Restoring Historic Homes

Ever wonder where you could find historic homes in Miami?  You would be surprised at how many Miami has preserved and cherished.  Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Buena Vista, Miami Beach are just to name a few but the list goes on.  Every historic home lover will be within their element when yearning to see the beautiful history Miami has taken care of with such grace. Take a stroll in El Portal, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, Morningside, The Roads–Brickell, Spring Garden, Upper East Side, and West Miami to take in all of the history!  

But how does a historic home go so many years without losing its original history?  That’s an excellent question… let’s dive into “How to Restore a Historic Home while protecting and conserving its original heritage.”

By investing the time, money and energy into preserving a historic home, you are providing a link to the past, while improving your town’s future.  It has proven to be a lengthy process but it is well worth every bit of it.  You start by determining the buildings significance.  Both Historical and Cultural significance as well as the Architectural end of it. There are a few things you should take into consideration like, did a historical event occur there?  Was it the first building of its kind in the county and was it owned by a prominent local or national figure?  

Then, once you’ve gathered that, you must plan a new purpose for the building.  When a building is first built it serves a purpose, so whether if it will be a home, warehouse, or commercial property is what you need to determine because without that, a building dies.  There are plenty of options in this matter: you can go with residential, apartments, offices, museum, non-profit headquarters, a visitor’s center, etc.  The possibilities are wide open.  It is only after you identify the purpose that you may proceed with the project to preservation.

Next you will need to find partners.  As much as you might love to take all the credit on your own, it’s too much work and you will most definitely need some helping hands to execute the projects and for accountability.  Recruit partners to join your mission.  With passionate partners, you’ll gain greater reach into the community and increase your chances of success.

The last thing you need to plan out prior to the actual start of any restoration is to secure funding.  Securing the funding could actually be the toughest step by far because restoring a historic building is expensive and even more so if it involves renovating or moving the building.

Don’t doubt yourself for there are plenty of success stories in the preservation of historic homes.  Reach out to historical societies in your area.  Their advice and guidance will be invaluable as you start your own project.

So, once you are ready to start, there are six methods for saving a historic building.  While each building, and the threat it is facing, is unique, most methods for saving a historic building fall into 1 of 6 categories.  

The preservation is a priority and is a method that is played out by keeping original materials, which can add costs to the preservation process and limit the building’s future uses.

There is also a method of restoration.  This method includes relying on historic documents (including blueprints and photographs) and using original building materials & techniques to restore the building to the way it looked in a certain period.  This is the preferred method for museums and historic groups looking to capture the look and feel of a historic period, as it provides an immersive educational experience.

Then you have the rehabilitation method.  With a building rehabilitation, emphasis is placed on making the proper repairs and alterations to keep the building functioning and useful. Additions and upgrades are allowed, with care placed on retaining or saving the portions of the building that have historical or cultural value.

Adaptive Reuse is a method of saving a historic building by modifying its original purpose. The historic characteristics can be preserved, while the building’s internals are modified to accommodate new purposes.

Another method is the mothball.  This means that the building will sit unused, closed and protected from further damage or wear & tear. The goal is to keep the historic building in a state of readiness until you are ready to properly preserve the building or your preparations are complete.

Then, we have the move method.  There are times when a historic building cannot be saved in its original location. Whether due to forces of nature or determined developers or land owners, the only solution is to physically move the building to a new location. While some historians and community members may not agree with the building being removed from its original placement, moving a historic building is a far better outcome than seeing the entire building wind up in a landfill.

Following these guidelines are what you need to know and these steps will lead you to success in the preservation and protection on your community’s historical, cultural, and architectural heritage.  If you are looking for some ideas, don’t forget Miami has the experience and many beautiful historic homes you can visit and do the necessary research on.