February 11th, 2013
Stiltsville, North Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park, “Shacks on Stilts”, Stiltsville Trust, Key Biscayne, Miami, South Florida…Tours on March 30th and April 13th
N’or easters, blizzards, tornados, the Pope is retiring….the news of the day. I just hope the groundhog was right when it showed that we would have an early spring!! Time will tell.
Some time ago my friend, Scott, took Shelley and I, on a trip that was so unexpected and beautiful. We went to see Stiltsville, located on North Biscayne Bay in South Florida. You don’t hear too much about these shacks on stilts. Well, you need to be on a boat to get to them. I think you could say that the inhabitants of these shacks were the original squatters of those times.
Please note that there are only a few tours available to see these striking and desolate structures….coming up tours on March 30th and April 13th. Please visit http://www.historymiami.org/tours. Once you open the site, click on Boat Tours and you will find all the pertinent information. Boats depart from Bayside Marketplace, 401 Biscayne Blvd., an outdoor mall next to the American Airlines Arena. You can also call them at 305-375-1621 if you have other questions. I just did and they are very friendly. Just remember that reservations and payment need to be done ahead of time. This company also has plenty of tours available, if you are visiting Miami.
They say that the first “shack” was built around 1930s, but some of the historians say that the “shacks in the flats” were there as early as 1922.
Here, at the Delaware Beaches we build plenty of houses on stilts. But, these houses take building on stilts to a different level. The houses are situated one mile south of Cape Florida on sand banks. They stand on wood or reinforced concrete pilings. In 1960 there were 27 shacks. At present, only 7 remain. In 1985, the bottom land on which the shacks rest was deeded by the State of Florida to the Federal Government as part of Biscayne National Park. The Stiltsville Trust of 2003 raises funds, which goal is to preserve and rehabilitate the structures to help showcase the Park’s marine resources. More info? Please visit http://www.stiltsville.org.
Back in the 1940s and 1950…lawyers, bankers, politicians, the affluent and the well connected came to drink, relax and kick back.
“Crawfish” Eddie Walker? He was one of the first to build a shack on stilts above water, toward the end of the prohibition era. It was perfect for gambling since it was legal at one mile offshore. He sold bait, beer and was known for a dish called chilau; a crawfish chowder. His original shack was destroyed by a hurricane in 1950.
Jimmy Ellenburg also had a shack in the flats. He was known as the unofficial mayor of Stiltsville. This one is still standing.
The one called the Leshaw House was featured in a national ad campaign for Pittsburg Paints.
Stiltsville has been secured, and no trespassing signs have been posted. By permission only, you can gain access to them. You can call the park’s superintendent at 305-230-1833 for more info. And if you could like details on the progress of the Stiltsville Trust, then please call 305-443-2266, or visit the above mentioned website.
Have a great day!!
Note: Info. for this post was taken from Stiltsville-Biscayne National Park and from Wikipedia.
Tags: Activities, Biscayne National Park, Dade County, Key Biscayne, Miami, North Biscayne Bay, Shacks on Stilts, South Florida, Stiltsville, Stiltsville Tours, Stiltsville Trust, Tour Miami, Visiting Miami, Visiting South Florida
