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Out of the way, unspoiled and just a bit mysterious, Charles Deering's 1920s-era estate may be South Florida's best-kept secret….
Driving south on Miami's Old Cutler Road, you won't find any billboards pointing to the Deering Estate. The tree-canopied road winds past the popular attractions of Fairchild Tropical Garden and Parrot Jungle, the foliage thinning until you're back to the flat landscape and wide-open sky for which South Miami-Dade County is known. But don't let the suburban scenery and lack of signage fool you. Here, at the corner of Old Cutler and SW 168 Street, a quick left-hand turn will lead you to one of the most magnificent and intriguing historic sites in all of South Florida.
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Even better, you won't have to share your treasure with many other visitors. Only about 100 people a day, at most, explore the newly reopened Deering Estate at Cutler, making it one of the area's least trampled-upon destinations.
Charles Deering (1852-1927) was a wealthy Chicago industrialist, art dealer and early environmentalist. The son of William Deering, who started the Deering Harvester Company in Maine, Charles served as the first chairman of the International Harvester Company. Married twice, with three children, Charles was a naval attaché in Spain where he befriended artists like John Singer Sargeant and filled two castles with an extraordinary collection of artwork (now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago), including Rembrandts, Goyas and El Grecos.
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Deering's other great passion - botany - sparked his interest in rural South Dade Country. Between 1914 and 1920 Deering acquired his prime property on the southern curve of Biscayne Bay. Included on the grounds was the Richmond House, an 1896 two-story wood-frame building that had been the home of the pioneer Richmond family. In 1900 the family built an addition and opened "Richmond Cottage," the first inn between Coconut Grove and Key West. In 1916 Deering remodeled the cottage and turned it into his private family home. A beautiful keyhole-shaped boat basin followed in 1918. Then in 1922, Deering constructed the Stone House, a 14,000-square-foot Mediterranean Revival-style mansion.
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It was not the first time that a Deering had set himself up in style in Miami. In 1916 James Deering, Charles' gregarious younger brother, built a palatial winter home on Biscayne Bay and named it Vizcaya. But where James adored ornate surroundings and lavish parties, Charles preferred austere architecture and low-key celebrations with family. Above all, Charles wanted to make his structure a safe repository for his valuable art collection. Workers poured 18-inch-thick concrete walls, cloaked every doorway with copper, and laid a galvanized pipeline for fire suppression across the entire estate. The Stone House was virtually impenetrable to fire and storm.
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To Learn More:
The Deering Estate at Cutler is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $6 for adults; $4 for children under 17. It includes free parking and guided tours of the historic buildings and hammock. Guided canoe tours to the island of Chicken Key cost $
20 per person and include general admission. The estate is located at 16701 SW 72nd Avenue, east of Old Cutler Road. For information call (305)235-1668 or visit the estate online at www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/parks/Parks/deering.htm
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