Sunday, July 3, 2011

Villages of Coral Gables

The "Gate House" garden pavillion, 1033 Hardee Road, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The Devoted Classicist cannot move on without presenting one more of the many fabulous historic aspects of Coral Gables, Florida.  As mentioned in the previous post on Venetian Pool, George Merrick began to realize his City Beautiful vision of a Mediterranean style community in 1921 with the help of a team of architects, artists, and landscape architects.  Merrick relinquished some control, however, in 1925 by deeding over 100 building lots to the American Building Corporation, and investment group based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and former Ohio Governor Myers Cooper.  A series of as many as twenty period revival theme villages were considered with a thousand residences.  But fewer than 80 were ultimately constructed in six villages.  The 1926 hurricane and the depression that followed ended Merrick's dream and, heavily in debt, he was removed from the Coral Gables commission.
A perspective rendering of French City Village, Coral Gables, by Schell Lewis, 1925.
Drawing:  THE ARCHITECT, December, 1925.
My favorite is the French City Village designed by Mott Schmidt because it is such a successful semi-urban enclave.  Schmidt partnered with Anderson Fowler, a New Jersey developer and attorney, to create a contiguous but slightly varied group of small classical villas will walled gardens and garages in an interpretation of the eighteenth century French style.

Block plan of French City Village, Coral Gables, Florida, from the original working drawings.
Drawing:  Mark Alan Hewitt, from THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOTT B SCHMIDT.
Construction photo of French City VIllage, circa 1926, showing the intersection of Leonardo Street and Hardee Road.
Photo:  City of Coral Gables, Historic Preservation Department,
from THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOTT B SCHMIDT.
Consisting of a total of eleven original lots on a block bordered by Hardee Road on the south, Cellini on the east, Cotorro on the north, and Leonardo on the west, the houses form a desirable grouping that anticipated the "townhouse" developments that started becoming popular forty years later.  The corner garden pavilions which appear as gate houses are an especially nice touch.

The intersection of Hardee Road and Cellini is shown in this circa 1926 construction photo of French City Village, Coral Gables.
Photo:  City of Coral Gables, Historic Preservation Department,
from THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOTT B SCHMIDT.
New houses in a sympathetic design have now filled in the remaining lots, except for 1042 Cotorro Avenue;  it is listed for sale for $790,000 and includes a design for a small villa in the same style of the neighboring houses.

The east end of 1032 Cotorro is shown with the vacant lot at 1042.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The Devoted Classicist is enamored of the abandoned shell at 1032 Cotorro at the intersection with Leonardo Street.  (Early readers of this blog might recall some coincidental similarities to the new house by John Tackett Design featured in the December 19, 2010, post of The Devoted Classicist).  The classic proportions and siting so close to the sidewalk are noteworthy;  despite the current condition, it is a wonderful semi-urban house.  The real estate ad notes that it is a Short Sale, subject to bank approval;  the listed price is $1,550,000 as is.

1032 Cotorro, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
1032 Cotorro, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
1032 Cotorro at the intersection with Leonardo Street.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The house at the corner of Hardee and Leonardo, 1033 Hardee Road is listed for sale at $2,495,000.  (See the July 4, 2011, post of My Little Housing Blog, linked in the Blog Roll on the right margin of this page, for more photos).   And 1013 Hardee is listed for $1,095,000.  More information on these property listings can be found by a Google search of the address.

A view along Leornardo Street showing No. 6105 on the left, and 1033 Hardee on the right.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
1013 and 1009 Hardee Road, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
1025 and 1021 Hardee Road, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
1001 Hardee Road, Coral Gables.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The "Gate House" garden pavillion at 1001 Hardee Road.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The ground floor plan of 6105 Leonardo Street.
Drawing:  Mark Alan Hewitt, THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOTT B SCHMIDT.
The ground floor plan of 1013 Hardee Road.  Note:  the scale is not the same for these two plans.
Drawing:  Mark Alan Hewitt, THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOTT B SCHMIDT.
The floor plans of the huoses are variations of a common theme.  They all were designed with the ground floor to have an entrance hall with stairs, an adjacent vestibule with coat closet and powder room, a living room with a fireplace, a dining room, a serving pantry, a service porch, at least one small porch suitable for entertaining, and two servant's rooms sharing a bath.  No second floor plans were available, but the original scheme was smaller than the ground floor footprint;  my guess is that there were usually three bedrooms and two baths upstairs.
An original single house in French Provincial Village, Coral Gables at 501 Hardee Road.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
An original double house in French Provincial Village, Coral Gables, 516 - 520 Hardee Road.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
Nearby, Phillip Lippincott Goodwin was the architect of the French Provincial Village.  It has some charming houses, but the development lacks the cohesive quality that helps make Schmidt's block so successful.  Goodwin teamed with Henry Killam Murphy to co-author the 1924 book French Provincial Architecture which proved to be an inspiration for houses around the country.  Murphy designed a development in Coral Gables as well;  his Chinese Village is surely one of the most exotic examples of 1920s residential architecture in the whole country.
The Chinese Village, Coral Gables, San Sovino Avenue at Maggiore Street.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
The other unique development that sparks my imagination is the Dutch South African Village by architect Marion Syms Wyeth.  The white stucco walls, shaped gables, and twisted column chimneys are delightful.

6704 So Le Jeune Road, Coral Gables, Dutch South African Village.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

A view from Maya Avenue of 6705 San Vicente Street, Dutch South African Village.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
6776 South Le Jeune Road (SW 42nd Avenue), Dutch South African Village.
Photo:  John J Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.
All these unique homes are cherished today and any proposed renovation must keep the integrity of the original design.  The City of Coral Gables Historic Committee reviews all plans for the required approvals prior to issuing permits for construction.

For more information on the architect Mott Schmidt, see The Architecture of Mott B Schmidt by Mark Alan Hewitt, the source for the measured drawings and historic photos shown in this post.  It was published by Rizzoli in 1991.

A special thanks to Ian MacDougald for his expert navigation and driving in taking The Devoted Classicist to these locations.

22 comments:

  1. John they are indeed unique, lovely homes!

    karena
    Art by Karena

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  2. Thank you John, it was a real pleasure to see the different architecture within Coral Gables. Each so unique (the Dutch SAV being my favorite. I was happy to read that any improvements made of these structures has to be strictly approved. What a horrible shame it would be to loose any of those magnificent homes to people that have no respect for historical buildings, or worse yet, horrible taste. Great read and happy 4th of July to you.

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  3. "This is only a guess, but perhaps it has been repossessed by the bank wanting to recoup its loan; the listed price is $1,550,000 as is."

    Looking at the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser website for this address, I see the owner still in possession. Current owner [who lives elsewhere in CG] bought the parcel in 2007 for $1,500,000. Much room to negotiate on boarded-up, as-is condition. C'monnn.

    If you're of a mind, put the address into the MDPA search field, and scan the property record card: http://www.miamidade.gov/pa/

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  4. Karena, across the whole city of Coral Gables, there are a number of beauties.

    Flo, I am not currently in the market, but it certainly has the potential to be a fabulous home for someone.

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  5. Past sales history is irrelevant. The important thing is what someone is willing to pay for it today. I hope someone sympathetic - with lots of cash - buys it. I love the "townhouse" format, too. A great post.

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  6. Thanks for including the plans and the addresses. It is great to see the houses on MapQuest though your photos do a good job in showing the context.

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  7. My favorite is the Dutch South African village. I can see the influence in Rosemary Beach, a new planned theme community on the Florida Panhandle.

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  8. D.T., Ian, who had driven me, had lived in the country of South Africa for a number of years and he thought it was handsomely done. It is hard to pick a favorite but I was really bowled over by the house with the settles flanking the entrance.

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  9. E.D.W., thanks for your comment. I hope you will be a regular from now on. And the same for all you readers.

    Thanks, D, I did intentionally try to show some of the context for the sites. I often like to use the satellite views as well. And I used MapQuest to verify the addresses. (Although reasonably dependable, it is not 100% accurate).

    R., although I do not know the current status, I was told that the husband-wife architecture team of Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk lived in one of the houses in the Dutch South African village at one time. Their firm DPZ was the lead architect in the design of Rosemary Beach, FL.

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  10. Thanks so much. This is as good as an architecture/design post gets for this reader. Cape Dutch is irresistible to me; if you'd put that first I might not have gotten any further. I always enjoy plans. They made me wonder about the interiors. I presume many have been opened up, done well I hope.

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  11. The house on Cotorro is a Short Sale subject to bank approval according to the Sothebys real estate listing.

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  12. Just did a short post about 1033 Hardee. As a family home I think it's great. Would love to come to Florida and look at it.

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  13. I hope The Devoted Classicist blog readers will visit my Finnish friend Mike's excellent site, My Little Housing Blog, at http://mylittlehousingblog.com/. He always has interesting properties for sale around the world featured. His July 4, 2011, post presents the French City Village house at 1033 Hardee Road.

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  14. C.A.W., I had not really focused on the differences between a Foreclosure and a Short Sale. Thanks to my readers for the real estate tips.

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  15. "Past sales history is irrelevant."

    I see your point but to me, I don't consider it so. The most recent purchase price, the date of the sale, together with the status of the loan, whether there's a loan at all, detailed list of leins, # of other properties also owned by current owner, just minimum level DD to me. I wouldn't want to go into a negotiation without all that info in my head.

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  16. I agree, Flo. The buyer should have all the information available and take all factors in consideration. Ultimately, a house is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

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  17. Hello there
    I live in Coconut Grove on the other side of LeJeune Road from these wonderful houses. I am currently renovating a circa 1924 Spanish Mission home that had been abandoned for several years.
    www.thisoldcoconutgrove.blogspot.com

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  18. I almost bought 1009 Hardee in 1992. It has a pool in the front to the right of the gate? I'm glad I didn't the upkeep would have been too much for me. Instead I bought the apartment in KB. My cousin lives across from 516-520 Hardee. His house is not one of my favorites in spite of the fact that they have practically gutted it. I am sure you know that dealing with the city of CG on these "historic" properties is a nightmare. But I am sure some one like you is used to this. It is a most charming part of Coral Gables!

    You know another street that is a favorite of mine? Santa Maria by the Riviera Country Club. If you haven't been there, make it a point next time you go. I guarantee you won't be disappointed! (New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah rolled into one)

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  19. Sally, thank you so much for the link to your delightful blog chronicling the renovation of your house! You are indeed devoted! I am a fan of pink stucco, as you might have guessed; the success lies in getting just the right shade, tint, and value.

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  20. Julieta, a friend took me to see Key Biscayne, and I can certainly understand the many benefits of the lovely island. But that Mott Schmidt designed house would have been tempting! I took a tour down Santa Maria on MapQuest, not able to wait until my next visit; it really looks wonderful with the trees providing a canopy all down the street and all the verandas.

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  21. Oh my. I was delighted to see this post. My grandmother once owned 6105 Leonardo. She may even have been its first owner. They called it Villa Anna. When I was about four years old in 1955, we lived there for awhile in rather an odd configuration. By that time, my grandmother had little money. The upstairs master suite was let to a boarder, a professor at UM. My little brother and I had the two servant's rooms at the front and my parents, believe it or not, used the dining room for a bedroom. I still remember the peculiar juxtaposition of their bed (the head tucked into that little alcove space you can see in the plan) with the large dining room table and a chandelier. Add my infant sister's crib to the vision. We ate in the kitchen, where for a time, my father wielded a fly swatter to shoo away bees that had made a hive in the wall and were getting into the house. I believe my grandmother sold the house for about $20,000 in the late 50s.

    My memories of the house are vivid and numerous, moreso than any other childhood home...the grand staircase, all the nooks and crannies, the adventures we children had. It was wonderful to see that floor plan and to see how exactly my memories fit it. I knew it was "my" house the instant I saw it.

    Thank you for this very pleasant evocation of memory.

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  22. Zann, thanks for commenting. It appears to be a fabulous house. There was a lot going on in the driveway when I was taking pictures of the block, so I did not get a good shot of it. It is well kept and I am sure very desirable, considering the prices of adjacent properties for sale.

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