Miami Florida, April 2011

Vizcaya was the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925.  Deering was a Vice President of the International Harvester Company, which produced agricultural equipment for a worldwide market.  He chose a bayfront site in Miami for his tropical winter home because of the location’s temperate winter climate and his appreciation of the native hardwood hammock.  In addition, his father, William, had already settled in Coconut Grove and his half brother, Charles Deering, would soon develop an estate at Cutler, in what is now south Miami-Dade County. The latter is now operated as The Deering Estate at Cutler.

At the time of Vizcaya’s construction, Miami’s population was around 10,000.  More than 1,000 workers were employed in the Vizcaya project, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe.  In addition to the house and gardens, the complex included a farm, livestock, and a variety of other service facilities covering 180 acres on both sides of South Miami Avenue.