom Falco at 12:01 PM
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20 Comments:
Hi Grape,
I posted about Charles Ave and how much our guests from away enjoyed the graveyard (and also the Coconut Grove Theater, the "Black Jesus" stained glass church, and other aspects of West Grove).
On your walk tomorrow, take a look at the historical marker right after the Coconut Grove Theater on the right hand side. How long has that been like that? It looks like a car slammed into or something. Perhaps the City or the State could come down and replace all the old markers.
Great post. Coconut Grove has lots to offer.
The elected officials only care about rebuilding instead of restoring. They care about high rises and mcmansions not about maintaining the Grove history. In a couple of years all the historic elements will be gone, what a shame.. so so sad
Is the cottage built of Dade County pine? If so, it should be restored -- that wood is gone, the only bits remain in little houses from back in those days. If it is made of that wood, it is a museum piece itself.
Who owns it? If the city can't or won't do anything, perhaps a group can be formed to do a restoration as a public project. Talk is cheap, action speaks louder.
Yes, I was told it was made of Dade County Pine.
Too bad Allamanda doesn't look like that anymore. Almost all of the old cottages are gone, replaced by cookie-cutter townhomes. The old oaks... also gone and paved over.
This house belonged to Stan Cooper together we named it the Weathered Edge. During many of the past Dade Heritage Days it was open for tours and tea, lemonade was served in the Garden with cookies. Ladies in attendance wore period costumes. Stan even entertained everyone playing the old Victrola with a needle from a plant a la "Out of Africa." There were many historic items which were sold and those perceived valuable are in storage. Many years ago, I suggested if any one of us with fabulous gardens just take one plant or cutting it would be as lush as it ever was behind that small white picket fence. Yes most of it is made out of Dade County Pine.
A lady was mentioned in the Grape for making a mini-movie several weeks ago at the gravesite and if I remember most comments were negative and critical of her motives, yet on this exposure everyone all of a sudden expresses a positive interest, what gives?
I would love to be part of the team that helps restore that beautiful piece of history, called cottage. Please if there ever is such a group, post it and like I said, I would love to help.
Anon 8:39,
This posting is about history, not some self-absorbed gothic goofball.
How fitting someone tossed the poor lady into a graveyard. It's sad to compare the lively, "heyday" painting to the drooping, "weathered" edge. It must break my heart because its a metaphor for life.
Self-absorbed gothic goofball; history, Really? She a history major and has three offers to purchase her story, one being the State of Florida Tourist bureau.
Now, you were saying?
Anon 9:43,
My bad. I should have said "self-absorbed gothic goofball with a history major who believes in the paranormal". Geez.
Anon 3:39, makes no difference what you say-----she produced a historic account of something in the Grove, has three offers as of three days ago, and she practiced performance artistry to make it more interesting, what you bitching about if not for the sake of bitching? She did a good job, you bitch about it----piss off! Actually, I think her presentation was a bit long, but she did try.
There is a group called the Villages who invest time and money in restoration of historic places such as this.
Then the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove has the energetic Dolly MacIntyre who takes on causes such as this. She has been on a mission to protect and restore historical structures throughout Miami-Dade County. she may not read the blog but someone call her. ... Also Arva More Parks is no stranger to this house.
google has this info
The City of Miami's historic preservation program promotes the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive use and restoration of the city's ...
Maybe it's not about politics.
Crap, crap and more crap. I'll personally by myself renovate this house for no cost at all to anyone.
And if it is actually Dade County Pine, I'll replace all the bad wood with mahogany. And yes, I have no contractors license. If I make mistakes then run me out of town.
crap crap crap you will do what? If you can't fess up to who cut the check for the work you did in the West Grove, how do we know you really did a job there and are not just being boastful. Maybe the house fell down because of shody workmonship.
No, it didn't fall down , but a lot of tiles were torn off during several hurricanes. No wood was blown off. I was going to replace the tiles for free, just cost to the owners, but the house was sold and then torn down. About 10 years ago the Governor said it was going to cost the taxpayers of Florida $1-million to repair the fountain in front of the Capital building and I thought that was really stupid, a serious waste of our tax dollars so I voluteered to fix it for free, with my hourly wage going to fight child abuse. This was published, someone caught some crap and the fountain was repaired for $37,500.00. When I say crap, crap and more crap I refer to the Majorie Douglas home and now this rather uncomplicated structure on Charles street now being added to a lot of useless rhetoric. I've said I'd place beautiful art tiles signs leading into the Grove and I would. And now I say I will personally rebuild this rather simple structure-----why, because everyone wants an arm and a leg to do almost nothing at all. Crap, I'll do it for free and I have the mahagony, some at my home and I know where to get all the mahagony wood I want for free throughout the Florida Keys Eastern islands, bring it back on my boat. You seem very interested, will you help me do this without payment? If so, take a few seconds to look up my phone number, and then give your name to any committment you would care to make to help restore this old piece of the Grove, lets go to work. Do you know how to work and sweat?
Jobie,
I know you don't think much of the powers-that-be, but touting the fact that you don't have a contractors license and that you would be using mahogany that you've stolen down in the Keys is probably not the best way to find work.
Stolen in the Keys! Are you hateful or what? This wood lies on the beaches free for anyone who wants it. A tree was cut somewhere on the coast of central and South America and to them their wood is the same as some cheap pine in Southern America. They make pallets out of their wood and the United States says no wood in America from vessels who land in America so they toss their pallets and chocks in the Gulf Stream and since the wind blows Northeast 76 % of time the exodic wood ends up on Florida's East Coast. I go get it. Additionally, Florida State Statutes state than if I'm not involved in plumbing or electrical the owner of property can hire me and the owner will act as the general contractor under Florida law. Please continue!
That place is not the only site that needs help on Charles, the sign placed on Charles and Mainhighway is almost falling, I walk everyday going to work by the sign and it's always the same, tourist taking pictures of the sign, taking pictures of my house, one of the shotgun houses on charles, but
honestly, it's embarrasing that we can not do anything about this
I'm struggling like everybody else in thees days to provide my family, I'd love to help but we need money to fix the more important places on Charles
Better lights, better signs, a little landscaping where the signs are
the other day there was a snake coming from one of the vacant lots on the 3400 block
I can picture one day all those europeans walking on the street and talking to the locals, most of them lived all their lives on Charles
the cemetery is a good project for the schools to clean up and learn history
can anybody help us to do this?
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