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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal AnalysisCity of Miami Planning Department Historic Preservation Division ANALYSIS FOR FINAL EVALUATION FOR DESIGNATION APPLICANT: Iris Escarra, Esquire. PROJECT ADDRESS: 609 Brickell Avenue COMMISSIONER DISTRICT OFFICE: Downtown-Brickell COMMISSION DISTRICT: District 2 (Damian Pardo) STATUS: Individually Designated FILE NO.: PZ-23-16792 ZIP: 33131 HEARING DATE: 12/3/2024 TDR/TDD ELIGIBLE: No COE on file A. GENERAL INFORMATION: REQUEST: Pursuant to Section 23-4(c)(8) of the City Code of Ordinances, as amended, the Applicant is requesting an Amendment to the Historic Designation Report for the individually designated site known as First Presbyterian Church located on a parcel zoned T6-48A-0 "Urban Core Transect Zone - Open" at 609 Brickell Avenue. Section 23-4(c)(8) states the Board may amend any designation by following the same procedures as set forth in Section 23-4 "Designation of historic resources, historic districts, multiple property designations, and archaeological sites and zones". The subject property is located within the plat of Amended Map of Brickell's Addition and the Downtown-Brickell Net Area. The site is located on the east side of Brickell Avenue, south of the intersection of Southeast 6 Street. The property extends from Brickell Avenue eastward to Biscayne Bay. (Complete legal description is on file with Hearing Boards). Reference Folio: 0102100301010 Lot Size: Approximately 132,708 square feet B. BACKGROUND On June 17, 2003, the City of Miami Historic and Environmental Board (HEPB), pursuant to Resolution HEPB-2003-36, designated the subject property located at 609 Brickell Avenue, also known as "First Presbyterian Church" as a Locally Designated Resource. On July 2, 2024, HEPB-R-24-013, a resolution of the Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, pursuant to Sec. 23-4 of the City Code of Ordinances approved the Preliminary Evaluation of to amend the local designation as an Historic Resource the property located approximately at 609 Brickell Avenue. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 1 of 14 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The subject property is an individually designated historic resource. Pursuant to Goal LU-2, 2.3 and 2.4 of the Miami Neighborhood Comprehensive Plan the City will preserve and protect the heritage of the City of Miami through the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, restoration, and public awareness of Miami's historic and archeological resources. The Applicant's request for an amendment to the historic designation report for the individually designated site known as First Presbyterian Church, located at 609 Brickell Avenue is found to be in partial accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 23 of the City of Miami Code of Ordinances and The Secretary of the Interior's Standards. C. PHOTOS: Historic Photograph (West and South Elevations c.1950): Historic Photograph (West Elevation c.1957) K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 2 of 14 Current Photograph (West Elevation): Current Photograph (West Elevation) K. Kalmis 10/21/24 First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 3 of 14 Lester W Geisler Elevations, June 1962 K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 4 of 14 Current Photograph (school addition East and South Elevations) K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 5 of 14 D. NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS: ZONING Subject Property T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone -Open Surrounding Properties FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre NORTH: CS; Civic Space Transect Zone Parks and Recreation N/A SOUTH: T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone -Open Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre EAST: N/A (Biscayne Bay) WEST: T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone -Open Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre E. ANALYSIS: The following is a review of the request pursuant to Section 23-4 of the City Code of Ordinances. The General Information and Comprehensive Plan section of this report is hereby incorporated into the analysis and its corresponding criteria by reference: Analysis: The First Presbyterian Church is a four-story masonry edifice executed in the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture with elements of the Romanesque mode. The church building was designed to house 1,200 worshippers and was completed in 1949. The First Presbyterian Church is a cruciform -plan building supported by a masonry structural system. The exterior walls are clad with a combination of stucco and native keystone, and its roof is covered with standing seam copper. A two-story school building addition is located directly behind the church and is physically connected to the main structure. The exterior of First Presbyterian Church is characterized by a projecting central section that features three arched entrance portals and terminates in a gable roof. The central gable is perpendicular to the wings of the two-story sections that flank it on the north and south. Decorative brackets emphasize the shallow eaves of the roof overhang. The wing to the north of the entrance is the Flagler Memorial Chapel, whose interior contains salvaged portions of the original First Presbyterian Church building constructed in 1900. The chapel is the most decorated portion of the church and features compound arches in relief carried on rectangular pilasters that frame the stained-glass windows. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 6 of 14 The wing that extends to the south of the central entrance reflects a simpler architectural vocabulary tied more to then -current preferences in style. The two-story section contains three evenly spaced windows on the first and second floor. Their only embellishment is a cutout in the lintel of the second -floor windows, and a simple band course that divides the stories. The sanctuary of the church rises to a height of four stories and terminates in a gable roof running in an east -west direction. The side elevations feature broad planes of stuccoed surface embellished by bands and moldings of cast stone. Narrow windows that are framed by an arch springing from pilasters in relief are regularly spaced along the side elevations. The altar is situated within a semicircular apse end, and behind it is a two-story portion that contains meeting rooms. An educational wing or annex was added to the east elevation of the Church, its current configuration represents multiple phases of construction. In 1953 a one-story L-shaped addition was added. Between 1962 and 1963 a second story was added to the original L- shaped addition, and a U-shaped, two-story addition was inserted into the void creating an enclosed courtyard. The two-story, hipped -roof educational addition is clad in stucco with a standing -seam metal roof, the fenestration is symmetrical, balanced, and comprised of mostly metal, casement windows. Surface ornamentation visible to the public include applied quoins, belt courses, Tuscan columns, simple piloti, and metal railings featuring sections with intersecting, metal oval forms set between runs of vertical metal pickets. The west elevation features a cantilevered marquee of exaggerated scale while the east elevation features a two-story colonnade with flanking, exterior stairs. The eastern third of the property is comprised primarily of an asphalt parking lot. The current boundaries of the historic resource encompass all that property acquired by, and historically associated with, the 1940's purchase by the Church with the explicit intent to house a larger congregation, provide additional educational facilities and expand church amenities. Per the historic designation. "The First Presbyterian Church is situated on a three - acre parcel of land that is located between Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Bay, between SE 6th Street and SE 7th Street", and 'The building and grounds are a rare exception to the streetscape of Brickell Avenue's high-rise office and condominium buildings". The resource was found to possess integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association; and is eligible for designation under the following criteria: 3. Exemplifies the historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. The First Presbyterian Church houses Miami's oldest congregation, having been organized in April 1896. While this is the third location for the congregation, it has met continuously since its founding. Henry M. Flagler, the individual responsible for providing a railroad link to Miami, provided the lots and funding for the erection of a permanent church building in 1900. The First Presbyterian Church was made K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 7 of 14 nationally known by William Jennings Bryan, who was a member of the church and taught a Sunday School class there. 5. Embodies those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or method of construction. The First Presbyterian Church represents an exceptionally fine example of late Mediterranean Revival styling in Miami with elements of the Romanesque mode. While the Mediterranean Revival style was popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s in South Florida, its appearance as late as 1949, the year the First Presbyterian Church was constructed, is rare at mid-century. The visual composition of the church is architecturally noteworthy for its stylistic features and use of local materials. The applicant is requesting as "part of the Church's strategic plan to create an endowment for the continued maintenance and operation of the historic church building on the Church Property. In furtherance of this strategic plan, the Church seeks to amend the Designation Report to include to encompass only the property which contains the original church structure (the "Church Property") and remove the rest of the property (the "Educational Building and Surface Parking Lot")", i.e. the boundary would be redrawn to terminate ten (10) feet from the east wall of the church structure thus all structures and improvements east of the original church structure would be removed from the designation. In support of the request, the applicant has submitted a report by R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, P.A. and Jorge L. Hernandez, Architect, which provides an opinion on the architectural and historical significance of the church building and the lack of significance of the additions and parking lot. The report states the design of the church is inspired by both "the vocabulary of monastic churches and complexes of the Italian Romanesque and Spanish "Romanico" style", as well as `paying homage to the Neoclassical high -style character" of the Church's previous Flagler Street building. With regard to the addition, the report describes it as "strangely eclectic and dissonant. The clashing of elements more closely associated with the Mid -Century modern style, counter - positioned to stout disproportioned Tuscan colonnades, creates a dissonance within the architecture of the educational building that also clashes with the architecture of the church. This creates a disorder and lack of unity when church and educational buildings are seen together. This may have resulted from the phased design and construction schedule that produced the finished building, the vicissitudes of the commissioning, and other circumstances currently unknown to us. Nevertheless, the design of the Educational Building is far inferior to the skilled and novel composition that Geisler crafted when designing the church building. The Educational Building lacks "integrity of design." The report goes on to suggest a cantilevered awning on the south elevation "appears to be about to topple the overall structure" and the two-story loggia on the east elevation "seems disconnected from the general architectural language of the building". The report states, "At K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 8 of 14 the east building. On the first floor, brut -paired Tuscan columns are inserted into an abstract composition- a box- like porch with a second -story Mid -Century Modern metal guardrail more typical of ubiquitous modern apartment buildings from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The pencil -thin metal columns of the second floor seem visually incapable of supporting the roof and are unexplainable as the continuation of the brut Tuscan columns below." With regard to the Designation Criteria, per the applicant's report, "the First Presbyterian Church building's is eligible for designation because it possesses architectural significance, maintains integrity in design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and meets criterion 5 due to its embodiment of the distinguishing characteristics of a style, period, or construction method." The report goes on to assert "The Church stands out in the architectural heritage of the City of Miami. The Church building combines and embodies distinguishing characteristics of the Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical architectural styles. The Mediterranean Revival style was prevalent in South Florida in the 1920s and 1930s, making its use in 1949 particularly distinctive." Findings: The Applicant's Letter of Intent states that the application is part of the Church's strategic plan to create an endowment for the continued maintenance of and operation of the historic church building and as such is requesting an amendment to the Designation Report to include only that portion of the property that contains the original church structure and removing the rest of the property. The Applicant proposes the resource is eligible solely under Criterion 5 as, "The Church stands out in the architectural heritage of the City of Miami. The Church building combines and embodies distinguishing characteristics of the Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical architectural styles. The Mediterranean Revival style was prevalent in South Florida in the 1920s and 1930s, making its use in 1949 particularly distinctive. The Applicant's contends that the "Designation Report incorrectly asserted that the First Presbyterian Church met criteria 3 because of "its significant for its association with Miami's oldest congregation, Henry M. Flagler and William Jennings Bryan." However, since the Church building was constructed well after the death of both Henry Flagler and William Jennings Bryan, that structure cannot convey the earlier history associated with these persons." Staff find this conclusion erroneous and is contradicted by the Applicant's own report which concludes, salvage from the previous church structure was incorporated into, and specifically guided, Geisler's design; "The design of the Flagler Memorial Chapel's exterior draws direct inspiration from the original church on East Flagler Street". Staff finds this provides for a direct continuum of association of persons related to the historic development of the Church and historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 9 of 14 - Staff finds the Church significant under Criterion 3 The Applicant concludes the School Annex does not retain "integrity of design" conflating integrity with congruence. It is important to recognize integrity, as used in the context of historic designation, expresses the retention of a resource's essential physical features that enable it to convey its historic identity. It does not, as the Applicant asserts, relate to design composition or aesthetics. Furthermore, while the Applicant posits that the design of the School Annex is "flawed" and does not follow the "cannons of spacing distances... the language of classical architecture requires," the Applicant's report describes a modernized pastiche of the Regency period, Late Regency Moderne. Late Regency Moderne shares contextual roots with both the Art Deco and Art Modern movements, endeavoring to be modern but utilizing a different vocabulary of abstracted and historicized Neo-classical ornamentation. High -style examples such as Royal Poinciana Plaza, Regency Park, and St. Mary's Hospital in Palm Beach would have been familiar to Geisler. Working in this new vocabulary, he successfully designed a stylistically unified structure from multiple phases of construction. Furthermore, his design introduced both an auto -centric -specific threshold to the south elevation, as well as creating a secondary edifice that engages the church parking lot and embraces Biscayne Bay beyond. This mid-century interpretation of classical elements represents a building of its own time that contextually relates to the stricter classicism of the existing church structure. Staff finds that the School Annex, is significant as an example of Late Regency Moderne architecture and remains substantially unaltered from Geisler's 1962 Regency Moderne design and therefore retains integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. However, Staff agrees that the School Annex does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties and therefore should be considered a non-contributing addition to the original church structure. The Applicant contends that the paved parking lot is a non-contributing feature of the historic resource. While the Applicant has provided little evidence to the contrary, it should be noted that within the greater context of Post -War America, as auto -centric development and society grew, so did the requirement for facilities, including religious institutions, to provide access to parking. Staff finds that the provision for, and construction of parking significant as a representation of historical, cultural, economic, and social trends of Miami's Post -War development. However, Staff agrees that the parking lot does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance or historical importance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties, and therefore should be considered a non- contributing feature. The Applicant's report notes that the property is within a high -probability Archaeological Conservation Area (ACA). It should be recognized that the subject property is adjacent to the Mary Brickell Park locally designated archaeological site, part of the larger 8DA12 Miami K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 10 of 14 Midden site which includes the Miami Circle and the recently designated 444 Brickell Ave Historic Sites. The Applicant posits that the proposed amendment to the boundaries of the First Presbyterian Church historic designation is not intended to amend the property's location within the ACA nor preclude future requirements pursuant to such overlay. The Applicant has withdrawn their request to have any hardscape and landscape improvements to the Access Easement area along the south side of the Historic Church Property be approved via a Standard Certificate of Appropriateness. The Applicant's report contends that the property consists of Lot 2 of the Plat and an unplatted parcel of land which was formerly submerged and later filled in connection with the extension of the bulkhead line c.1920. They conclude that that the 2003 Designation Report incorporated areas that do not contribute to the understanding or preservation of the integrity of the historic Church building and that the filled parcel was not included in the legal description of the designation report and is therefore not historically designated. Staff finds that despite the Designation Report describing the property as three acres and the Site Map identifying the entirety of the subject property, the legal description in the 2003 Designation Report fails to include that portion of the site that was filled, thus eliminates the riparian rights of Block 103. Pursuant to The National Park Service, National Register Bulletin, Technical information on the National Register of Historic Places: Defining Boundaries for National Register Properties: Boundaries should include surrounding land that contributes to the significance of the resources by functioning as the setting. This setting is an integral part of the eligible property and should be identified when boundaries are selected. For example, do not limit the property to the footprint of the building, but include its yard or grounds; consider the extent of all positive subsurface test units as well as the landform that includes the archeological site. Historic Boundaries: Use the boundaries shown on historic plats or land- ownership maps (such as fire insurance or real estate maps) Natural Features: Use a natural feature, such as a shoreline, terrace edge, treeline, or erosional scar, which corresponds with the limit of the eligible resource The Applicant asserts that the legal description for the "property that will retain the historic designation goes ten (10) feet east of the historic church building. This additional area is meant to ensure that any future construction on the Educational Building and Surface Parking Lot respects and protects the historic church building." In addition, the Applicant has agreed to proffer a covenant to run with the property to include an additional five (5) feet of separation from the east wall of the Historic Church Building and any new interventions/constructions introduced into the undesignated eastern lot. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 11 of 14 Pursuant to The National Park Service, National Register Bulletin, Technical information on the National Register of Historic Places: Revising Boundaries: Boundaries for listed properties need to be revised when there are changes in the condition of the resources or the setting. If resources or setting lose integrity and no longer contribute to the significance of the property, it is appropriate to revise the boundaries. Staff finds the revision of the historic designation boundaries gives prominence to the First Presbyterian Church building and distinguish it from later additions and site improvements. The amended boundary is drawn to encompass only the Historic Church Property which contains the sole structure that meets the City's criteria for historic designation as provided in Section 23-4(b) of the City Code. As delineated in the Designation Report, the contributing structure within the site is the First Presbyterian Church. Also considered as contributing is the interior of the main sanctuary and the Flagler Memorial Chapel. Contributing landscape features include all specimen trees on the site. Findings: Consistent F. NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES: Code Compliance No Objection Building No Objection G. CONCLUSION: Staff finds the request for an amendment to the historic designation report complies with applicable criteria as stipulated in Section 23-4, Chapter 23 entitled "Historic Preservation" of the City of Miami Code of Ordinances. The revision of the historic designation boundaries gives prominence to the First Presbyterian Church building and distinguish it from later, non-contributing additions and site improvements. The amended boundary is drawn to encompass only the Historic Church Property which contains the sole structure that meets the City's criteria for historic designation as provided in Section 23-4(b) of the City Code. H. RECOMMENDATION: Pursuant to Section 23-4 of the City of Miami Code, as amended, the Planning Department recommends approval of the request for an amendment as it pertains to specifically classifying the School Annex and parking lot as non-contributing and that the request for an amendment to the boundary to the historic designation report for the property located at 609 Brickell Avenue known as the First Presbyterian Church also be approved. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 12 of 14 Staff recommends the following conditions pursuant to an approval to amended the boundary of the Historic resource, and of the specific classifications of the School Annex and parking lot as non- contributing, Conditions: 1. The Applicant will proffer a covenant which will run with newly undesignated and to -be replatted protion of the property that will provide the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board purview, in an advisory role to review and to provide design recommendations for the west elevation and up to 50 feet of the north and south elevations from their west, limited to the height of any proposed podium, to be incorporated into any future development of the property. Pursuant to an approval and the reclassification of the School Annex and parking as non- contributing, approval of demolition of all, or part of, may be approved administratively at staff level with the following conditions: As a significant example of Late Regency Modern architecture, Applicant will provide HABS - Level II -like documentation including (three (3) sets; two (2) hard copy, one (1) digital): I. An outline format report documenting the historical context of the building inclusive of the historical information and physical aspects of the building and the physical history of the building, including significant dates in the initial planning and construction as well as in later alterations, plus names of the designers and suppliers. The report shall also include architectural information, with categories intended to produce an analysis and description of the building form as it exists and some discussion of the landscape including designed elements and plan. II. Medium- or Large -format, archival, black and white photographs inclusive of, but not limited to: i. General or environmental view(s) to illustrate setting, including landscaping, adjacent building(s), and roadways. ii. Front fagade (East) iii. Perspective view, front and one side iv. Perspective view, rear and opposing side. v. Detail, front entrance and/or typical doorway. vi. Typical window. vii. Exterior details indicative of era of construction or of historic and architectural interest. This shall include the courtyard. viii. Interior views to capture spatial relationships, structural evidence, a typical room, and any decorative elements; these include hallways, stairways, attic and basement framing, fireplaces and mantels, moldings, interior shutters, kitchen (especially if original), and mechanicals. III. "As -built" drawings illustrating the existing condition of a building at the time of documentation, including additions, alterations, and demolitions which have occurred since the building was first constructed. This shall include the courtyard. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 13 of 14 IV. Compendium of historic plans, images, and/or ephemera pertaining to the School Annex. 3. The ten (10) foot buffer between the east wall of the Historic Church will be increased to 15 feet. neth Kalmis reservation Officer K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 10/21/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 14 of 14 Attachment "A" FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 609 BRICKELL AVENUE (Amended December 3, 2024) Designation Report City of Miami REPORT OF THE CITY OF MIAMI PRESERVATION OFFICER TO THE HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION BOARD ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE DESIGNATION OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AS A HISTORIC SITE Prepared by Ellen Ucuccioni for Janus Research, Consultant Prepared by Sarah E. Eaton, Preservation Officer Passed and Adopted on June 17,2003 Resolution No. HEPB-2003-36 Amended By Kenneth Kalmis, Preservation Officer Passed and Adopted on Resolution No. CONTENTS I. General Information 4 II. Significance 8 III. Description 10 IV. Planning Context 15 V. Bibliography 16 3 I. GENERAL INFORMATION Historic Name: First Presbyterian Church Current Name: First Presbyterian Church Location: 609 Brickell Avenue Miami, Florida 33131 Present Owner: The First Presbyterian Church 609 Brickell Avenue Miami, FL 33131 Present Use: Religious Zoning District: T6-48A-Open Tax Folio Number: 01-0210-030-1010 Boundary Description: A PORTION OF LOT 2 BLOCK 103, OF AMENDED MAP OF BRICKELL'S ADDITION TO THE MAP OF MIAMI (SOUTH), ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK B, PAGE 113, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGIN AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 2 BLOCK 103, OF AMENDED MAP OF BRICKELL'S ADDITION TO THE MAP OF MIAMI (SOUTH), ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK B, PAGE 113, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; THENCE NORTH 12°57'30" EAST ALONG THE WESTERLY LINE OF SAID LOT 2 FOR 200.00 FEET TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SAID LOT 2; THENCE SOUTH 77°03'00" EAST ALONG THE NORTHERLY LINE OF SAID LOT 2 4 FOR 224.91 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 12°50'16" WEST FOR 200.36 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF SAID LOT 2; THENCE NORTH 76°57'30" WEST ALONG THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF LOT 2 FOR 225.33 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. Boundary Justification: The revision of the historic designation boundaries gives prominence to the First Presbyterian Church building and distinguish it from later additions and site improvements. The amended boundary is drawn to encompass only the Historic Church Property which contains the sole structure that meets the City's criteria for historic designation as provided in Section 23-4(b) of the City Code. Classification: Historic Site FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 609 BRICKELL AVENUE location Original site plan sot ui .eke yr oP Amended Site Plan Amended Site Boundary Contributing & Non - Contributing Stuctures II. SIGNIFICANCE Specific Dates: 1949 Architect: Lester Geisler Builder/Contractor: Unknown Statement of Significance: The First Presbyterian Church is architecturally significant because it represents an exceptionally fine example of late Mediterranean Revival styling in Miami. The church building is also significant for its important historical associations with the city's oldest and most influential religious group. The exterior of the First Presbyterian Church embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Mediterranean Revival architectural style, a popular design expression throughout the 1920s and 1930s in South Florida. I its appearance as late as 1949 constitutes a rarity in the use of such a style at mid-century. The visual composition of the church is architecturally noteworthy for its stylistic features and use of local materials. The First Presbyterian Church houses Miami's oldest congregation, having been organized in April 1896. The new congregation first worshipped in a tent at what is now the corner of North Miami Avenue and SE 2nd Street. Henry M. Flagler, the man responsible for providing a railroad link to Miami, donated the lots for the construction of a permanent church building in 1900. Flagler, himself a Presbyterian, also provided all the money for the actual building costs of both the church and manse. That church, located at the corner of East Flagler Street and SE 3rd Avenue, served the congregation until the 1940s. The First Presbyterian Church was made nationally known by William Jennings Bryan, who was a member of the church and taught a Sunday School class there. Bryan, a U.S. Congressman and Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, became a political evangelist and fundamentalist Christian. He worked for passage of state laws preventing the teaching of 8 Darwinism and, in 1925, acted as prosecutor in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, in which a Tennessee schoolteacher challenged just such a law. The new and present church building was completed in 1949 and is the only remaining structure associated with this important early congregation. The present church building houses what is known as the Flagler Memorial Chapel, whose interior contains salvaged portions of the original First Presbyterian Church building constructed in 1900. Relationship to Criteria for Designation: As stated above, the First Presbyterian Church has significance in the historical and architectural heritage of the City of Miami; possesses integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association; and is eligible for designation under the following criteria: 3. Exemplifies the historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. The First Presbyterian Church houses Miami's oldest congregation, having been organized in April 1896. While this is the third location for the congregation, it has met continuously since its founding. Henry M. Flagler, the man responsible for providing a railroad link to Miami, provided the lots and funding for the erection of a permanent church building in 1900. The First Presbyterian Church was made nationally known by William Jennings Bryan, who was a member of the church and taught a Sunday School class there. Salvage from the previous church structure was incorporated into, and specifically guided, Geisler's design, drawing direct inspiration from the original church on East Flagler Street. This provides for a direct continuum of association of persons related to the historic development of the Church and historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. 5. Embodies those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or method of construction. The First Presbyterian Church represents an exceptionally fine example of late Mediterranean Revival styling in Miami with elements of the Romanesque mode. While the Mediterranean Revival style was popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s in South Florida, its appearance as late as 1949, the year the First Presbyterian Church was constructed, is rare at mid-century. The visual composition of the church is architecturally noteworthy for its stylistic features and use of local materials. 9 III. DESCRIPTION Present and Original Appearance: Setting: The First Presbyterian Church is situated on a three -acre parcel of land that is located between Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Bay, between SE 6th Street and SE 7th Street. The church faces west onto Brickell Avenue. High-rise office and condominium buildings surround it. A paved driveway runs along the south edge of the lot to a large parking lot on the east side of the church, abutting Biscayne Bay. Exterior Description: The First Presbyterian Church is a four-story masonry edifice executed in the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture with elements of the Romanesque mode. The church building was designed to house 1,200 worshippers and was completed in 1949. The First Presbyterian Church is a cruciform -plan building supported by a masonry structural system. The exterior walls are clad with a combination of stucco and native keystone, and its roof is covered with standing seam copper. A two-story school building addition is located directly behind the church and is physically connected to the main structure. The exterior of First Presbyterian Church is characterized by a projecting central section that features three arched entrance portals and terminates in a gable roof. The central gable is perpendicular to the wings of the two- story sections that flank it on the north and south. Decorative brackets emphasize the shallow eaves of the roof overhang. The wing to the north of the entrance is the Flagler Memorial Chapel, whose interior contains salvaged portions of the original First Presbyterian Church building constructed in 1900. The chapel is the most decorated portion of the church and features compound arches in relief carried on rectangular pilasters that frame the stained-glass windows. The exterior actually recreates the exterior of the 1900 church structure. The wing that extends to the south of the central entrance reflects a simpler architectural vocabulary tied more to then -current preferences in style. The two-story section contains three evenly spaced windows on the first and second floor. Their only embellishment is a cutout in the lintel of the second - floor windows, and a simple band course that divides the stories. The sanctuary of the church rises to a height of four stories and terminates in a gable roof running in an east -west direction. The side elevations feature 10 broad planes of stuccoed surface embellished by bands and moldings of cast stone. Narrow windows that are framed by an arch springing from pilasters in relief are regularly spaced along the side elevations. The altar is situated within a semicircular apse end, and behind it is a two-story portion that contains meeting rooms. An educational wing or annex was added to the east elevation of the Church, its current configuration represents multiple phases of construction. In 1953 a one-story L-shaped addition was added. Between 1962 and 1963 a second story was added to the original L- shaped addition, and a U- shaped, two-story addition was inserted into the void creating an enclosed courtyard. The two-story, hipped -roof educational addition is clad in stucco with a standing -seam metal roof, the fenestration is symmetrical, balanced, and comprised mostly of metal casement windows. Surface ornamentation visible to the public include applied quoins, belt courses, Tuscan columns, simple piloti, and metal railings featuring sections with intersecting, metal oval forms set between runs of vertical metal pickets. The west elevation features a cantilevered marquee of exaggerated scale while the east elevation features a two-story colonnade with flanking, exterior stairs. The eastern third of the property is comprised primarily of an asphalt parking lot. Interior Description: The interior decoration of the church is rather simple except for that found within the Flagler Memorial Chapel. The woodwork and decorative ornament comprising the chapel's interior were brought to their new site from the original 1900 church building, which stood at the corner of East Flagler Street and SE 3rd Avenue. The chapel's interior contains old oak pews, ornately carved window surrounds that delineate the arched stained-glass windows, and a carved balcony to the rear of the chapel. The interior of the main sanctuary is rather austere in that its walls are all smooth plaster, and its ceiling is covered with original acoustical tiles. The most outstanding features of the main sanctuary are the stained-glass windows, which stand out against the plain surrounding surfaces. The interior and exterior of the church have not been altered since the building was completed. Contributing Structures and/or Landscape Features: The contributing structure within the site is the First Presbyterian Church. Also considered as contributing is the interior of the main sanctuary and the Flagler Memorial Chapel. Contributing landscape features include all specimen trees on the site. 11 This amended designation clarifies the status of the School Annex and Parking Lot. that the later School Annex designed in the Late Regency Moderne style shares contextual roots with both the Art Deco and Art Modern movements, endeavoring to be modern but utilizing a different vocabulary of abstracted and historicized Neo-classical ornamentation. High -style examples such as Royal Poinciana Plaza, Regency Park, and St. Mary's Hospital in Palm Beach would have been familiar to Geisler. Working in this new vocabulary, he successfully designed a stylistically unified structure from multiple phases of construction. His design introduced both an auto - centric -specific threshold to the south elevation, as well as creating a secondary edifice that engages the church parking lot and embraces Biscayne Bay beyond. This mid-century interpretation of classical elements represents a building of its own time that contextually relates to the stricter classicism of the existing church structure. The School Annex is significant as an example of Late Regency Moderne architecture and remains substantially unaltered from Geisler's 1962 Regency Moderne design and therefore retains integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. However, the School Annex does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties and therefore is considered a non-contributing addition to the original church structure. It should be noted that within the greater context of Post -War America, as auto -centric development and society grew, so did the requirement for facilities, including religious institutions, to provide access to parking. The provision for, and construction of parking is significant as a representation of historical, cultural, economic, and social trends of Miami's Post - War development. However, the parking lot does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance or historical importance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties, and therefore is considered a non-contributing feature. 12 First Presbyterian Church 609 Brickell Avenue Northwest (front) facade 2002 13 First Presbyterian Church 609 Brickell Avenue Northwest (front) facade 2023 First Presbyterian Church School Annex 609 Brickell Avenue Northwest (front) facade 2023 14 III. PLANNING CONTEXT Present Trends and Conditions: The First Presbyterian Church is situated on a three -acre parcel of land that is located between Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Bay. The prevailing trend among historic religious facilities is characterized by diminishing worshipping congregations, which in turn leads to a reduction in available financial and human resources. Efforts to preserve ecclesiastic structures necessitate a comprehensive understanding of their 'public value,' which encompasses not only the architectural and historical significance of the church but also extends to enhancing the organizational capacity of congregations, enabling them to sustain their facilities and secure funding for conservation through a variety of financial sources. Preservation Incentives: The ongoing maintenance of the property encompassed by the First Presbyterian Church is a daunting financial burden for the members who comprise the congregation. The building and grounds are a rare exception to the streetscape of Brickell Avenue's high-rise office and condominium buildings. The rarity of the resource combined with the quality of its architecture and history creates a rare opportunity to save a most unique resource. While Preservation Incentives such as the City of Miami and Miami -Dade County Ad Valorem Tax program may not be feasible for certain religious properties, the City of Miami does have other incentive programs including the ability to transfer both Development Density and Development Rights which may provide a mechanism for ongoing maintenance and conservation. Should that not be a feasible alternative, there may be adaptive use possibilities for the space to be utilized in some other manner. The potential for a collaboration with the development community should not be overlooked and could result in the ongoing preservation of the historic church structure. 15 V. Bibliography Kleinberg, Howard. "Early Church Met in a Tent," Miami News, 29 January 1983, p. 4-C. "160 Churches Include All Denominations," Miami Herald, 28 July 1929, p. 22. State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Archives, History and Records Management. "Florida Master Site File: Historic Site Data Sheet" for 609 Brickell Avenue, "Statement of Significance." Taft, Adon. "One of City's Oldest Churches May Sell Brickell Site," Miami Herald, 30 May 1983. 16