[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 50 (Tuesday, April 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H1903-H1904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        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

[[Page H1904]]

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.

                              {time}  1500

  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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