Miami house built in 1918, historic monument, destroyed by fire – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

MIAMI (WSVN) – Fire crews battled fierce flames at a century-old house in Miami’s Shenandoah neighborhood that has been designated a historic landmark, and for members of the community, the damage it suffered really touched the house .

Miami City Fire Departments responded to the blaze near Southwest 13th Court and 10th Street, off Calle Ocho, around 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

For Nick Hados, seeing a device over 100 years old like this is devastating.

“In a sense, a piece of history is missing,” he said. “It’s a shame, because it is one of the few houses of this style of architecture in South Florida.”

René Dago once called the house his home. He described when his mother informed him of the fire.

“It was her baby. It was her dream, and she was in tears, and I asked her what was wrong, and she said she was getting phone calls that her dream was burning, ”he said.

The video showed the building, which was built in 1918, ravaged by flames.

“I burst into tears. It was the house I grew up in; I lived here for 18 years of my life – my teenage years, my young adulthood – and that was a lot,” Dago said. .

More than 20 rescue units arrived to fight the massive blaze, as flames could be seen from inside the house.

According to the designation report, the vacant building, deemed unsafe since April, was originally called the Ramsey Residence, but is currently called Little Havana House. It was designated a historic monument in 2015.

“It’s a very unique house, because it’s kind of a colonial-looking house, which is not the norm in South Florida,” Hados said. “A historic part of a historic district, Shenandoah, and something that I’m sad to see disappear.”

“If people care about tourism, they should care about historic preservation because they go hand in hand,” said Denise Galvez Turros, a member of the Miami Historical and Environmental Preservation Council. “That’s what travelers are looking for right now. They are looking for unique experiences, and that was part of the unique history and experience of Little Havana.

Dago said his family sold the house in 2017. He said the worst part was his mother’s plans for the house might never come true.

“My mother had a dream: she wanted to turn it into an Airbnb. There were two guesthouses at the back that we mostly used as storage but were the perfect size for a tenant, for an Airbnb, and she always had a dream, ”he said. “She made the plans herself to make this place a bed and breakfast, which we miss dearly in Miami, and that would have been perfect for the Latin American community in Little Havana.”

As Hados took one last look at the charred remains, he said the historic monument will be missed.

“The neighborhood as a whole won’t suffer, but it’s still a unique part of this neighborhood,” he said.

“It’s very devastating. My mom didn’t want me to show her pictures, videos, not even tell her about it, ”Dago said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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