If you’re ever in Miami, Florida and you want to see something really cool, there’s a place you can go in Biscayne Bay.
You’ll have to get there by kayak, jet ski, or boat.
It’s about a mile offshore from the Cape Florida Lighthouse.
It’s called Stiltsville. It’s a very unique collection of stilt houses, perched on shallow seagrass beds. Currently there are 7 houses, but at one time back in the 60’s there were 27 structures. Fires and hurricanes have destroyed the rest. These houses have quite a history.
It all started back in 1933 when a Miami man who was famous for his chowder named Crawfish Eddie Walker, constructed a wood shack on stilts. It was during the time of prohibition and it attracted partiers who wanted a place to drink, eat, and play poker. Eventually Eddie’s friends built neighboring shacks they called the “Quarterdeck Club.” This was an invite-only gentlemen’s establishment.
Here’s a portion of the article that appeared in Life magazine about the Quarterdeck Club in February 10, 1941.
But when rumors of illegal gambling, wild parties, and black market booze spread, Stiltsville eventually got shut down and the party was over.
Then in 1962, Harry Churchville grounded his 150-foot yacht and revived Stiltsville with “The Bikini Club” which offered free drinks to women wearing bikinis. But after three years, it was busted and shut down by the vice squad.
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy came and destroyed much of Stiltsville. The State Of Florida issued formal leases to the shack owners with an expiration date of 1999. After that the owners of the shacks would have to remove them.
The people of South Florida made a stand and petitioned to save the 7 houses, and in 2003 an agreement was made to preserve and rehabilitate the buildings.
The 7 houses left are tattered and worn and in need of repairs, but they still stand and hopefully will be around for many, many years to come.
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