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“STILTSVILLE: A COMMUNITY OF STRUCTURES IN SOUTH FLORIDA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H1903-H1904 on April 13, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STILTSVILLE: A COMMUNITY OF STRUCTURES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, a writer in one of our hometown newspapers once said that ``Miami is two parallel universes of life on water and life on land.'' She was describing Stiltsville, a community of structures located approximately 1 mile south of Key Biscayne, Florida, part of the Congressional district that I am proud to represent.
It is difficult to describe in words the picturesque and peaceful view that the homes supported by stilts looming above the water makes against the Florida skyline. Stiltsville began in the 1940s with the Quarterdeck Club, a beautiful locale featured in Life magazine for its unique architecture and location on the northernmost extreme of pristine Biscayne National Park.
By 1960, at least 25 structures existed which represented distinctive architectural facades with brightly colored wood frame buildings resting on steel foundations. Stiltsville served for many years as the backdrop for many television shows, movies, books, and advertisements, including the long-running television show ``Miami Vice.'' It has been a favorite of movie makers, of boaters, and tourists alike because of its unique features and its frame against the Miami skyline. Unfortunately, due to the hurricanes that often plague our south Florida shores, only seven of the original 25 structures remain intact today.
Stiltsville homes are privately owned and represent no cost at all to the Florida taxpayers. These seven remaining structures have now been equipped with especially engineered features which have been adapted to meet the rigors of a hurricane-prone area.
The remaining seven homes provide not only aesthetic beauty for the landscape but a haven for fish and other sea life that inhabit the area. For boaters and fishermen, Stiltsville is often used as a navigational guide and as a shelter for many during storms.
For Floridians, Stiltsville symbolizes the Miami of yesterday and the Miami of today. In fact, Florida governors since Governor Leroy Collins have spent time at Stiltsville. Many of our local civic and charity groups have used these homes, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Miami Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club, just to name a few.
For many of our cities across our Nation, there are local historical sites that give our cities character and that make them unique. For south Florida, Stiltsville is one of those places that gives our community flavor and keeps us linked to the history of our great State.
It is unfortunate, however, that in spite of the historical and cultural symbolism that Stiltsville holds for all of Florida, it is looking at the possibility of being demolished by the National Park Service. Its current lease with Biscayne National Park expires on July 1 of this year, and a recent petition for national historic designation was denied even though Stiltsville is regularly a part of the South Florida Historical Association Tours.
The Dade Heritage Trust, which is Miami-Dade County's largest historic preservation society, has worked for almost 30 years to preserve landmarks that enrich the texture of our city's present and future, and the benchmark used by the Dade Heritage Trust for judging structures to be historic is 50 years. Yet an exception has been made for Stiltsville because the members know that the colorful origins of the community itself dating back to the 1930s and 1940s make it a wonderful component of Miami history.
Even the State Historic Preservation Officer of Florida has supported a National Register nomination for Stiltsville. According to noted historian Arva Moore Parks, Stiltsville is a very fragile piece of history worthy of salvage. And certainly many of us in south Florida share that sentiment.
In our district, with the help of dozens of local organizations, such as Save Old Stiltsville, the Florida Department of State, the University of Miami, and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, we have begun an effort to ensure that Stiltsville will remain a part of Miami's history and that future generations will be able to enjoy the beauty that Stiltsville adds to Biscayne Bay.
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Together, we hope to make this dream a very real part of south Florida and our State and our country for years and generations to come.
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