In Coral Gables, a debate over “historic” homes

When Mads Thomsen bought his Coral Gables home, built in 1928, it was not listed on any historic registry. But when he filed for a demolition permit with the intention of rebuilding on his 14,000-square-foot lot, the city quickly moved to have his house at 745 Minorca Avenue designated historic. According to the Miami Herald, it is standard procedure for Coral Gables City Hall to investigate the historical importance of any building older than 50 years following a demolition application. The original owner and architect of the house was S.R. Carroll, an obscure early twentieth century architect. Although the home was not registered as historic at the time of sale, the Historic Preservation Board of Coral Gables could move to designate a house as historically significant at any time. “The original owner is S.R. Carroll … this is nobody. This is nobody famous,” Thomsen said. The Historic Preservation Board will hear Thomsen’s case this Thursday. [Miami Herald] – Christopher Cameron