1925 photo looking west from the tower of the Curtiss Bright Administration Building. Construction of the Clune Engineering Building (later Stadnik’s drugstore) can be seen in the foreground.
Then the bandstand in the Miami Springs Circle and a car driving south on The Parkway (now Curtiss Parkway) on the left. The wide street in top middle of the photo is Broadway (now Westward Drive) with the Adams Building (now the location of Miami Springs City Hall) on the right. The Adams building served as Miami Springs City Hall until 1964 when it was demolished and replaced with the current City Hall. On the left is the massive Arabian Nights Nightclub which opened December 29, 1925 and was destroyed in the Great Miami Hurricane of September 1926.
Note from the Editor: One of the amazing things in these photos provided by Ken Wilde and the Miami Springs Historical Society is the grandeur and vision Glenn Curtiss had for Miami Springs. The vision for Miami Springs was a grand architectural masterpiece. Unfortunately, the Miami Springs grandeur was stunted by three things:
- 1926 Great Miami Hurricane – September 1926
- The Great Depression (1929)
- The untimely death of Glenn Curtiss – July 23, 1930
When I viewed this photo, I was surprised by the tower on the building along Westward Drive across from City Hall. It was clearly a large building on the same block where the Miami Springs Woman’s Club sits today. In reading Ken’s commentary, I learned that this was a roaring ’20s nightclub called the Arabian Nights Nightclub. I can already imagine the men in their 1920s suits and the women wearing their flapper dresses.
Of course, the roaring ’20s ended earlier in Miami with the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. That led to sweeping changes in construction codes for South Florida. Unfortunately, the Hurricane destroyed some of what was built. Then, the combination of the Great Depression and the untimely death of Glenn Curtiss in 1930 prevented much of Curtiss’ vision from coming to fruition. It was until the post-war boom of the 1950s that you see Miami Springs construction really take off and become the Miami Springs we know and love today.
Visit the Miami Springs Historical Society and Museum The Miami Springs Historical Society is located at 501 East Drive in Miami Springs.
Miami Springs Historical Society Museum
Address:
501 East Drive
Miami Springs, FL 33166
Directions:
From the Palmetto, exit at NW 36th Street and head East on NW 36th Street. Continue East on NW 36th Street and make a left hand turn (North) on East Drive. Continue North until you reach 501 East Drive.
From I-95, take I-95 to State Road 112 Westbound. Exit State Road 112 at NW 36th Street. Continue west on NW 36th Street until you reach East Drive. Make a right hand turn at East Drive (North). Continue North on East Drive until you reach 501 East Drive.
From Hialeah, take Okeechobee Road until you reach East 4th Avenue. Turn south on East 4th Avenue and cross the bridge into Miami Springs. Take the center lane and continue south onto East Drive. You’ll see Stafford Park on your left hand side and then the entrance to the Museum Parking lot at 501 East Drive.
Map to the Miami Springs Historical Society
Miami Springs Historical Museum Hours
The Museum is open each Saturday (except Christmas & New Years) from 12 Noon to 4 pm.
Entrance is FREE!
Donations are welcome.
