HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Amy Boulris-Response to Historic Designation ReportSubmitted into the public
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on 02/25/2016, City Clerk
1 501 Brickell Ave., St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church
Response to the Designation Report
Prepared by John S. Garner, M.Arch., Ph.D., Preservation Consultant
City of Miami City Commission
July 25th, 2013
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on 0Z/25/2016, City Clerk
Abstract: Response in Brief
The property owner, the Diocese of the Melkite Catholic Church, does not
believe that any of the eight criteria for designation as a historic resource to the
City of Miami applies to 1501 Brickell Ave. The historical context of the
property no longer pertains. The Academy of the Sisters of the Assumption no
longer exits, nor does the site it occupied. In their place are modern high-rise
apartments. A property should not be designated on the basis of how it once
appeared. The land acquired by the Sisters and the buildings they
commissioned —save for the chapel —can no longer be seen. The legal
description of the property includes an array of new structures and a
landscaped courtyard. To proscribe all but the footprint of the chapel —for the
purpose of designation —would be wrong.
Operation Pedro Pan, which has been written about extensively, had at best a
tangential connection to the Academy. The majority of children refugees
fleeing Cuba to Miami were boys who could neither be sheltered nor taught at
the Academy because of restrictions within the religious order. If a few girls did
stay there within the first two weeks of the operation, it has yet to be
documented. In any event, the site of the Academy no longer exists.
For a work of architecture -and in particular a religious edifice to be
designated —the building itself should be recognized as worthy of historic
resource/landmark status. The chapel does not meet that threshold. It was
well built but otherwise undistinguished. Any city of size has churches that
look quite similar. Its use of reinforced concrete and concrete block was not
novel, but was being used throughout Florida and elsewhere as a Tess expensive
alternative to traditional masonry construction. In no architectural publication
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is St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church cited. It was not published in architectural
magazines at the time it was constructed, and it has not been recognized since.
It has not been included in books on the history of Miami architecture. It was
even left out of the recent architectural guide prepared for the Miami chapter of
the American Institute of Architects.
The firm of Henry D. Dagit and Sons is largely unknown. It is not cited in books
on American architecture because it did not receive recognition for its
commissions. Its work was conservative and not innovative, which is
understandable considering its clients. In neither Philadelphia nor Miami was
the firm prominent.
After careful consideration of the designation report and the owner's response
to the report, the City Commission should deny the request for designation.
Table of Contents
Introduction
History
Description and Condition
Significance
2
P. 3
p. 5
p. 6
p. 16
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Designation Criteria and why they do not apply p. 17
Summary p. 23
References p. 24
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1 501 Brickell Ave., St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, Miami, FL
The property at 1501 Brickell Ave. includes a chapel with attached rectory, a
sacristy or church office, meeting rooms, and cloister with statuary. The only
historic structure is the chapel, commissioned in 1945 as the Chapel of Our
Lady of the Assumption and completed in 1946. Thirty years later the property
was acquired by the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and renamed Saint Jude. In
April 2013 the property was brought before the Historic and Environmental
Preservation Board of the City of Miami to be designated a historic resource.1
The decision to seek designation status for the property was initiated by a small
group of parishioners and not by the property owner, St. Jude Melkite Catholic
Church, which opposes the nomination. In a "Pastoral Letter" dated September
11, 2012, Bishop Nicholas J. Samra, the nominal head of the Melkite Greek
Catholic Church in America, called upon those acting against the wishes of the
Church "to cease and desist." It is the Church's belief that those wishing to
designate the property as a historic resource are seeking to wrestcontrol of the
property from the owner and that the same are spreading "false and malicious
rumors" that the Church may sell the property, which the Church denies.2
Although it is not a requirement that the City of Miami have the consent of the
property owner when proceeding with designation, it is usually a courtesy to
seek such consent. Moreover, the designating board, the Historic and
Environmental Preservation Board, usually initiates through its staff a list of
properties that are worthy of consideration. In this case, however, the property
does not appear on such a list. It was nominated for designation by a small
group of parishioners and their consultants.3
1 Saint Jude Melkite Catholic Church: Historic Site —Designation Report, Sept. 14, 2012; "St. Jude Catholic Church
Dedication Program, Feb. 19, 1978, The Voice, Miami, Feb. 24, 1978, p. 5.
2 Pastoral Letter, Sept. 11, 2012, Most Rev. Nicholas J. Samra, Eparchial Bishop of Newton, West Roxbury, MA.
3 Reinaldo Borges, Borges & Assocs., and Paul S. George, Ph.D., expert testimony, Feb. 4, 2013.
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Miami, Florida, is a city rich in architectural history. In recent years at least a
half dozen books have been published extolling the city's architectural past.
Several of these sources are quite comprehensive, examining the city's initial
vernacular residences, the development of the Mediterranean style, the Art
Deco, and contemporary building styles —residential, commercial, religious, and
institutional. Only three years ago, a comprehensive guide to the architecture
of Miami was published. Published guides tend to be inclusive, citing
properties that might be overlooked elsewhere. The property at 1 501 Brickell
Ave. is not included. The contributors to Building Paradise: An Architectural
Guide to the Magic City, who comprised a distinguished list of architects and
historians, did not consider the property significant. However, within the
immediate vicinity of St. Jude, three properties were cited.4 Its omission is
telling. As .a work of architecture, it did not measure up. The guide also
includes a number of churches within bordering neighborhoods, such as the
First Presbyterian Church of Miami, Gesu Church, Scottish Rite Temple, First
United Methodist Church, Central Baptist Church, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral,
Greater Bethel African Episcopal Methodist Church, House of God of Nazarene,
Mount Zion Baptist Church, St. John Baptist Church, Church of God in Christ
A.M. Cohen Temple, St. Agnes Episcopal Church, Temple Israel of Greater
Miami, First Church of Christ Scientist, San Juan Bautista Mission, Ebenezer
United Methodist Church, Riverside United Methodist Church, Shenandoah
Presbyterian Church, Tamiami Temple United Methodist, Calvary Baptist
Church, Temple Beth Kodesh, Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church,
St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and Temple Beth David. Most of these
churches are within a one -mile radius of St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church.5
4 Marilys R. Nepomechie, Building Paradise: An Architectural Guide to the Magic City, Miami: American Institute
of Architecture, 2010, these are The Palace, 1541 Brickell, The Imperial, 1627 Brickell, and the Villa Regina, 1581
Brickell Ave.
5 Ibid., pp. 53-95.
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Many of these churches and temples have been listed as historic resources.6 It
is no oversight that St. Jude was not included.
The best academic survey of the city's architecture, Building Marvelous Miami
by Nicholas N. Patricios, published by the University Press of Florida in 1994,
contains a section entitled "Religious Buildings," focusing on historic -style
religious buildings. St. Jude is not included, although attention was given to
the Gesu Church, 1 18-1 70 2nd St., Central Baptist Church, 500 1st Ave., the
Mahi Shrine Temple, 1410 Biscayne Blvd., and the Scottish Rite Temple, 471 3rd
St., all in the nearby downtown area.? Other books devoted to the architecture
of Miami also chose not to include St. Jude. The conclusion that one would
draw is that St. Jude is not a significant work of architecture and should not be
designated an historic resource.
History
The property is located within what was once a fashionable residential district.
Nowadays, the character of the site is entirely different. Its oldest surviving
structure is the chapel itself (1946). The Miami architectural firm,
Architectonica, designed the other buildings on the property in the period
1989-1992. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church acquired the property in 1976
and eventually cleared the site, save for the chapel, to make way for a new
sacristy, meeting rooms, and cloister.8
In 1942, a five -acre tract that now contains the one -acre portion presently
owned, was acquired by the Sisters of our Lady of the Assumption. Founded in
France in the 19th century, its American headquarters was established in the
6 City of Miami, list of designated landmarks.
7 Nicholas N. Patricios, Building Marvelous Miami, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1994, pp. 175-77;
see also: Beth Dunlop, Miami: Trends and Traditions, NY: Monacelli Press, 1996; Maurice Culot and Jean -
Francois LeJuene, Miami: Architecture of the Tropics, Princeton, NJ: Princeton Architectural Press, 1993.
8 See: Deed Records
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Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia in 1919. Its mission was the
instruction of young women, and by the middle of the 20th century it had
embarked on a program of outreach which included Miami. Its schools or
academies were limited by resources, including their teaching staff --the sisters
themselves. In the U.S. as opposed to France, public education was well
established and was also co-educational. The Academy of the Sisters of the
Assumption in Miami succumbed to declining enrollments, revenue, and the
inability to recruit sisters to the order. Only the chapel survives from this
period. The context of the site has changed significantly. The academy or
school, guest house, and residence were razed. Two high-rise apartment
buildings now occupy much of the site, and the chapel is now bounded on the
southwest by a cloister and ancillary structures.9
PLOT Nlnl:
Description and Condition
Fig. 1 The original five -acre tract
showing the new chapel to the
right and the existing academy,
guest house, and residence for the
sisters to the left, Plot Plan, 1945.
Only the chapel exists today.
1 501 Brickell Ave. comprises several structures within a one -acre site at the
southeast intersection of Brickell Ave. and 15th St. occupying portions of Lot 39
of the Mary and William Brickell Subdivision of the City of Miami and portions of
lots 1-4 of the Gifford and Highleyman Subdivision, as described in Plat Book B
9 Germaine Lesage, The Origins of the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Quebec: Nicolet, 1982.
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and Plat Book 3, County Recorder's Office, Dade County Courthouse, Miami,
FL.1 °
Only one of these structures, a chapel, is described in the Designation Report of
Feb. 4, 2013. The chapel was commissioned in 1945 by The Sisters of the
Assumption, a Catholic Order established in France in the early 19th century to
improve the lives of the poor through education. In 1946 the chapel was
completed and dedicated as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption. It was
also known as the Chapel of the Academy of the Assumption. The Philadelphia
firm of Henry D. Dagit & Sons were the architects and McCloskey & Co., also of
Philadelphia, were the contractors. Philadelphia is the U.S. home of the
religious order, hence the choice of letting contracts to those with whom the
Sisters had familiarity.1'
The plan of the chapel measures approximately 133 ft. from its north entry to
the rear wall of the rectory and approximately 56 ft. east to west at the outer
walls of the transept or crossing, its widest dimension. The sanctuary itself
measures approximately 30x66 ft., small by most standards for a church but
appropriate as a chapel for the sisters and students of the Academy. While
services on Sundays and religious holidays were open to the public, other
churches in the area served as the primary places for Catholic worship in the
period 1946-1976. The entry doors open to an enclosed porch or narthex to
one side of which is access to stairs to the loft above the entry. Additional
access is provided to either side of the chapel at the transept. The altar is in its
10 Plat Book B, p. 96; Plat Book 3, p. 38, Recorder's Office, Dade County Courthouse, Miami, FL.
11 "Chapel Cornerstone is laid at Academy," Miami Daily News, May 3, 1946; earlier in 1938 the Sisters
commissioned Henry D. Dagit and Sons to design its chapel for the Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia, Dagit
Collection, Philadelphia Athenaeum, DAG 632.
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traditional setting within the chancel above the transept. At the southwest end
of the church are the vestry and rectory for the priest.12
Fig. 2 Plan of the Chapel of the
Assumption, now St. Jude Melkite
Catholic Church, northwest or
entry to the right of the plan.
The structure —floor, arches, and roof —is constructed of reinforced concrete
poured in place. Since the beginning of the 20th century, reinforced concrete
had been used in place of load bearing masonry because of the greater spans it
afforded as well as efficiencies in materials costs and labor. But for other than
industrial purposes, reinforced concrete structures usually were disguised
behind walls finished in brick, stucco, or stone. The chapel walls are concrete
block covered both inside and out in Indiana limestone, sometimes known as
Bedford Stone, because of where it was quarried in Bedford, IN. But the stone is
a veneer and not load bearing. The arches used to transfer the weight of the
roof through the walls to the floor are not round but pointed at center. They
are strengthened laterally by a ridge beam and purlins, also of reinforced
concrete. An advantage to using the material over load -bearing masonry is
that the spans can be greater and the arches lower in height.
The windows are stain glass protected on the exterior by structural glass. The
floors are finished in terrazzo.
The original exterior doors were paneled oak.
12 Floor Plan, Architectural Drawings for the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption, Henry Dagit & Sons, Architects,
Philadelphia, 1945, drawings on file with St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, Miami.
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Fig. 3 The photo shows the nave
of the church looking south during
construction in 1945-46. Below
the springline of the arches are
the concrete columns as they
appeared prior to receiving the
stone veneer which can be seen
stacked in the foreground.
As regards style, the plan of the chapel is cruciform which was typical of
Christian churches from the Early Christian period to the Renaissance and
beyond to the present day. Its exterior appearance combines elements of the
Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The stain -glass
windows along the sides of the chapel are narrow and pointed —lancet —as in
the Gothic style. The octagonal window above the front entryway is a Baroque
feature in style. The frontispiece with the door surrounds, cartouche, and niche
with the statue of Mary is Renaissance. The overall massing and cross at the
apex of the gable is more typical of the Early Christian and Romanesque
styles.13 A feature both in plan and elevation
13 See: Spiro Kostof, A History of Architecture, NY: Oxford University Press, 1985; Marvin Trachtenberg and
Isabelle Hyman, Architecture: From Prehistory to Post -Modernism, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.
10
` f
•
Fig. 4 Note the narrow lancet
windows with pointed arches,
Gothic in style.
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Fig. 5 Entry facade of the chapel
showing Renaissance and
Baroque features
is the rectory and vestry at the rear or south end of the chapel. This feature
was never seen in churches prior to the 19th century and certainly is not
Romanesque. Its purpose was to provide a wardroom and living quarters for a
priest. Its design is awkward (note the image on the cover of this report),
appearing as a box attached to the rear of the church, rather than a rounded
apse more typical of the Romanesque.14
The chapel has undergone some change, partly because of material failures,
new code requirements, and because of the liturgical requirements of the
14 Romanesque plans have an apse or chevet at the termination of the choir, sometimes with radiating chapels,
see: Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture From Prehistory to PJost-Modernism, NY: Harry N.
Abrams, 1986, pp. 197-202.
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Fig. 6 View looking southwest to the rear of the chapel showing the rectory and
vestry. This is not a feature of the Romanesque style.
present owner, St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church. The most worrisome of these
changes can be seen in damage to the roof and the limestone veneer. The steel
reinforcing bars in the roof slab beneath the tile have corroded causing the
substrate and tile to fail. The limestone was attached to the concrete block
substrate with mastic and steel ties. Miami is a marine environment, and when
moist salt air penetrates cracks in the mortar joints or migrates directly through
the stone, the steel supports will corrode. The pressure against the stone
(rustjacking) can cause it to spall.15
15 See Building Permit 00-5016661, 9 Sept. 2000, roof repair, Hershell Gill Consulting Engineers, Inc., "Structural
Repairs to St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church," Lahoud and Hardan, contractors. In November of last year an
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Fig. 7 Both the north facade and west walls of the
chapel contain damage to the Indiana limestone
veneer. While this could be patched with cement,
that would be a mistake. The damaged stone
should be removed and new stone put in its place.
New mortar or pointing should be used where
cracks appear.
To protect the stain glass, Lexan—a structural glass placed in steel frames —is
used to guard against wind damage and vandalism. The frames are rusting and
need to be scraped and repainted. Elsewhere, new windows, inappropriate in
design have replaced some of the casement units in the rectory.
Fig. 8 Note the rusting frames used to
protect the stain glass. The steel should
be scaped, reprimed and painted.
Fig. 9 New slider windows used in the
rectory to replace the original casements
are inappropriate in type and design.
The stain glass original to the chapel sits behind the Lexan and is in reasonably
good condition. Cracks do appear, though because they are protected from
without they do not require repair at this time. An assessment of the stain
glass was prepared in 2001.16
inspection was made of the structure with a number of recommendations. "Structural Inspection and
Recommendations Report," Nov. 12, 2012, Roger G. Khouri, PE.
16 An examination was made by Dupre Studio in Miami, "The condition of the stained glass windows of St. Jude
Melkite Catholic Church," dated Feb. 25, 2001.
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Both the north entry doors and the west side doors at the transept have been
replaced with units designed for St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church. This was
done to represent iconography in glass appropriate to the order. The original
doors were paneled oak but without glass. More recently, the steps at the entry
were replaced with a basalt stone and bronze railings were mounted to meet
code requirements. An apron below the steps and new walks are recently
landscape additions. A statue of Christ was placed near the west transept
facing Brickell Ave.
Fig. 10 Entry as it appears in 2013
with new doors, pedestal, railing,
and apron, which are not original.
‘-`'`"4"'""w7NP'^--"eniege•Iwau*----*04
Fig. 11 Entry as it appeared with
the original oak paneled doors
and steps.
Fig. 12 West doors to the
transept, showing glass panels,
which are not historic. Neither is
the paved walk.
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Within the chapel other changes have occurred. At some point in time the
original decorative stenciling was removed. The stenciling had been used as
ornamentation in the coffering of the ceiling as well as in the entrados of the
arches above the limestone veneer. This loss of stenciling was an unfortunate.
Its purpose was to make the concrete appear as painted wood. In red, white,
and blue, it also added color to the nave.» Changes have been made to the
altar, and the original hanging light fixtures have been replaced.
17 See Details, Drawings by Henry D. Dagit and Sons, Chapel of the Sisters of the Assumption, Miami, FL, 1945.
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Fig. 13 Historic photo showing the original stenciling within the arches and the
coffering of the ceiling.
16
Fig. 14 Detail photo of the original
chancel, dais and altar. Also note the
original pendant lighting.
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Fig. 15 Photo of the chancel in 2013
reflecting changes made by the Melkite
Greek Catholic Church, including marble
pedestals with depictions, railing, altar,
and crucifix in the reredos.
Fig. 16 New light fixtures in the
sanctuary, which are not original.
The original chapel did not provide air -handling equipment. Beginning in the
1 970s and continuing to the present, mechanical equipment has been added
and upgraded. It is unfortunate that the compressors used for cooling are
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intrusive. Holes have been cut in both the east and west walls to admit the air -
handling equipment. These are unsightly and could have been avoided had
they been placed below grade.
Fig. 17 Air -handling equipment along the east wall of the chapel. Note how they
penetrate the wall. These are not original and should have been placed below grade.
Significance
The chapel, especially when taken alone or removed from its present context,
has special meaning to those within the parish and to all who worship there.
The question is whether that meaning elevates the property to the status of a
landmark. Its site has been compromised. Its original surroundings no longer
exist. The buildings of the Academy of our Lady of the Assumption were razed
in the 1970s. Moreover, the chapel —St. Jude —as it exists today has undergone
a number of changes which have been described above.
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Integrity, when used as a term by the National Park Service, which adrninisters
the National Register program, is that which gives a building meaning and
value. Once lost, it cannot be retrieved or recreated. The original site of the
chapel and the academy it served cannot be recreated. St. Jude's greater
history, including its more recent history, is tied to the Melkite Greek Catholic
Church. The chapel has been adapted to the liturgy of the Melkite order, and
this has been done in a respectful way. An array of new structures have been
placed to the southeast of the chapel, and they are a part of the property. They
are respectful and complementary, but they are neither historic nor
significant.18
Returning to the chapel itself, and whether as a stand-alone building, it is
worthy of designation, it is not enough to cite the architect. Henry D. Dagit and
Sons was a distinguished architectural firm in Philadelphia that specialized in
the design of ecclesiastical buildings —mostly for the Catholic Church. After the
firm closed in 1959, Charles Dagit, a descendent of the founder, established a
partnership with Peter Saylor, which continued in practice until recently. From
its inception in 1888, the firm designed more than 450 projects, but not all that
survive are worthy of recognition. Moreover, the use of reinforced concrete was
not unique. It was used extensively in the early 20th century architecture,
including church designs. Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, Chicago, of 1905
is an example. The French architect, Auguste Perret also employed it in the
Church of Montmagny, near Paris in 1927. Had the construction been
expressed on the exterior or interior, as in the two examples cited above, it
may have been noteworthy. But it was, concealed by a stone veneer, and where
visible in the arches and ceiling it was painted to appear as something other
than concrete.19
Designation Criteria and why they do not apply
18 Architectonica, New Sacristy and Meeting Rooms, St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, 1501 Brickell Ave., Miami.
19 Dagit Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Email and phone conversation between John S. Garner and Bruce u
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Three criteria were cited in an effort to justify the designation of St. Jude
Melkite Catholic Church before the Historic and Environmental Preservation
Board on April 8th. Criteria (3), (5), and (6) out of eight designation criteria
were chosen. In the following these three are rebutted in some detail.
However, none of the eight applies. All are included in this section of the
response.
(1) Are associated in a significant way with the life of a person important in the
past.
The criterion does not apply. Although several important persons have visited
St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, none are associated with the property in any
significant way, such as taking a hand in the development of the site or its
operation.
(2) Are the site of a historic event with significant effect upon the community,
city, state, or nation.
Operation Pedro Pan, an event important in the history of Miami, especially in
regard to city's Cuban immigrants, has —at best —a tangential connection to the
earlier academy. On December 25th, 1960, Mother Elizabeth was asked to
accept some of the refugee children who were expected to arrive
unaccompanied from Cuba. Because classes were to resume at the academy on
January 6th, 1961, only a limited time was available for using the academy. Very
few children arrived from Cuba in the first weeks of the operation, and most of
them were domiciled elsewhere. Most of the children were boys, and they
could not stay at the academy. It is unclear whether any girls actually stayed at
the academy during this two -week period or at any time thereafter.20
20 Several books have been published on Operation Pedro Pan, including Maria de los Angeles Torres, The Lost
Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S., and the Promise of a Better Future (Boston: Beacon
Press, 2003); Yvonne M. Conde, Operation Pedro Pan (New York: Routledge, 1999); Robert M. Levine and Moises
Asis, Cuban Miami (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, 2000); but most helpful is an account by the person in charge of
the operation, Father Byron Walsh, "Cuban Refugee Children," Journal of Inter -American Studies and World
Affairs, 13.3 (July 1971), pp. 378-404.
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(3) Exemplify the historical, cultural, political, economical, or social trends of
the community.
The basis for choosing this criterion lies with the earlier use of the site, when it
was part of a much larger five -acre parcel of land extending east of Brickell
Ave. to the waterfront. Little is known of its use prior to the early 20th century
when it was a residential estate. In 1942 the property was acquired by the
Sisters of the Assumption, a Catholic order based in Philadelphia. Theirs was a
teaching mission and the first of several buildings was erected on the site. In
1945 they commissioned the Philadelphia firm of Henry Dagit and Sons, which
specialized in ecclesiastical architecture, to design the Chapel of the Academy
of the Assumption. The chapel was completed the following year in 1946.
The mission of the Sisters of the Assumption and its academy existed for little
more than thirty years in Miami. It ultimately failed as enrollments declined.
The property was sold in 1976 and thesite was razed, save for the chapel. It
cannot be said that the mission left an indelible footprint to "Exemplify the
historical, cultural, ...or social trends of the community." The chapel is the sole
surviving symbol of the mission. But the greater history of the chapel, since its
acquisition by the Order of the Melkite Catholic Church in 1976 and its formal
dedication in 1978 as Saint .Jude, has been to serve as a pastoral sanctuary to a
small but dedicated congregation. This more recent period of time, however,
has yet to fall within the fifty-year period usually considered by landmark
commissions to be the threshold for what is historic. What is more, the story of
St. _Jude Melkite Catholic Church in Miami has yet to be written. It would be
premature. Its pastoral following is in transition from a declining number of
parishioners of Middle Eastern descent to a growing number of those of
Hispanic descent. In sum, the site established by the Sisters of the Assumption
no longer pertains. In its place are modern high-rise apartment buildings. The
history of St. _Jude Melkite Catholic Church does not fall within the fifty year
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parameter of what is considered historic. For these reasons, the designation
criterion (3) should not apply.
(4) Portray the environment in an era of history characterized by one or more
distinctive architectural styles.
Miami's architecture has been described by era, beginning with vernacular,
followed by Mediterranean Revival, Moderne (Deco and Streamlined), and finally
conternporary. The chapel, which is eclectic in style, fits none of the styles
distinctive to Miami and its environs. The criterion does not apply.
(5) Embody those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, or
period, or method of construction.
As regards the fifth criterion, it must be shown that the property is a work of
architecture worthy of being designated a landmark; and in addition, that as a
work of architecture it overrides the exclusion of being a religious property.
It is important to understand that within the preservation ordinance, Sec. 23-4
(b), there are exceptions to designation. "Ordinarily cemeteries, birth places, or
graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used
for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original
locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative
in nature and properties that have achieved significance within the past fifty
years shall not be considered eligible for listing in the Miami register of historic
places." Under specific considerations, these exceptions may be overridden.
Sec. 23-4 (b) (7) states that "A religious property deriving primary significance
from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance" may override
the exception.
There are two considerations. The first is whether the property truly embodies
a style, or period, or method of building. And the second is whether the
property's chief significance derives from its architecture, its art, or its history.
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In the designation reports presented February 5th, 2013, the chapel or church is
singled out, but the entire one -acre site is identified within the property. This
would include the new cloister, sacristy, meeting hall, and classrooms of 1989-
1992. These buildings and spaces were intended to complement the existing
chapel. They embody none of the distinguishing characteristics of an
architectural style, period, and method of construction. Nor are they historic.
The chapel is Romanesque Revival in massing, but its style and construction
would never have been recognized by a master mason or cleric of the Middle
Ages and in particular the period 1050-1200 when the Romanesque prevailed.
St. Jude is a simple cruciform chapel in plan, but where one would expect to
find an apse behind the transept there is instead a vestry and rectory. This was
not a medieval feature. At the opposite end, and in elevation, the entry to the
church, facing northwest, displays a frontispiece with stone surround
surmounted by a baroque pediment to either side of a cartouche surmounted
by a niche with a sculpture of St. Mary. This frontispiece and the eight -pointed
window above are not Romanesque but rather Baroque in style as would be
seen in the period 1600-1750. The arches within the nave are four -centered
and come to a point at their apex. While this affords a wide arch to
accommodate the width of the nave, it is not typical to the Romanesque. The
limestone on the exterior and interior is set in mortar, not dry laid as it would
have been in a church of the Romanesque period.
That final point about the masonry addresses the manner of construction. The
building was constructed of reinforced concrete. The stone is not load -
bearing, but rather a thin veneer. In an effort to conceal the construction, the
limestone was attached to the concrete substrate. This was done with metal
shelf angles and mortar. When the mortar fails or cracks, moisture migrates to
the metal. Miami is a marine weather environment. The metal behind the
masonry corrodes and expends and causes spall or failure in the masonry
veneer. This damage can be seen in several places. Had St. Jude been
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constructed of load -bearing masonry, either stone or brick, or had it exposed
its reinforced concrete throughout, it would have avoided the deceptive
separation of structure and finish and the structural problems that have
followed. The use of reinforced concrete in non -industrial buildings was
gaining popularity in Florida and throughout the U.S. in the post -World War II
period. It would have been ground breaking had the concrete been exposed on
the exterior in a contemporary design fashion. But this is not the case.
For the reasons above, St. Jude does not embody distinguishing characteristics
of a style and method of construction. In fact, the style and method of
construction work at cross-purposes. Criterion (5) should not apply.
The second consideration is whether St. Jude should be waived from the
exception, exempting religious properties. Does the architecture and the art
displayed in the ornamentation and stained glass supersede the significance of
the religious order that built it or the religious order that now uses and
maintains it? In other words, is the property of such significance that it stands
alone, regardless of use and affiliation. The greater number of buildings on the
site are contemporary in style and undistinguished. The chapel itself is
something of a combination of a building historic in style and contemporary in
construction. Even the designation Romanesque is in question because of the
floor plan and the ornament used at its entrance.
The chapel itself has also undergone change as funding for renovations has
become available. It does not appear as it did in 1946. The entry podium with
its curved steps and railing are recent. The entry doors are replacements. Air
handling equipment has been placed at grade on either side of the chapel and
openings have been cut through the walls. The equipment could have been
placed below grade and introduced in a far less obtrusive manner. The original
interior stenciling has been lost and the original lighting fixtures replaced. The
Melkite order has for liturgical reasons changed the altar. Plans are underway
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to make other interior changes in the sanctuary to bring the chapel into better
conformity with its present use.
When taken as a whole, both considerations pertaining to criterion (5) should
disqualify the property from designation
(6) Are an outstanding work of a prominent designer or builder
The architectural firm of Henry D. Dagit and Sons, located in Philadelphia, was a
successful practice that specialized in religious buildings, especially churches
and schools for. the Catholic Church. The firm was established by Henry D.
Dagit, Sr. who opened an office in 1888. His son, Henry D. Dagit, Jr.
continued the practice as Henry D. Dagit and Sons (1922-1959), and he was in
charge of the firm at the time the chapel was commissioned and designed. The
firm designed more than 420 buildings over a long period time. Some were.
large commissions —outstanding in the history of the firm. Others were minor
and the Chapel of the Sisters of the Assumption falls in that category. To
suggest that a work of architecture is outstanding is to suggest that it received
recognition in the architectural press, and the chapel did not.
By any definition, a prominent designer or builder is a leader in the profession.
One commission in Miami cannot be considered prominent or leading.
Philadelphia, the location of the firm Henry D. Dagit and Sons, was home to
many prominent architects, such as Benjamin Henry Latrobe, William Strickland,
Thomas U. Walter, Frank Furness, Paul Cret, George Howe, and Louis Kahn. By
comparison Henry D. Dagit, Jr. was not prominent, and neither he nor his firm
is mentioned in published histories of American architecture.
(7) Contain elements of design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship of
outstanding quality or which represent a significant innovation or adaptation to
the South Florida environment.
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As described in the response to criterion 5 the Chapel was constructed of
reinforced concrete with a limestone veneer. Although well designed and built,
it was not innovative. Reinforced concrete had been employed significantly in
Miami in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the Miami Beach Hotels of that era,
especially those in the Moderne style, are reinforced concrete. Throughout the
20th century and continuing to the present, the use of limestone as a veneer as
opposed to a load -bearing material has been widely employed. The drawback
is in the attachment of the stone to the masonry. substrate, and in the case of
St. Jude the quality of craftsmanship was lacking —hence the unsightly spall on
the exterior. A number of design features are replacements and not historic,
such as the exterior doors, interior light fixtures, exterior steps at the entry,
not to mention air -handling equipment.
(8) Have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory
or history.
Criterion 8 pertains to archaeology —in that a site may contain artifacts buried
beneath its surface. But unless a dig or test site yields the promise of or has
previously yielded artifacts through excavation, there is no foundation to hold
the site in abeyance. Usually, the criterion is applied to un-improved properties
where no buildings exist. What is known, is at the time that the cloister with its
office, meeting space, and classrooms were erected in 1989-1992, no
archaeological finds were discovered when digging the foundations. Native
Americans did inhabit parts of what became downtown Miami, but there is no
reason to conclude that the one -acre site of St. Jude would yield anything of
significance. For these reasons, the designation criterion (8) should not apply.
Summary
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The property owner, the Diocese of the Melkite Catholic Church, does not
believe that any one of the criteria for designation as a historic resource of the
City of Miami applies. The historical context of the property no longer pertains.
The Academy of the Sisters of the Assumption no longer exists, nor does the
site it occupied. In their place are modern high-rise apartments. A property
should not be designated on the basis of how it once appeared. The land
acquired by the Sisters and the buildings they commissioned —save for the
chapel —can no longer be seen. The legal description of the property includes
an array of new structures and a landscaped courtyard: To proscribe all but the
footprint of the chapel —for the purpose of designation —would be wrong.
Operation Pedro Pan, which has been written about extensively, had at best a
tangential connection to the Academy. The majority of children refugees
fleeing Cuba to Miami were boys who could neither be sheltered nor taught at
the Academy because of restrictions within the religious order. If a few girls did
stay there within the first two weeks of the operation, it has yet to be
documented. In any event, the site of the Academy no longer exists.
For a work of architecture —and in particular a religious edifice to be
designated —the building itself should be recognized as worthy of historic
resource/landmark status. The chapel does not meet that threshold. It was
well built but otherwise undistinguished. Any city of size has churches that
look quite similar. Its use of reinforced concrete and concrete block was not
novel, but was being used throughout Florida and elsewhere as a less expensive
alternative to traditional masonry construction. In no architectural publication
is St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church cited. It was not published in architectural
magazines at the time it was constructed, and it has not been recognized since.
It has not been included in books on the history of Miami architecture. It was
even left out of the recent architectural guide prepared for the Miami chapter of
the American Institute of Architects.
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The firm of Henry D. Dagit and Sons is largely unknown. It is not cited in books
on American architecture because it did not receive recognition for its
commissions. Its work was conservative and not innovative, which is
understandable considering its clients. In neither Philadelphia nor Miami was
the firm prominent.
After careful consideration of the designation report and the owner's response
to the report, the City Commission should deny the request for designation.
References
Saint Jude Melkite Catholic Church: Historic Site —Designation Report, Sept. 14, 2012
"St. Jude Catholic Church Dedication Program, Feb. 19, 1978, The Voice, Miami, Feb. 24, 1978,
P. 5.
Pastoral Letter, Sept. 11, 2012, Most Rev. Nicholas J. Samra, Eparchial Bishop of Newton, West
Roxbury, MA.
Reinaldo Borges, Borges & Assocs., and Paul S. George, Ph.D., expert testimony, Feb. 4, 2013.
Marilys R. Nepomechie, Building Paradise: An Architectural Guide to the Magic City, Miami:
American Institute of Architecture, 2010.
City of Miami, list of designated landmarks.
Nicholas N. Patricios, Building Marvelous Miami, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida,
1994, pp. 175-77.
Building Department, Building and Zoning Permits, City of Miami, Folio 01-4139-002-
0011/0000, 1993 to 2007.
Plat Book B, p. 96; Plat Book 3, p. 38, Recorder's Office, Dade County Courthouse, Miami, FL.
"Chapel Cornerstone is laid at Academy," Miami Daily News, May 3, 1946.
Floor Plan, Architectural Drawings for the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption, Henry Dagit &
Sons, Architects, Philadelphia, 1945.
Spiro Kostof, A History of Architecture, NY: Oxford University Press, 1985.
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Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture: From Prehistory to Post -Modernism,
NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.
Roger G. Khouri, PE, "Structural Inspection and Recommendations Report," Nov. 12, 2012.
Dupre Studio in Miami, "The condition of the stained glass windows of St. Jude Melkite Catholic
Church," dated Feb. 25, 2001.
Architectonica, New Sacristy and Meeting Rooms, St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church, 1501
Brickell Ave., Miami.
Dagit Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Email and phone conversation between John S.
Garner and Bruce Laverty (Curator of Architecture).
"A Reinforced Concrete Church," The Builder, Vol. 133, Sept. 1927, pp. 460-61.
"Romanesque Inspiration, Contemporary in Concept: the new Chapel of the Slovak Girl's
Academy, Danville, PA," Architectural Record, Vol. 87, Feb. 1940, pp. 45-48.
Yvonne M. Conde, Operation Pedo Pan, NY: Routledge, 1999.
Robert M. Levine and Moises Asis, Cuban Miami, New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, 2000.
Maria de los Angeles Torres, The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S., and the
Promise of a Better Future, Boston, Beacon Press, 2003.
Father Byron Walsh, "Cuban Refugee Children," Journal of Inter -American Studies and World Affairs,
13.3 (July 1971), pp. 378-404.
Katherine Brownell Oettinger, "Services to Unaccompanied Cuban Refugee Children in the United
States," Social Service Review, Vol. 36 (December 1962), pp. 377-83.
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