Grounds of Vizcaya, the former estate of James Deering

Many white northerners began arriving in Miami in the last decades of the nineteenth century. They saw in South Florida’s landscape the opportunity for farming, fishing, and boating, and in the climate, the promise of healthful living and restored vigor.

The early settlers were necessarily young and energetic, given the frontier-like nature of the environment. White settlers such as the Munroes, Brickells, and Tuttles joined the Seminoles and Bahamian fisherman already in the region to develop a more habitable landscape. With the arrival of Henry Flagler’s railroad in 1896, increasing numbers of wealthy industrialists began coming to South Florida, first as tourists and vacationers, and then as settlers.

Numerous "snowbirds," those who came to Florida for the winter months, either as long-term guests in hotels like The Breakers in Palm Beach or in homes that they built here, transformed the region into a thriving tourist destination. One of the most prominent was James Deering, vice president of International Harvester, who began work on his 180-acre estate, Villa Vizcaya, in 1914. Vizcaya confirmed Deering’s status as a member of America’s new high society.

Built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, design of the mansion and grounds was adapted to the South Florida climate. The house blended the finest decorative and architectural elements from Europe, including a chimney piece from a French chateau and a set of wrought iron gates from Italy, with modern conveniences such as elevators, refrigerators, and an automatic telephone switchboard. The opulence and splendor of the house and gardens created a model for other socialites to emulate as they helped make Miami into the newest vacation spot for the well-to-do.