Week in History: March 15 - 24
Events that occurred during the week of March 15th through March 24th in South Florida's history.
OTD: March 15, 1896 - Ground breaking for the Royal Palm Hotel
On March 15, 1896, Reverend A.W. Brown turned the first shovel of dirt for the ground breaking for the building of the Royal Palm Hotel. Reverend Brown was one of 12 men who was part of John Sewell's crew of workers responsible for clearing the grounds for Miami's first grand hotel.
OTD: March 15, 1981 - Clyde Court Apartments were Razed
On March 15, 1981, the Clyde Court Apartments were razed to make room for a parking lot along SE Second Street in downtown Miami. The apartment building was designed by August Geiger and constructed at 68 SE Second Street in 1918. The project was financed by the Sailor Brothers development company.
OTD: March 16, 1925 - Gautier Funeral Home Celebrates Grand Opening
On March 16, 1925, the Gautier Funeral Home celebrated its grand opening at 514 West Flagler Street in Miami.
OTD: March 16, 1958 - Dupont Plaza Center Dedication
On March 16, 1958, the Dupont Plaza Center officially opened when 2000 people attended the dedication ceremony. A smaller group witnessed the ribbon cutting ceremony which took place at the top-floor Sky Room of the DuPont Tarlton Hotel.
OTD: March 17, 1916 - McAllister Hotel Broke Ground
On March 17, 1916, construction began for the McAllister Hotel on the corner of Twelfth Street and the Boulevard, known today as Flagler Street and Biscayne Boulevard. This date represented the official groundbreaking for a project that would take close to four years to complete. When the hotel opened on January 1, 1920, at 50 Biscayne Boulevard, it was the tallest building in Miami. It would be eclipsed by the Dade County Courthouse when it opened in 1928.
OTD: March 18, 1904 - Halcyon Hall Hotel Broke Ground
On March 18, 1904, the Halcyon Hall Hotel broke ground on the northwest corner of Twelfth Street and Avenue B, which is today's Flagler Street and East Second Avenue. The hotel was designed and financed by Salem and Emily Graham, and after several delays in the construction schedule, finally opened on January 20, 1906. The hotel was razed in 1937 to make room for the Alfred I Dupont building which still stands today at 169 East Flagler Street.
OTD: March 20, 1933 - Zangara Electrocuted at Raiford
On March 20, 1933, Giuseppe Zangara was electrocuted at Raiford for the murder of Anton Cermak in his assassination attempt of FDR in Bayfront Park. The photograph above is of Zangara at Raiford prison, and the one below is of the assassin during his sentencing at the Dade County Courthouse.
OTD: March 21, 1949 - WTVJ Went on the Air
WTVJ went on the air for the first time on March 21, 1949. It was Florida’s first television station and the 16th in the country. Originally broadcasting on channel 4, WTVJ was owned by Wometco Enterprises, a national movie theater chain headquartered in Miami. The original studio was located in the former Capitol Theater in Downtown Miami.
OTD: March 23, 1963 - Miami Herald Moved into New Building
On March 23, 1963, the Miami Herald began moving into their new building at One Herald Plaza, adjacent to Biscayne Bay, without disruption in the publication of their daily newspaper. The move took two days and was completed on March 24th. The MIMO (Miami Modern), building at One Herald Plaza was sold to the Genting Group in 2011, and then razed beginning in 2014.
Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book
Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.
The Clyde Court Apartments looked beautiful in the early photos. I'm sure that wasn't the case anymore by the time they were demolished. An architectural loss, for sure.
Momentous events that were to have particular influence during the second half of the 20th century.