1675-3 Brown's Hotel 16i4 .' Nio lc�lI � NEWS FEAT,
4r After the skies had cleared and the i
F �' 1 s , Beach residents new and old were si
` ' ' " ' '° 'rl'1' that Hurricane Andrew, like many
� ' /• ,-, `'�� �` ''�d�`' revitalizing the Beach, had uncover
d i:: 1 city's
124., .; t t: ' 4.11.1.-..f.P.:.11171(,'1,, .A..1:!pt't' Vt.'. );I:::. ,.:Vii.j,i,),. Gi.;,, ILI,,
y 1!1. (.!*r" At,),,iisw`a; P+iY S tr Le y:;tr si s '•,•/'l i
T1+c \t • M r ,j,,,,
( /�, f •, ', .. i
it•
LM
v/'a�I /� )) TN /0rj/4i'�/F/j•M�M,p'f'tall/ •� /c.4;.,.i, 1 YK 1.' Y,,,;.,. m,.�_ N r; Y CL 0'7` p�' '
,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,6,-,,,...,,,-;,41.:!,1,.. .,
�} 'hM' ay�y. ; 1 it x 4 sr.-_ v�,, , ,.„tl�y,. 4..,„ ,. t ^$ •
: `. , ,d4,,,,,,..;,!.;.;., .w �,'
Y 110
'{' r f' ,r,..
,..:,,,..f,,
It /Il
)fillic ti ESA I �s/ , 4, � � , }�c. Ka.
PLATEDNERS1 , t ✓: a ieb �i ,y
�.. �yaS.illi''','"44.;:,",' S� '� '!o-.ZZr A��4 of �',j w. .,
; cgsonb/e PriceA � . ,1."; � U: F 1;'
, y', i r ' �''4'.r.' v�. '3" 1If:'*"*' ' '^N", '' jr
"ti 'l''' The bus took us to Ocean Drive,... it."
, ' L0, 4 ;fi ;,i ing so they built
,First Street, on which corner
t4 r� j-.giir ' f. r,• tl d 0 ,. s stood a two story building Built by plumber
aha 7.'.,r s�'� / t t+ ,t yy0 n k ^I J called the Browns Hotel •• It The building was built by
;, ;� �. I5 I ,y was arranged for me to have both plumber William J. Brown,who• r <� 3 �; r e� „ bedroom and kitchen. was born in Scotland and whof,,,,it
" . 4-.:� • 4< �:., , i',„ 474.r —Rose Weiss recounting her came to Miami in 1904 by way of
. #` 1 r , 1"' w •' 1920 arrival m Miami Beach,in New York,Brown had been pro-
., , J� ti i rt, a 1969 interview with lite Histor- prictor of the old Biscayne Hotel
w,
: 1 •' ' a teal Society of South Florida to downtown Miami for several
. - „'r,^ f t, , years when he decided to put up
,.4 e "C v 1,: 1, r� a hotel in Miami Beach.
_ -.74, ti A I ; 'r f f ,7' 4, By BONNIE WESTON I Early accounts in The Herald i
µ, fit .Herald Stan Writer 'say Brown shipped the lumber by '
�r•� /• '`.--- -_,..`'`:,:S'.
r'" 4 r, a While Hurricane Andrew blew boat from Miami,and the build-
h t r , . ?yes c i' '. °.i* I.',��:,i P.,,,a, down historic landmarks across. ing was built over the hull of an '
s=` `rr y, • ;c'*, t i a f . Dade County,,it blew new life old boat long since buried in the
s•x�'�r rj �� r r„, 4, ► into at(cast one in Miami Beach. sand. The buiidin s pilings i
a, �,,z �"'" ry - ?t'. At 112 Ocean Dr,, the storm reportedly rested o the main '
- ",;.'''%.4.."-';;;.,. .. '' .".%':,,,,,
* r` . knocked large slabs of stucco deck. l
� � I.,, : r. ..``l . ' ''F,4 1,,, from the upper walls of an old "I've heard that rumor and it i
A ". r '+lk ,, • F: ''c apartment building. From could be true, but I don't know
,n-,---,...4,,...... tt ' beneath the stucco peered beauti- how you prove it, said Beach
'- F 4, 'I", ,i,"
t4ilk
fully preserved planksof Dade buildtng director Paul Gioia.He '
m- . �/ ,.,,r sCounty pine. , . described Brown's newly .
..,,./ • '1',,',,,,::,),' ..° . . t r' And stenciled in black letters• exposed wood paneling as"odor-
��, nj � w�Z r>r yw on the south wall:Brown's Hotel, able "When did You last see'
r �,.'.t .,; ?t ,'`;;' Rose Weiss's first home in Flor- wood like that? It a gorgeous.
„.,; ra } ,, % / _ . >'' , ida and the first hotel built in Like new,"
a
` ••i r^'` '"3' " $ Miami Beach. Stenciled on the •The exact year Brown built his
a ti^, ra
r,. ` .- ;� ,. �� r I north wall: Rainbow Hotel, a hotel is unclear.The original city
�" a A, / ;, . a 5`4 F * 4r I,, later incarnation 'of Brown's, building records have been lost•
ru:#• t ks rs h L.. { Y',' '. � ,: - '"`/ 4 "which,is now. the Star Apart- Several publications promot-
,,,� ; ,.y r", ti .1:''''.'c ,, y t`/ { ,.,t ,menti, ' •!:' ing Miami Beach in the 1940s
�d� ��`t f�:a, s � ° {� � „y. ?,4‘
, ,,.� That's history,ho "Y;not Art say Brown's was built in 1914,a
,µ 44''''F- i,,` •+, f - i•i•a 4.,,,,,a" ` } Deco history,real hi ry,"said year before the city was incorpo-
'`,0:i.e. ' h r '�✓ ': • ?' '' '� `' •.r k ,;�,i;;,'„ .Pett Silverman,77,W ose family rated.But Brown first announced
x ; 4�,�,, ,, 4 i P } � ,y e. , has owned Suver Paint&Hard- his intention to build a hotel in.
.,3,'....,:,,,, �l .a g ', ,,i ▪Y ware in Miami Beach for 60 The Miami Herald in April 1915,
' t` ^,'s ! i a ; ..A m, r ' years. "It's a little ramshackle, It opened bythe end of that year,
rs� lEa '�4..,";:,,,:,44t„ r"""� A s l � pc Y
h� , 3; •• r z' 14•,'I .w4 two-story hotel that's been here Brown sold it to Chicago inves-
4 r , mak_.' e r •tt: , x ., \fit`, since the start.” t', tors for$50,000 in 1922.
t,a ,'� ' ; s -'.,..4.,.. , ,; �t ' " x No-frills charm The first hotel
;-,..,,,,,....::4•.;,,.1:,,;,...,,,,..,,.,k,f i',.., `,.,:,,,.,',,,.,:'1,,� ,",., ^ . ;'„a•: �'� Silverman isn't 'the 'only Undisputed is the simple struo-
fi u'� y; , z3 ,;;;.;'',41,,, ,:i� ,e ,�+.ia i ! , {/,�f:l,l r I present-day Beach resident ture's place as the first hotel in a
., t'" Y u; s , , > a charmed'bythe.'old,"no-frills citywhose future would be
• 7""" Y F f ' s } ^ �.' "_`' hotel. ' fouded —and still is founded
t{1�,�'M s Sad rr '; , " y +vr, t '" h "It's an old, Miami Beach, --.ontourismandhospitality
<rM.7d'@,.;,:, ',. ('': .'i M il" 7t : •,;i, „,t.';', ,:,..;:•4•,;,..; whatchama-call-it,” said Leroy • Even if her choices in 1920
RANDY IAZEMORE/Mlaml Herald 31an Goldstein,areal estate agent who., were few, Rose Weiss; a New
4 manages the building for its Ital,.,:Yorker hoping the subtropical
'de-. promises the largest glass of fruit Juice In Miami Beach ian owners."It's plain.Pre-Deco, climate would cure her asthma,
nue for a dime, They were going to build a build-. had no complaints about her
.1.r-a.;: .�r..w, ...•,_cwt.G.a`4..,a.,. .,..W.wk :,x r, u,,ew,,•¢uM�bw:xruu:a•..wwiwn.t'4+.si.;;...r ,.fklielriki Y.:r Z:„6.��,k:,'....4, 14403.11,..,...
vinds died down, k �..� mM , 4., •c� k, ,,
� x'� �c':.'�����; i,�� }y''a�,4 4�'t,, 4 n�� v�� wr 'r�j�"A; a{yvr. tit i�'akw a. r'.
trprised to see .d.-4,,,,•4.4,N,� �u„eyo rl;.t ,,�4 ,�. rr4�`k '',,,,'q` g �
7-....‘ ,_ ' 4rrkil,, "w' ,y �a ,lx' >k*� 4 N `��yti�a' x
�r rF„rt 5 R dy1 trtrt 4 � 7t ,�,a
_ s ' a aka , 6 .oSA u x •. , 4.i
developers ' u t ; � �" -q_ 4„,,,A.,,,,,,..;.,,3, � ;Y*;4 ft ;
£ L `w3� 1 y
ed some of the � p.o..,°ZEN * M � if��b.a1 y,),�JCA{'t�ra31�➢}t) �<< h*µ0�f�� l sy�j�^q4
• 7�*� .r�tt t �,r "{yy+r'4 Y'+�rl F�.t ti.a'l''�Ir� y "j k+y7- 'S:a�. 7�
tV” 0� at .# ,'Let ''' 4, .4' 'k»d ,d 11 4,s1 1t.�1•r ua'tr� 4,.
1 t ; iC tf iy a�"R� YeK,M, u��rf �� {��'���YtE� �Y y>�p�x
s�rx�a' ( o Cs > . 1 V r? ,F9r"u t t ,,w,
i �t ,'�y'�,r,W.i� I+Ej�"�rh'J� ��'ayl y� + 9Jr - l tf�6 ej�w' !Y A'):�j�V 7� ��..
1 `.^ ��4'1."�it Alf��e+ ,1,� 5 Yrl�t.it � eN �' •�+'
r� �+17 I�N fS:�t tr l pp�� •� � J
i ','5';',1744, 41 a +4'14 1 4r RICE I i ^'. ar iT,I ` lac +X ' Jn
C)
p�tla i N. L' ,, i t r r.� 11'it141
S,' ,'. 1 w� te a.
�,7 q
i �� + II �," : pIt.;- �. 41.44.....:414,i, . ,, t F
k. �+'- y.,, ..,` * ' %. 'S +` b;; ,, « ( k 0 "N` Lic="j^ �. �,�Iy; ,4,1 ;71.Tq '(,« w.-.A. '"•: ii►" h.� �q •" s-.\- '(,',(fy�iC �' rte,., Lee'
i�' ; P,ki 4t� ,�y,. ', }Fi". ``C' •'fes'vu '' -,44.°•7'A
2,ry; ti� - r':!.“:, '--)t,+4',.-,',., 7 i'.r d O t: ,a • ) '• C.
• ,r.,.., -I'
#.7',...',:,,,;•:” w" '' 1,-,y ., .,-. j , a`.`•t4
4 �a^6�.,w�^�nyJr a•. '.r • ^ ! � .2t a is 6t�N,
w1 (, ^4, ;,7"M° o a `^ti S t "`4.' ..,../.-;'.r. r Yr
a
reception by Frown's wife, Mar-
garet.In the 1969 interview with _sr), �F+.,., �.z... .. ,...- , - a' 4 r'.•.�a�.,. �.W, .
"
the Historical Society, Weiss THE STORY OF BROWN S .
described Margaret as a"robust,
good-looking woman with ' ¢;
piled-up chestnut-colored hair. y I•q YT.y wr r,.1 dv"k 'Yt A�f,-. ate-,14,.....•1' -py,nyt. fir+ x , ',4 F;sx
I "Mrs. Brown . . greeted me .,,. r? ,� F4 • r, w, N r+ ,.
r,'IVi� y ; pC e+ „,,,,:,e,„1/4,-e1 . !r+! r.• iv r" * "NJ I' ,
•warmly,” recalled .Weiss then r �� , �.� .
85. "I appreciated her affection .---- r. N
� rY t
and kindness." e'' 11 1 I .,' V ' x
,
a t 1
Other revivals '' +
A storm of a different kind has li: � � " .. ^-�
recently revived other glimpses ` - r €t • ii ,,,aty, 't";��,,k..�
of the South Pointe neighbor- • _ k r t r1'" � � :.,:i4::„;„014' 'r=771r
hood.Along the block just south '4 r -,-. ,11"x.., c�1A �,""�1"' c',$:::, �,• .• .,^=....,,,...,,,, �-+ A;
of Brown's,current-day investors I ;i. f y + r , �f•,,r, a r ,1 .+ di, " y
rr.M ��w ��d ��' �'"' � OWsr .Aa ,� h
banking on a South Pointe ; 'k ++ i" yr$� , . , 1r �,x„�y Yl.4s�. " `Y^ aill'�" °.lt4,
revival have been demolishing -, " 4 - -r t l i• •rltrS{ *' 3,"1 r >�'y �...some buildingsand sandblastin 1 ai ;`- 7 ,r,fair Nf, .,4? q wN� X" v." fr' y1. "
g . ra' :.� M 1,-5.t a ' ,. s ,.i.aa !` •,,,,, ..,•. M w•..
plaster and paint from the brick i ,, < Fr'„"err{ a k�,','43F�
walisofothers.Theirdeconstruc- o, r° AS./),'AIttY1t~S],,t I1 tISe U '. J.'2 r -A ,a,,;,.....-,Irk., i,
tion has unveiled hand painted .i ,„4,,',f;,,?.,.,.,! ,.,.'",,.. .` .r °r i v .
billboards of another era.
One promotes Coca-Cola just
':`� M ff i �, !.r'w r ;.n: r ,a r A� �, . , aAtyt` ll';'” ;
over the sign of an unnamed eat- �I` ., qy
\''cn, i,Ei/S .•'°� r G !. 4,�' �,�,r�4 ta'• i i`'ty`(ff'
try that promises it sells the larg- 4p , :��: < .,:e l k'� l�,tit
est glass of fruit juice in Miami . ,.-!""/ •r rfr� t^-."• " w^;K7"5;^ r" �ltf '�, 'TI „
Beach fora dime. The club r :- ,tl,i , ,fit, s e-! - t .F x�;
breakfast at the same establish- . �•=-"`' -''-- , e ,�a t 1'•!!�. i •�' l
merit starts et 10 cents. . 'Z" ^�' • 1 I �.,,� airJ�� a �t,��y, ,,i.as',. � � � #�'.
' At the southernmost end of :---.1.1.,1:;!. r t r" S s t*a• ',," sib"
�. li^. I ; .'fir' r n��r,� r
a r R , 7w 4 r '�,0.
Ocean Drive, an Elite Cleaners ,I,, a t I h� ,� � �„ fit i r^X/.�y v+Iu+,�J'a w" .,4„,t.„,,.,4,.,
r i 1, I+ , a'ih,v•
'.
sign overlaps a Hava-Tampa Yi jai t cl1 ,,,,'..,:',1 , ,« � r` * .-
;,MI ,W ... „,,k y,,r,,'7 �i r rI,1 4. c {,4�.r ani r't�3,
Cigar ad, �Y014 a1"r u , i4 t r Es ddb " rF'f'
' r P It t0'r z� �lX1LJ,r l' f �' �5 r� � �+�a k� ..! xPi. Vii. �4•�:
' City records dont indicate just iif, 't1'i.A,l'i k 1; i4'`4V a 8 r d k . c'',. fid'1'.mss•, ,< al", 1:"� si>
i when these sighs went up.But the A`,,y kli ,~4, I('4i 1 J 't ,Z . q: i
buildings were built in the mid- tk. 1f; �If ',1,`""1,t :i --` 'P+
1920s and early 1930s—just as •.,epr, :,illi l P" r, tf' •, - ' r4l ,
(0-r::-.,,',
e Art Decoand hotel building '91..v6r.,,`'+ ^";' r<; I t 1. `~ �` ><„„
f boom strted working its way �j;IPpl';',•,,,lb'',;X•414:".,..r4/4, ,o,„'..i,_'?.4.f.� 't'E'fi�� f r .-F r r ,t h"; �' i t ;rte :.
north,leaving Brown's and most +�1 y' li ; tom' H r f �'• ,, '/ !-1:'�w,of South Pointe behind. .4. 41.ft , i,' 1 'r„. ,,�7 �” F�"$' , {.liy+ ri ? y r,, , v L ,t' Goldstein said his Italian f Is��,+=tlrw�,t'' ,+�a `, ,_ „";,*.w ,�,+d ` � x , +-tf
investors bought the building a ANDY BA7.EMOAElMiami HaaldStaM �,'� .,.
with a plan to turn it into an ,str .:'
upscale bed and breakfast. . W.J.Brown's roOming house,top,was built around 1915.' il,l .,,;
Inspired by Andrew, he now ,, Chicago Investors bought Brown's Hotel,the first In Miami �s r.
hopes they will.strip away' •the Beach,above,for$50,000 In 1922.Brown's was later known t>•a„v,s Y K”
rest of its stucco exterior,a mod- as the Rainbow Hotel,right,and I9 now the Star Apartments. ' 2 t, ..°' , „r!;l•
ern touch from 1936. ' 1..'y'v,.`•a ,''.` 7.3.:
"It was the storm's idea and it
waa a erwi rine."he said_ _.._.._...