February 11th, 2013
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.
September 13th, 2010
On the day we were boating we also had to get something to eat, therefore a stop at Monty’s South Beach was the thing to do. It is located at 300 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, FL 33139. Tel. 305-673-3444. They are working on their website at the moment. No reservations.
Perfect location at the Miami Beach Marina where Monty’s has a captive audience.
Raw Bar, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Music; at lunch on Friday it was, actually pretty quiet. A few people were taking a scuba diving class. It was funny to see them just sitting there on the bottom of the pool. I could not help it so I took their picture.
The restaurant had a gorgeous view and plenty of outdoor dining.
We were hungry so we ordered a shrimp appetizer. Cooked Cajun style; they were spicy and a little messy. There was a lot of sauce which I used later to put on my salad which was topped with blackened red snapper.
A grilled chicken salad was also ordered and both salads were of a substantial size.
Scott ordered the grilled red snapper fish tacos.
We enjoyed our lunch and off we went to Stiltsville. But, on the way out the surprise was the Manatee. He was beautiful showing his scars.
Talk to you later….have a great day!!
September 13th, 2010
Arriving in South Florida on Thursday and staying only until Sunday. It seems that when you only have a few days to visit then you try to pack it all in. Shelley and I did just that. Shelley is one of my friends that is also a partner in crime when writing posts for my blog.
We stayed in Delray; you know that Village by the Sea that I talk so much about. I will be talking more about it because as the winter sets in; well, what can I say but that my visits will be more frequent. A fun little beach town!
Scott is a friend and has a boat in Miami and being that it was beautiful and a little hotter than hot, we decided to take advantage of such a nice day. Let me tell you that I have been on other boating outings with Scott and have complete trust in his ability to handle any situation on the water.
We took off and on Biscayne Bay we were. A tour on the water no less!! Scott was pointing out different spots. We did have a target in mind and that was Stiltsville, but to get there we enjoyed the water scenery.
Leaving Miami on one side, the clusters of buildings looked amazing; that vibrant city that defines South Florida.
Scott pointed out Fisher Island as the Fisher Island Ferry was going by. This island was named for automotive parts pioneer/developer Carl G. Fisher and is 3 miles off shore of Miami; only accessible by private boat or ferry. In 2000 and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, it had the highest per capita income of any place in the United States.
Leaving Fisher Island behind we went around Key Biscayne and there we spotted the Cape Florida Lighthouse. It is located at the south end of Key Biscayne. Built in 1825, it still marks the Florida Channel, the deepest natural channel into Biscayne Bay.
And at the distance I saw Stiltsville. We are used to building houses on stilts in the Delmarva Peninsula, but this was unreal; right in the middle of the Bay. I sort of remembered seeing pictures of these unique houses. Shelley thought there is a book available with their history.
Stiltsville is located on Biscayne Bay, about one mile south of Cape Florida which is at the tip of Key Biscayne. They are built on pilings and the mud flats under them are covered with grass. Some portions of the structures are built in foot deep water and the other portions built in between 6 – 20 feet deep; giving you access to dock your boat right under it.
In 1998 the Florida National Register Review Board voted to recommend Stiltsville to the National Register of Historic Places. Seven months later this recommendation was denied because the 7 house are under 50 years old.
The National Park Service is the owner of the land lease since 1980 and will not renew the bay bottom leases.
Stiltsville has captured the imagination and has really become part of the folklore of South Florida. A movement, “Save Old Stiltsville” is on-going.
Before hurricane Andrew in 1993 there were over 20 structures and now only 7 remain. The structures cannot be repaired, by law, so they are standing until they simply fall down. Some of them are in great shape and their owners use them all the time.
Stiltsville came upon during the days of prohibition and gambling. Gambling was allowed a mile offshore. Stiltsville is located just over a mile offshore. Eventually, the law changed to 3 miles offshore.
Then during the 1980’s during the Miami Vice days, this area was used for seaplane dropoffs of contraband.
They are beautiful and I could only imagined what it would be like to wake up in the morning surrounded by water on all sides. A storm was at a distance but we did not have trouble.
We kept on going to get some gas at Scottie’s and something to quench our thirst.
I loved looking at some of the boats anchored at Scottie’s Marina; the lobster boat. A few 4 legged friends were there, as well.
It was now early evening; just waiting for the traffic to die down in order to go back to Delray Beach. The night was young and music was on our minds.
What a great afternoon! The highlight was, definitely, Stiltsville, but the company was not far behind….talk to you later…
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