Trapp Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Trapp Homestead
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 Location in Miami
Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 94001279 |
| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1994 |
The Trapp Homestead is a historic house in the Coconut Grove area of Miami, Florida. It is also known as the Caleb Trapp House or the Trapp Estate. You can find it at 2521 South Bayshore Drive. This special home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States on November 10, 1994.
The house was built in 1887 by Caleb Trapp, who was 70 years old, and his son, Harlan. They used a type of rock called oolitic lime that they found nearby. While building the house, the Trapps lived in a small hut with a thatched roof on the property. Many people believe this is the oldest stone house still standing in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The house was built even before the City of Miami officially became a city! It was very special back then because most buildings in the area were made of wood.
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The Trapp Family's Story
Originally, the Trapp family's land was about 2.5 acres. It had a great view of Biscayne Bay. Later, a road called South Bayshore Drive was built. This road was first named Rhodes Boulevard after Mrs. Trapp's family. Her family had settled in the area earlier and received a large land grant. Another road, Main Street (now Tigertail Avenue), was built along the north side of the property.
Pioneers of Agriculture
The Trapp family was famous for growing a special type of avocado called the "Trapp Avocado." They would sell these avocados by boat to early hotels in the Miami area. They also grew and processed a plant called coontie to make starch. This starch was used by local people. There's even a street in Coconut Grove called Trapp Avenue, named after their family!
Community Leaders
The Trapps were important leaders in their community. Mr. Trapp was one of the 14 people who started the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. Mrs. Trapp is thought to have given the first test for teachers at the house. She was also one of the first public school teachers in the area. In 1887 or 1888, Harlan Trapp opened a school in Lemon City, which is now part of Miami.
Changes Over Time
After the Trapp Homestead was built, many large and expensive houses were constructed along Rhodes Boulevard (South Bayshore Drive). This street became known for its grand homes on top of the Silver Bluff, overlooking Biscayne Bay. Over the years, the Trapp family sold off parts of their property. Many new homes and apartments were built on these sold-off sections.
In 1951, the Connelly family bought the property. They used it as a part-time home. By 1978, the house started to fall apart. In the 1980s and 1990s, many of the other homes on the nearby lots were torn down. Only the four old buildings on the main Trapp property remained, and they were in poor condition.
Between 1994 and 1996, the Connellys bought back some of the land around the main house. They also had the property officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, the buildings continued to get worse. Some even became unsafe to live in. People in the community worried that the buildings would collapse. They feared a developer might buy the land to build tall buildings.
In 2005, the main house's roof was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Wilma. Other buildings on the property were even more damaged. It was decided that these smaller buildings could not be saved and had to be torn down.
Saving the Trapp Homestead
In early 2006, the Connellys sold the property to Lisa and Victor Mendelson. They were long-time residents of Miami and Coconut Grove. They worked with a special architect named Richard Heisenbottle, who helps restore historic buildings. They made a plan to fix up the main house and add a new part for their family. They needed a few special permits for the height of a small lookout tower. The City of Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board approved their plans in late 2006. Construction began in April 2010 and was expected to take about a year.
- Bibliography
- McIver, Stuart. One Hundred Years on Biscayne Bay 1887-1987. Coconut Grove, FL: Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, 1987.
See also
In Spanish: Trapp Homestead para niños
