Introduction

The Miami skyline transformed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. The Magic City witnessed the construction of many high-rise buildings in what is presently known as the Downtown Miami Historic District. These buildings, now dwarfed by ultra-modern glass-clad skyscrapers, present a unique glimpse into a period of unprecedented investment and growth in the young city.

Designed and built between 1925 and 1928, the Dade County Courthouse is a significant Miami high-rise. The iconic building served as the Dade County seat until 1985 and has served continuously as a courthouse for over ninety-four years since the formal dedication on September 6, 1928.

The high-rise was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1989, deeming it a structure worthy of preservation. Now, with a brand new $852MM courthouse under construction across the street, the future of this historic tower remains uncertain.

The Project

Many historic buildings contain superb ornamentation high above street level. These thoughtful elements were paramount to the architects who designed these structures. Often unseen by passing pedestrians, our project objective at Brandon Collura LLC is to showcase and promote the magnificent architecture of historic high-rise buildings in Miami. The Dade County Courthouse is the first in our series.

The sculptural ornamentation of this era demonstrates a level of craftsmanship generally lost over the past century as architectural movements evolved. Today, only a small fraction of highly skilled artisans continue the traditional practices of past generations of craftsmen. Fortunately, numerous architecture and engineering firms specialize in the rehabilitation and restoration of these historic buildings.

The Historic Miami project was inspired by a friend and Philadelphia-based photographer, Chris Hytha. His team has created historic high-rise vignettes across the United States over the past year. Always supportive of the creative fraternity, Chris encourages others to document these buildings in their communities. The goal of both projects is to generate a renewed interest in the stunning architecture of the early twentieth century high-rise.

*Dade County Courthouse - circa 1928 (Photographer unknown)*

A Brief History

Upon the completion of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway in 1896, the Biscayne Bay area experienced tremendous expansion in both infrastructure and population density. Four months after the completion of the railway, the once small fishing community along the Miami River incorporated as a city. By 1899, the City of Miami became the Dade County seat. Two individuals, William Brickell and Julia Tuttle, were instrumental in the founding of the city.

With a population of 1,681 in 1900, Miami became the most important urban center in Dade County. By 1901, Henry Flagler donated twelve lots to the city to erect a new county courthouse. Built between 1902 and 1904, the new $49,000 building became the home of the circuit court and Dade County Commission.

This two-story structure was designed with an intended fifty-year usable lifespan. However, no one could have predicted the unimaginable growth that would be witnessed across southern Florida throughout the Roaring Twenties.

By 1920, the city’s population had grown to 29,549 residents. In June of 1925, the county commission presented plans for a new $4.2MM twenty-five story tower. The census of 1930 showed a population of 110,637 individuals.

The Building

Designed by renowned Atlanta architect, Albert Anthony Ten Eyck Brown, and a prominent Miami architect, August Geiger, the 335-foot structure towered above the Miami skyline. The courthouse was featured on the cover of The American City (1909-1942), a publication that showcased the latest developments in urban architecture and planning.

The initial set of construction drawings for the building were dated August 31, 1925, with a revised set being submitted on April 27, 1926. Construction officially began in December 1926 and was completed in January 1928. Chicago-based Fleischer Engineering and Construction was the general contractor.

The building consists of steel-frame construction with masonry cladding. Approximately 2,600 tons of structural steel is contained in the building, fireproofed by reinforced concrete, and 220,000 square feet of clay tile was used in the construction. Standing at 73 West Flagler Street, the courthouse encompasses an entire city block.

Upon opening, it was reported to be the tallest building South of Baltimore and the tallest municipal building in the United States. Illuminated nightly by huge flood lights and a rooftop beacon, it was said to be visible from 100 miles by sea and 50 by land.

Originally, the building served as both the Dade County Courthouse and Miami City Hall. Jails for both government entities were designed into the towered portion of the structure; a practice most unusual at the time.

Offices that frequently dealt with the public were housed on the first three floors along with the courtrooms. Record rooms, judicial chambers, a law library, and jails were located on higher floors. The jails originally occupied floors fourteen through twenty-five and were served from the basement by two private elevators. The city jail occupied three stories with the county jail occupying the remainder.

A. Ten Eyck Brown had designed many courthouses across the southern United States, and various design features were considered innovative. At a time when parking availability in the city was becoming problematic, the installation of an underground parking garage was considered insightful.

Numerous restorations have taken place over the years. An incrementally funded $15MM contract was awarded in 1979 with multiple projects completed over the following two decades. The most recent $20MM façade restoration was completed between 2013 through 2016.

Architectural Details

The courthouse was built in the Beaux-Arts style utilizing the tripartite division. The building features a large square dual-level symmetrical base, a long reduced central square shaft, and a chamfered cap beginning on the 20th floor. The building is crowned with a distinctive pyramidal ziggurat roof. This feature gives a sense of ancient permanence and wisdom befitting for a courthouse while ironic for a jail.

Beautifully ornate classical details exist throughout the façade of the building. Floors 19-25 are especially fantastic. Stone Mountain granite was used on the curtain walls of the first three stories with glazed terra cotta tiles covering the remainder of the façade. A unique glaze was created to replicate the coloring and texture of the granite.

Beginning at the 19th floor, decorative panels with sinuous patterns of acanthus tendrils, leaves, and flowers adorn the frieze of the high rise’s shaft. These embellishments include a rosette at one end and tulip-shaped vase containing flowers on the other. These ornaments, often found in ancient Greek and Roman Grotesque paintings, are placed to fill a void.

Corner balustrades frame the 20th floor as an element of transition between the high-rise shaft and cap. The cap is chamfered to reduce massing and give natural diminution to the finale of the tower. Pilasters connect floors 20 through 22 linking the three stories as a single unit on the cardinal sides. Cantons extend from the 10th through 23rd floors reinforcing the vertical proportions in the massing.

The 22nd floor ends with a Doric entablature. The top of the architrave contains regula with six guttae under each triglyph. The frieze contains thirteen triglyphs and twelve metopes with abstract circular patterns stylized for economy and legibility. The cornice features mutules above each triglyph, each studded with three rows of six guttae. The 23rd floor is an attic story.

Four magnificent attic pediments encircle the building on the cardinal sides of the 24th floor. Each tympanum features a relief sculpture of The Great Seal of the State of Florida framed in fasces, symbolically representing strength through unity of all cities and counties in Florida. Each seal is bookended by sinuous patterns of acanthus tendrils, leaves, and rosettes. The raking cornices showcase carved lion head drain spouts and an Anthemion Pattern of palmette-themed acroteria and scrolls.

Festoons, fashioned after bellflowers and supported by buttons, wrap around the building above the 25th floor before finally transitioning to the ziggurat roof. All ornamentation has been exaggerated in scale for legibility.

The ziggurat roof contains thirteen steps, with each step measuring three-feet in height and two-feet three-inches in depth, which cap the tower. This number of steps likely represents the original thirteen colonies of the United States, a symbolic element typical in governmental buildings. At its base, the roof is sixty-two feet square and terminates with a six-foot square by five-foot ten-inch-high cupola. Finally, the cupola is topped with a Hughey & Phillips 300mm aviation obstruction warning beacon.

Standing on the shoulders of McKim, Mead, and White, A. Ten Eyck Brown was firmly rooted in Classical Tradition and completed some of the great architectural works of the 20th century. The son of an architect, Frederic William Brown, they likely discussed the works of McKim, Mead, and White and Louis Sullivan regularly. Beaux-Arts was the traditional school of architecture in vogue at the time and the Dade County Courthouse is a superb representation of this period.

Within the Pyramid

Concealed within the pyramid, three additional scaled-down stories exist as well as a steel-grating access platform below the cupola. These floors contain a telecommunications facility, elevator mechanical room, air conditioning machinery, and two large water tanks.

The 26th floor houses the telecommunications room, a transformer room, air handling units, and a large elevator mechanical room. The 27th floor consists of fan rooms with filter banks and ductwork, as well as additional radio transmitters. Both large water tanks sit atop the T-shaped 28th floor with two ship ladders connecting the floor to the 27th below.

The primary wooden tank stands nine-feet high and twelve-feet in diameter (7,614 US gallons) in the center of the 28th floor. This tank is used for both domestic water supply and fire protection throughout the building. The smaller adjacent tank, standing six-feet high by six-feet wide (1,269 US gallons) is used for temporary supply during periods of maintenance to the main tank. The water tanks were installed in 1956 to replace the original tank.

A steel-grating access platform sits directly above the primary water tank with another ship ladder ascending into the cupola. Two right trapezoid shaped hatches exist along the eastern face of the cupola cap allowing access to the Hughey & Phillips 300mm aviation obstruction beacon.

A unique piece of equipment, the Hughey & Phillips (Model KG 114) beacon stands thirty-six inches in height and has a diameter of twenty-two inches. It is designed with a hinged center frame providing easy access to both upper and lower lens assemblies. A seventy-three-pound apparatus, the beacon is made up of heavy aluminum casting and four distinct heat-resistant glass lens elements. Waterproofed with Neoprene gaskets, the housing protects two large lamp receptacles designed for either 620- or 700-watt Mogul Pre-focus beacon lamps.

Façade Restoration

The Team

A major façade restoration took place between September 2013 and July 2016 led by general contractor Mark 1 Restoration. The Engineer of Record was interdisciplinary firm WJE. Boston Valley Terra Cotta manufactured thousands of replacement terra cotta units.

SDM Consulting Engineers provided extensive air conditioning, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, and electrical system upgrades for over 262,000 square feet of multi-use office space. Sesco Lighting replaced all dated exterior equipment with a modernized Color Kinetics LED system.

M.C. Harry & Associates was the local Architect of Record. Partner Emeritus, James W. Piersol, AIA, has been personally involved with restoration projects pertaining to the Dade County Courthouse since 1979.

The Journey: 1979-2017

M.C. Harry and Associates, a Miami-based AE firm, was retained by the Dade County GSA in 1979 for restorations and renovations to the Dade County Courthouse. The purpose of the project was to repair and restore select components of the exterior while converting the building for the exclusive use of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The installation of new life safety systems and a central HVAC system was included in the scope.

As part of the contract, the firm performed on-site investigations and authored a 222-page findings report with recommendations. A multitude of restoration projects, both interior and exterior, took place over the following two decades.

An initial façade restoration was completed in 1984, including the replacement of select terra cotta units and shelf angles found to be discontinuous or missing, particularly at the corners of the building. Terra cotta units with minor cracks were repaired with epoxy. Many of the original steel-framed windows were also replaced with aluminum frames that replicated the historical profiles.

The 1984 project included a major upgrade to the ziggurat roof. Originally consisting of cement and painted tar paper, a lead coated copper sheet metal roof system, known for its anti-corrosion properties in harsh environments, was designed and installed. Lead coated copper sheets have been used in architecture for over a century and often develop a beautiful patina.

As the project architect, James stated, “I am very proud of being the Architect of Record for all restorations and renovations from 1979 through today. Each of these projects restored a piece of this fabulous history.”

Fifteen years after the 1984 façade restoration, exterior deterioration persisted. M.C. Harry and Associates brought in terra cotta engineering experts WJE to inspect a cracked column capital in 1999. After a unit of terra cotta fell from the third-floor level two years later, a full building rope access survey and condition assessment report with recommendations was completed.

Budgeting for the major restoration took place between 2003-2007. WJE and M.C. Harry and Associates bid on the RFQ and were awarded the comprehensive evaluation and repair design in 2007. A complete evaluation was performed over the entire building later that year.

The project was put on hold during the financial crisis of 2008-2010. By 2012, the team was engaged once again to complete design drawings and specifications and submit a bid package. By 2013, construction documents were issued for bid and the competitive bid was awarded to general contractor Mark 1 Restoration.

The restoration project finally commenced in September 2013. The scope of the project included the removal, repair or replacement of 9,000 terra cotta units, over 7,500 lineal feet of shelf angle and structural supports, window treatments, roof repairs, building cleaning, and the installation of a new LED exterior lighting system.

Structural Findings & Repairs

Typical of buildings from this period, the terra cotta material was in good condition and could last another one hundred years. However, corrosion of the underlying steel hangers and supports caused severe cracking and displacement of many terra cotta units. Steel supports required replacement and a modernized water management system was put into place. All damaged terra cotta units needed replacement.

New shelf angles were installed at each floor above the 7th floor level to provide new gravity support for the anchored veneer. Terra cotta units below each shelf angle are lipped to conceal the steel. The underlying steel structure was found to be in good condition. Most of the skeletal frame was encased in concrete for fireproofing and any exposed steel columns showing minimal surface corrosion were repainted.

The new galvanized steel shelf angles measured 5”x5”x3/8” and were covered with a new through wall flashing system. Stainless steel flat hemmed edge flashing and self-adhesive membrane flashing were installed over the shelf angles. The hemmed edge allows the flashing to be flush with the face of the wall with no projecting drip. This method is used in historic masonry walls for the flashing edge to remain unseen thereby not disrupting the aesthetic of the façade.

The 7th floor water table course was completely rebuilt, and new steel outriggers and attachments were installed. Stainless-steel anchorages replaced old hardware for all reset terra cotta units to meet current wind load requirements.

Many of the original steel framed windows had been replaced in the late 1980s with aluminum frames. During the assessment and testing phase, many were found to be severely leaking. WJE developed sympathetic sealant repair details to keep the existing aluminum framed replacement windows while sealing them to be watertight. At the completion of the project, 727 windows were repaired.

Approximately 22,000 square feet of flat roof was replaced on the 4th, 7th, 20th, and 24th floors. An access door on the western face of the ziggurat roof was replaced, measuring two-feet eight-inches wide by two-feet two-inches high. The ziggurat roof system was not included in the scope of work on the 2013-2016 restoration project aside from the access door replacement.

Lastly, the building façade was cleaned with over 23,000 square feet of surface area impacted.

Baked Earth

Boston Valley Terra Cotta, of Orchard Park, NY, began the extensive process of replicating the architectural terra cotta pieces. Approximately 9,000 terra cotta units were removed with 2,000 being reused. 6,800 new units had to be manufactured with the rest being repaired in place.

Founded in 1889, Boston Valley Pottery was a brick and clay pot manufacturer. The Krouse family purchased the business in 1981, converted the manufacturing facilities, and Boston Valley Terra Cotta was born.

One of only two major terra cotta manufacturers left in the United States, BVTC rose to international acclaim upon the success of their first project, the restoration of Buffalo’s Guaranty Building designed by Louis Sullivan. Over the past forty years, BVTC has become a global leader in the industry. Their portfolio includes over 3,700 completed projects specializing in preserving historically significant buildings as well as cladding newly built iconic structures.

Each project typically includes all phases of the production process. Early stages include the drafting team, site surveys, documenting original samples, sculpting, and casting plaster molds. Once liquid clay is poured into the molds, the main processes of forming, finishing, glazing, drying, and firing are completed.

Clay is currently sourced from two pits allowing control over purity and consistency, while avoiding shifts in chemistry. A proprietary recipe of clay and other ingredients is then combined to make the highly engineered final product.

Forming methods used in production for the Dade County Courthouse included slip casting, hand press, and extrusion. Slip Casting and Hand Press are typically used for ornamental or sculptural pieces, with the former being utilized for units that require hollow interiors used for anchoring purposes.

The balustrades, for example, utilized slip casting where liquid clay is poured into a plaster mold and allowed to dry until the desired wall thickness is achieved. Excess liquid is then evacuated, the clay is dried, and the mold removed, resulting in a fully formed masonry unit.

Typical wall thicknesses range from one inch to one-and-a-quarter inch for most units, while ornamental units range from one-and-a-half inch to one-and-three-quarter inch. BVTC utilizes envelope kilns to fire their terra cotta. Units are fired at 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and require 45 minutes for full vitrification. A 5-day cycle typically consists of loading, firing, cooling, and unloading the units. Final stages include sizing, layout, and packaging before the completed product is shipped to the construction site for installation.

Awards

Every year at Dade Heritage Trust’s Annual Meeting, Miami-based organizations, projects, and people are recognized for their outstanding preservation efforts. In 2017, Dade Heritage Trust awarded the project team with the following:

2017 Florida Preservation Award for Restoration/Rehabilitation
2017 Dade Heritage Trust Award

Every principal and project leader interviewed stated how this collaboration included the best of their respective fields. The project was completed on budget and on time, an amazing feat in a restoration of this size and scope.

To celebrate the success of the project, WJE commissioned Rex Parker Design to create a commemorative poster featuring the building. Parker’s affection for classic Americana and architecture made his studio a perfect choice to design the vintage Jazz Age print.

*Rex Parker Design - commemorative print*

Conclusion

Only a few years from its centennial birthday, the future of this remarkable building remains uncertain. As Miami-Dade County constructs a new modern courthouse directly across the street from this Nationally Registered Historic Landmark, only time will provide insight into the future plans for this building.

A recurring theme throughout the process of photographing, researching, and writing this story, is that many individuals, firms, and organizations in this community and throughout our country passionately believe in the importance of preserving these magnificent historic buildings.

Thank You

Research for this project included ongoing assistance and interviews from a vast number of companies, agencies, organizations, and individuals. Many participants in the restoration process dedicated over fifteen years of their time and experience to the preservation of this building.

I would like to extend the warmest thank you to the following parties involved:

WJE
Boston Valley Terra Cotta
MC Harry & Associates
Philip Rhea, Florida Chapter member of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art
Institute of Classical Architecture & Art
Rex Parker Design
Dade Heritage Trust
Miami DDA
Flagler District BID
University of Virginia Library
Decorators Supply Corp. (Chicago)
Hughey & Phillips, LLC (Ohio)
Stonerock Capital Partners / Stonerock Management
City of Miami - Office of Historic Preservation
Miami-Dade County - Office of Historic Preservation

Interesting Facts

Ornamentation

The architectural terra cotta units designed into this building produced some staggering count results. Total figures listed are only representative of ornamentation found on floors 22 through 25.

44 festoons supported by 52 buttons wrap around the building above the 25th floor
68 lion head carvings exist between the four attic pediments and four chamfered sides
84 acroteria sit atop plinths on the raking cornices of the attic pediments and chamfered sides
84 scrolls adorn the raking cornices of the attic pediments and chamfered sides
60 triglyphs and 48 metopes produce the frieze of the Doric entablature above the 22nd story

1926 Project Team

Contruction of the building was awarded to the following contractors:

Stewart Iron Works (Covington, KY) - jail work
L.W. Hancock (Louisville, KY) - foundations, concrete work, fireproofing, roofs, terra cotta
Nashville Bridge Co. (Nashville, TN) - structural steel
Stone Mountain Granite Corporation (Stone Mountain, GA) - stonemasonry
Crittall Casement Window Co. (Detroit, MI) - steel windows
W.C. Burns (Maysville, GA) - plumbing
Whitmore Electric Co. (Charlestown, WV) - electrical work
Otis Elevator Co. (New York, NY) - elevators
Fleisher Engineering and Construction Co. (Chicago, IL) - General Contractor & interior finishes
Tampa Hardware Co. (Tampa, FL) - kitchen equipment
American Electric Co. (Miami, FL) - electrical fixtures
Granada Furniture Shops (Coral Gables, FL) - furniture for courtrooms and special rooms
Roman Furniture Co. (Miami, FL) - benches for courtrooms and special rooms
The McClelland Company (Davenport, IA) - millwork
Galassi Mosaic & Tile Co. (Boston, MA) - interior mosaic tile work
Georgia Marble Co. (Tate, GA) - interior marble work
Cutler Mail Chute Co. (Rochester, NY) - mail chute equipment

Historic Miami - Dade County Courthouse

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