Morningside

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Morningside is an officially designated historic neighborhood in an older part of Miami, Florida. Built in the 1920’s as “Bay Shore” it prospered in the mid 20th century, and fell on hard times along with most of Miami’s other inner city neighborhoods in the 60’s and 70’s. More recently Morningside was one of the first historic areas in central Miami to experience gentrification with an influx of affluent residents. It has now been fully restored. When Pope John Paul II visited the United States he stayed at The Archbishop of Miami’s home in the neighborhood.

Morningside is adjacent to Bay Point Estates, another area historic, more affluent residential enclave in urban Miami.

Morningside dates back to Miami’s pioneer days, when the family of John Saunders, a Bahama –born, Keys-reared entrepreneur, became squatters in 1886 in what was become known as Lemon City. It, along with Coconut Grove to the south, became the focal points of life on the swamp’s frontier, far more populous than Miami, with merchants, a library and a school.

The community grew from a curve in the shoreline at Northeast 61st Street (Lemon Avenue) and Biscayne Bay (on the northern edge of today’s Morningside boundaries), which formed a bright and make 61st Street one of the few spots accessible through the dense mangroves that protected the fragile South Florida peninsula from violent storms.

By the early 1920’s, imbued with the spirit of Henry Flagler bringing the railroad to Miami, entrepreneurs began to plat a development call Bay Shore between Northeast 55th Terrace and 60th Street, east of Flagler’s railroad tracks (and today, 50 blocks north of downtown’s high rises)

James H. Nunnally, a candy baron who founded the Bay Shore Investment Co., envisioned the neighborhood as a carefully conceived community that would include every modern convenience available.

Nunnally’s vision was to guarantee, through deed restrictions, an exceptionally community for the prominent and influential. Rock, stucco and brick were the only building materials allowed; no construction could begin until plans were approved by the developer; duplexes, apartments and hotels were prohibited.

Today, Morningside stands as a sentinel to sturdy craftsmanship, distinctive architecture and a true”neighborhood,”where knowing your neighborhood is rule rather than the exception.

The architects and landscape designers adapted the best of the “garden city” movement of England, as well as contemporary suburban planning concepts, to this bayfront location.

Morningside remains today one of Miami’s most intact historic neighborhoods. Realizing its historic and unique character, residents petitioned the City of Miami for recognition as ah historic district in the early 1980’s. Many hours of hard work in documenting the area’s historic structures paid off, as in 1984, Morningside was designated as the City of Miami’s first historic district. The Morningside Historic District is comprised of the houses located in the portion of Morningside from N.E. 55th Street to N.E. 60th Street, between Biscayne Boulevard and the Bay.

Work continues in the preservation and recognition of Morningside with the nomination and anticipated placement of the Morningside Historic District on the Nation Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Resources

http://www.miamigov.com