Audio By Carbonatix
Miami’s bungalows, with their wide porches, overhanging eaves, and natural ventilation, have a place in South Florida history. The homes, perfect for our subtropical environment, sprouted from 1914 to 1920 in Edgewater, Riverside, Shorecrest, Shenandoah, Little Havana, and Miami Shores. As Miami’s landscape is transformed, these bungalows are vanishing. To help to preserve them, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida opened a Miami Bungalows exhibit on May 18.
“The exhibition came about because of the huge transformation taking place in Miami, specifically the downtown area,” said guest curator Jose Vazquez, assistant professor of architecture at Miami Dade College. “We wanted Miami to understand their architectural significance, and to document these structures that will be lost forever.” Thousands of bungalows remain throughout South Florida, many listed on Dade Heritage Trust’s Most Endangered Historic Sites. Developers are allowed to knock them down for new buildings, but the Trust managed to save one bungalow from demolition: Little Havana’s Hubbard-Alvarez house, which features a second half-story used as a bedroom/sleeping porch. The museum’s exhibition runs through September 9.
May 23-Sept. 9
When news happens, Miami New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
