Cambridge Lawns
Encyclopedia
Cambridge Lawns is a residential neighborhood of single-family homes near the University of Miami
and joined by proximity and a common front onto tree-lined Broad Canal http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/g.cgi?sdb=Go&fid=300265&state=FL&ftype=canal&exm=on (aka Brewer Canal), a waterway of the City of South Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida
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The neighborhood includes the Cambridge Lawns Historic District http://www.cityofsouthmiami.net/documents/HPBMins08-30-04.pdf and adjacent homes in the Cambridge Lawns subdivision and is generally defined on the west by Brewer Park http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lon=-80.2967&lat=25.7181 and the widening of the Broad Canal, also known as Brewer Canal; on the east by SW 60th Avenue; on the north by Miller Drive; and, on the south by SW 58th Street to the west of 62nd Avenue and the Broad Canal to the east of 62nd Avenue.http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=SW+62nd+avenue+%26+SW+57th+street&city=&state=&zipcode=33143#west
Originally developed in the mid-1920s just 0.7 miles from the newly chartered University of Miami, the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood was given a 'university' theme from the outset by developers. With the college lawns and riverside parks at Cambridge University in England in mind, developers projected a waterfront park and tree-lined canal with adjacent suburban lawns, while the neighborhood's first street names were dubbed in honor of well-known U.S. universities—SW 57th Street was then called “Harvard Avenue,” for example, while SW 57th Drive was “Princeton Boulevard” and SW 58th Street was originally named “Clemson Avenue.”http://cambridgelawns.blogspot.com/2006/09/cambridge-lawns-whats-in-name.html
By 1928, developers had completed 30 of the first homes in the neighborhood's signature Tudor Revival (or Mock Tudor) and Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
, marking what today is known as the Cambridge Lawns Historic District. These homes, which received their historic designation in 2005, are still referred to by many as "cottages," owing to their modest lot and construction size. The Tudor Revival homes are generally 1½ stories, noteworthy for their gabled facades and chimneys, while the Mediterranean Revival homes have textured or smooth stucco
surfaces, ornamental window and door frames and barrel-tile roofs.
The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 brought an end to the 1920s South Florida real estate boom, while the Great Depression
and World War II
would keep the local real estate market depressed for more than two decades. The post-war return to prosperity saw student enrollment at the University of Miami climb above 10,000 and with the area ripe for new homes for professors, administrative staff and baby-boom families, developers launched a second phase of homebuilding on larger lots in the Cambridge Lawns subdivision to the south of Broad Canal. The newer homes, built in the 1950s, are variations on the Mid-century modern
style, situated on larger properties with more square footage of construction than the homes north of the canal. They feature horizontal lines, louvered windows, open-plan living space and airy "Florida rooms" that incorporate inside/outside leisure areas.
An integral element of the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood is the Broad Canal, lined by its signature towering Australian Pines (Casuarina
spp.), as well as native Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba
), a few native West Indian Mahoganies (Swietenia mahagoni
), voluminous Tropical Almonds (Terminalia catappa
) and other tropical and native trees and vegetation. These provide habitat for a plethora of wildlife, including the diverse birdlife that has placed Brewer Park on the Audubon Society
http://www.tropicalaudubon.org list of prime locations for birdwatching in the Miami area. Broad Canal, which was dredged and cleaned as part of a public works improvements project in 2004-05 http://www.cityofsouthmiami.net/broad_canal_improvements.htm, ebbs and flows with the tides and drains south into Twin Lakes Canal http://www.hellomiami.com/Landmarks/Canal/300264/Twin_Lakes_Canal.cfm and then flows past Fuchs Park to empty at Gulliver Preparatory School http://wikimapia.org/1401803/Gulliver-Preparatory-High-School into the Snapper Creek Canal, a freshwater drainage conduit for the Everglades
system that flows several miles further south and enters Biscayne Bay
at a point just south of Matheson Hammock Park25.675771°N 80.264225°W
Another integral element of Cambridge Lawns' waterfront park-like atmosphere is Brewer Park, a neighborhood "pocket park" dedicated in 1956 http://www.library.miami.edu/specialcollections/collections/ohp/southmiami/chronology.html and named after longtime area resident George Brewer. The park provides multiple recreation opportunities for local residents and its trees and vegetation contribute significantly to the habitat for local wildlife and birdlife. In 2005, the City commission and then-Mayor Mary Scott Russell announced the availability of funds for the Brewer Park Improvements project which was completed in 2007.
More information about the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood can be found at: www.CambridgeLawns.blogspot.com http://www.CambridgeLawns.blogspot.com.
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and joined by proximity and a common front onto tree-lined Broad Canal http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/g.cgi?sdb=Go&fid=300265&state=FL&ftype=canal&exm=on (aka Brewer Canal), a waterway of the City of South Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
The neighborhood includes the Cambridge Lawns Historic District http://www.cityofsouthmiami.net/documents/HPBMins08-30-04.pdf and adjacent homes in the Cambridge Lawns subdivision and is generally defined on the west by Brewer Park http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lon=-80.2967&lat=25.7181 and the widening of the Broad Canal, also known as Brewer Canal; on the east by SW 60th Avenue; on the north by Miller Drive; and, on the south by SW 58th Street to the west of 62nd Avenue and the Broad Canal to the east of 62nd Avenue.http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=SW+62nd+avenue+%26+SW+57th+street&city=&state=&zipcode=33143#west
Originally developed in the mid-1920s just 0.7 miles from the newly chartered University of Miami, the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood was given a 'university' theme from the outset by developers. With the college lawns and riverside parks at Cambridge University in England in mind, developers projected a waterfront park and tree-lined canal with adjacent suburban lawns, while the neighborhood's first street names were dubbed in honor of well-known U.S. universities—SW 57th Street was then called “Harvard Avenue,” for example, while SW 57th Drive was “Princeton Boulevard” and SW 58th Street was originally named “Clemson Avenue.”http://cambridgelawns.blogspot.com/2006/09/cambridge-lawns-whats-in-name.html
By 1928, developers had completed 30 of the first homes in the neighborhood's signature Tudor Revival (or Mock Tudor) and Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
, marking what today is known as the Cambridge Lawns Historic District. These homes, which received their historic designation in 2005, are still referred to by many as "cottages," owing to their modest lot and construction size. The Tudor Revival homes are generally 1½ stories, noteworthy for their gabled facades and chimneys, while the Mediterranean Revival homes have textured or smooth stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
surfaces, ornamental window and door frames and barrel-tile roofs.
The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 brought an end to the 1920s South Florida real estate boom, while the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
would keep the local real estate market depressed for more than two decades. The post-war return to prosperity saw student enrollment at the University of Miami climb above 10,000 and with the area ripe for new homes for professors, administrative staff and baby-boom families, developers launched a second phase of homebuilding on larger lots in the Cambridge Lawns subdivision to the south of Broad Canal. The newer homes, built in the 1950s, are variations on the Mid-century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
style, situated on larger properties with more square footage of construction than the homes north of the canal. They feature horizontal lines, louvered windows, open-plan living space and airy "Florida rooms" that incorporate inside/outside leisure areas.
An integral element of the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood is the Broad Canal, lined by its signature towering Australian Pines (Casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
spp.), as well as native Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba
Bursera simaruba
Bursera simaruba, commonly known as the Gumbo-limbo, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas from the southeasternmost United States south through Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil and Venezuela...
), a few native West Indian Mahoganies (Swietenia mahagoni
Swietenia mahagoni
Swietenia mahagoni, commonly known as the West Indies Mahogany, is a species of Swietenia native to southern Florida, USA, The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. It is the species from which the original mahogany wood was produced....
), voluminous Tropical Almonds (Terminalia catappa
Terminalia catappa
Terminalia catappa is a large tropical tree in the Leadwood tree family, Combretaceae. The tree has been spread widely by humans and the native range is uncertain. It has long been naturalised in a broad belt extending from Africa to Northern Australia and New Guinea through Southeast Asia and...
) and other tropical and native trees and vegetation. These provide habitat for a plethora of wildlife, including the diverse birdlife that has placed Brewer Park on the Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
http://www.tropicalaudubon.org list of prime locations for birdwatching in the Miami area. Broad Canal, which was dredged and cleaned as part of a public works improvements project in 2004-05 http://www.cityofsouthmiami.net/broad_canal_improvements.htm, ebbs and flows with the tides and drains south into Twin Lakes Canal http://www.hellomiami.com/Landmarks/Canal/300264/Twin_Lakes_Canal.cfm and then flows past Fuchs Park to empty at Gulliver Preparatory School http://wikimapia.org/1401803/Gulliver-Preparatory-High-School into the Snapper Creek Canal, a freshwater drainage conduit for the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
system that flows several miles further south and enters Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
at a point just south of Matheson Hammock Park25.675771°N 80.264225°W
Another integral element of Cambridge Lawns' waterfront park-like atmosphere is Brewer Park, a neighborhood "pocket park" dedicated in 1956 http://www.library.miami.edu/specialcollections/collections/ohp/southmiami/chronology.html and named after longtime area resident George Brewer. The park provides multiple recreation opportunities for local residents and its trees and vegetation contribute significantly to the habitat for local wildlife and birdlife. In 2005, the City commission and then-Mayor Mary Scott Russell announced the availability of funds for the Brewer Park Improvements project which was completed in 2007.
More information about the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood can be found at: www.CambridgeLawns.blogspot.com http://www.CambridgeLawns.blogspot.com.