Historic communities will always be faced with threats and challenges to protect their treasured landmarks. Below is a list Opa-locka wonders that are gone but certainly not forgotten. We hope new developments consider resurrecting these structures in their designs.
Recorded as the first building constructed in Opa-locka, the 50-foot observation tower was strategically positioned on the Southwest corner of the development’s center to serve as the development’s ultimate lookout. Designed by Bernhardt Muller and associate Carl Jensen on December 29, 1925, the observation tower was a grand icon that beckoned the promises of new beginnings. It was built as a means to entice buyers being brought in from downtown Miami who would be encouraged to walk to the top and see the sights of Araby being built in front of their eyes. This, of course, in hopes these visitors would be compelled to buy land and have the Opa-locka Company build their dream home. The Navy would ultimately have the structure demolished sometime early in the city’s history, with only the concrete base still visible today.
The Observation Tower
Courtesy of the University of Miami’s Richter Library
It was sacred land, but also the one that Glenn Curtiss would’ve stepped on when arriving at what would later become Opa-locka. The Opa-locka Park was a 60-acre preserve that was set aside by Curtiss for the enjoyment of the residents, and earlier before Curtiss’ arrival had the nicknames of Cook’s / Ford’s Hammock. Once the Navy took possession of the land West of the city’s core, the park would meet its fate and would have most of it buried under military operations and housing. It has also been known to be an archeological treasure, as artifacts from the Tequesta have been located in this area.
The Opa-locka Park
Courtesy of Frank Fitzgerald Bush, “A Dream of Araby,” 1976
As one of Opa-locka’s main selling points, especially with the connection to aviator Glenn Curtiss’ industry, the Florida Aviation Camp, located where Amazon’s fulfillment center is today, was an exciting place to experience the thrill of flight with experienced pilots offering quick flights for two for $5.00 on Sundays. In addition, daredevil performances were common, as were classes to teach newcomers how to fly. Although no specific date is available as to when it ceased operations, it is likely that the Camp would have been decommissioned at the point when the Navy took the land over in 1930.
The Florida Aviation Camp
One of Bernhardt Muller’s finest that was designed in January and February of 1926, with construction being complete in May of 1926, the stately, rose-colored, one-story Archery Club and Pro Shop buildings were located just north of the observation tower and nearby Florida Aviation Camp and were among just a couple of Opa-locka’s earliest constructed facilities. The club was a first of its kind in the State of Florida, boasting a luxurious interior for residents and visitors to have lunch, play Curtiss’ favorite sport of archery, and enjoy the sights of the peaceful surrounding landscape. Advertisements for the club promoted their timed offerings, including lunch from 12 - 2 p.m., tea from 4 - 6 p.m., and “chicken dinner every Sunday.” The thrill of living in Opa-locka during this time included the opportunity to train and compete at this club against other archery clubs in the area and nation, with one event in February 1928 being a “first annual archery-golf tournament” held under the sanction of the National Archery Association of the U.S. After the devasting September 17-18 hurricane of 1926, the Archery Club became a school house, a place of worship, for second Opa-locka Mayor H. Sayre Wheeler to perform songs, and was the location of Opa-locka’s first marriage, to name a few noted occasions. The club was later converted into a captain’s quarters for the Navy before ultimately being destroyed for airport expansion. Sometime in the 70s or 80s, the Pro Shop was saved and relocated across from the Opa-locka Administration Building on Perviz, but sadly was demolished sometime in the 2000s.
The Archery Club and Pro Shop
Courtesy of the Miami Springs Historical Society and Museum
The Opa-locka Aquatic Auditorium/Bathing Pavilion
An early attraction was the Opa-locka Pool, a pavilion-style landmark that opened on December 19, 1926. Costing $15,000.00 to construct, it was built out of reinforced concrete 64 feet wide and a couple of hundred feet long. It was known to be “ the only pool in Greater Miami that occupied and filled in less than 8 hours,” thanks to a 6’ inch and 50-feet deep well. Seating upwards of 2,000 guests, it was host to vaudeville performances, pageants, and even alligator wrestling from local Seminole Indian Wilson Doctor and Miamiam Jack Coppinger. It was managed by Alexander Ott, a well-known aquatics sports promoter, and was a major draw for the entire Miami region. 1927 advertisements would encourage Miamians and Northeasterners to hop on the White Way Bus for $1.00 roundtrip, including admission to the pool, and departing from the McAllister Hotel in Miami. Visitors would spend 50 cents to enjoy thrilling acts, which included swan diving from Ott’s seven-year-old son, Jackie, who he billed as “The World’s Perfect Boy.” In later years, the pool would have its iconic pool house destroyed by the U.S. Navy sometime in the late 30s/early 40s, and the pool itself was enjoyed by officers at the base. After the end of WWII and the departure of the military, the pool would be absorbed by Miami-Dade County and turned into Regional North Park. It was eventually demolished in 1986, the same year preservation activists had identified its significance and attempted to protect it.
Established in April 1926, the Opa-locka Zoo proved to be a significant draw for crowds to bear witness to this fledgling community of Opa-locka, especially on Sundays. Although not Miami-Dade County’s first, it was the largest and only zoological attraction for years, as sister cities of Hialeah and Country Club Estates also had temporary zoos before the Curtiss-Bright attraction moved to Opa-locka. It was managed by G.F. Sirmon who was an “authority on bird and animal life,” and during 1928 wrote several articles on animal species for The Miami Herald. The permanent attraction contained multiple concession structures and animal enclosures and boasted a few hundred animals in 1926, and by 1930 the zoo allegedly had 440 “happy guests.” After Curtiss’ death in 1930, Sirmon took over the property and held a five-year lease. According to a February 17, 1935 article from The Miami News whose headline read “OPA-LOCKA ZOO GAINING FAME ALL OVER U.S.,” the zoo was regarded as one of the most popular and diverse in the south, boasting a whopping 2,500 animals and 174 exhibits. Animals included Egyptian baboons, Malacca cockatoos, African porcupines, tortoises, and much more. By June 1936, the zoo was to be relocated by Sirmon to North Miami at 132nd Street and Dixie Highway as a strategic expansion of the country’s only tropical zoo. The zoo would be renamed the North Miami Zoo.
The Opa-locka Zoo
If you were interested in learning how to ride horses and hunt in Miami, the place to be was at Opa-locka’s Riding Academy. The landmark attraction began construction in August 1926 and opened not long thereafter. It was managed by noted horseman and instructor J. S. Stewart, and featured an 8-mile cross-country Bridle Path, several horses, and experienced instructors. Visitors to Opa-locka would make appointments to ride at the Opa-locka Company office at 132 E. Flagler Street. The Riding Academy also featured special exhibitions, with one article from the February 13, 1927 issue of The Miami Herald stating “HORSES WILL JUMP IN CONTEST TODAY.” There is no date available as to when the building met its demise.
The Opa-locka Riding Academy
Courtesy of the Miami Springs Historical Society and Museum
With Opa-locka having been an attractive place for a business to set up shop in 1926, the King Trunk Company was no exception, with plans for their new manufacturing space and showman designed by Bernhardt Muller and associate P. Leiske on August 31, 1926. The luxury trunk/bag company moved their operations from downtown Miami to this exciting new development and even orchestrated an aerial stunt that would take one of their trunks and drop them from “a height of 1,000 feet” according to the papers at the time. Not much more is known as far as how long the operation lasted in Opa-locka, but the building would be vacant for decades before being demolished sometime after 2015. The King Trunk Factory Store was locally designated and was a National Register of Historic Place.
The King Truck Factory Store
Courtesy of the University of Miami’s Richter LibraryAn earlier commercial and apartment building was the Lee Helms Store & Apartments, designed by Bernhardt Muller and associate Carl Jensen during the November and December months of 1926. Several plans exist for the design of the building, showing six bedrooms on the second floor, two on the first, and three commercial spaces, one of which would be designated as a drug store. It is unknown when exactly the building was demolished but would have been sometime in the 90s, early 2000s, and after the historic assessment that was conducted in the late 1980s. The building was locally designated and a National Register of Historic Place.
The Lee Helms Store & Apartments
Courtesy of the University of Miami’s Richter Library
One of the later commercial buildings constructed was the two-story E.E. Root Building, designed by Bernhardt Muller and associate Carl Jensen on July 21, 1927. The structure was host to several businesses throughout its lifespan, most notably during the 1950s when the famous Old Scandia Scandinavian restaurant drew crowds to the city’s core. The restaurant, owned by H. Johansen, had a billing of “The Place for Smorgasbord.” During the 1990s and on, the E. E. Root Building was left abandoned and allowed to fall into disappear only then to collapse during a tropical storm sometime after 2013. The building was on the local registry and was a National Register of Historic Place.
