Saving an historic Coconut Grove home

There's an old house at 3529 St. Gaudens Road that neighbors are trying to protect from destruction. Neighbors have nominated the 1920s home for Historic Designation with the City of Miami in order to prevent demolition or future physical change to the exterior of the property. There is a hearing with the Historic Preservation Board on Tuesday, December 2 at 3 pm at the Miami City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive).

“We are encouraging Coconut Grove residents and all those who cherish the neighborhood to come and support this nomination” said local historian Dr. Paul George, who will be testifying during the hearing. “In a neighborhood that was once home to Miami’s founders like the Matheson and Burdines families, it is important to preserve these homes for their beauty and historic value.”

Also expected to testify are Historian, Author and Preservationist Arva Moore Parks and Dade Heritage Trust's Becky Matkov. The community has also created a website where supports can get more information: SaveTheGrove.com.

Designed by the prominent Pittsburgh architectural firm, Kiehnel & Elliott, which had offices in Miami and Miami Beach, the 2,733-square-foot Mediterranean style home sits on nearly half an acre on St. Gaudens Road, one of the few streets in Coconut Grove that allows public access to the bay. Neighboring property owners are looking to preserve the historic feel in an area where many historic homes have recently fallen to developers and they are fighting back – hoping to maintain the aesthetic of the neighborhood.

“This home clearly meets the criteria for historic designation,” says Arva Moore Parks, who completed much of the historic documentation. Designed by legendary architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel & Elliott, it was built by one of the street’s developer Albert W. Frantz.

Kiehnel & Elliott introduced the Mediterranean style home to South Florida in 1917 with their design of the John Bindley mansion “El Jardin” in Coconut Grove, which is now Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional buildings designed by Kiehnel & Elliott include the Coral Gables Congregational Church, Miami Senior High School, the Seybold Building, the Carlyle Hotel and the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

The petition for Historic Designation was filed on October 29, 2014. All supporters are asked to please attend the hearing at Miami City Hall. For more information, please visit the savethegrove.com website.