The Forgotten Vizcaya -- Paul Hampton Crockett __________________________ A large part of the sheer genius of Villa Vizcaya and its surroundings relates to the organic manner in which the place was built, showcasing the sub-tropical hammock forest that, even then, was rare in all of the Earth, and to be found only in sections of South Florida, and perhaps portions of the Bahamas, the ancient and thriving mangrove forest, and the timeless bay. Of course, the mansion and its grounds are fully deserving of their own consideration upon their own merits, but for me, since first sight as a young, wide-eyed boy,the brilliant potency of the entire experience has always related to the balance of the mansion, elegant and refined, and its magnificent primeval setting. As surely as he had the home built, Deering painstakingly assured that as much as possible of that environment would be honored and left alone in its natural condition, a true treasure for the benefit of posterity. Both he and brother Charles had seen the writing on the wall, witnessing with greatest horror the casual and utterly ruinous destruction of the natural environment then prevailing, by a young city then maddened in collective fever of a real estate land boom on a scale and of a depth with no known precedent. Looking back, one primary purpose of the exterior walls he was having built around the whole property may have been to declare, in part, You who would enter and desecrate this marvel of Gods creation, stay away. And indeed, nearly all of the land outside those walls is now unrecognizable even to itself, and entombed under pavement. In a sense, I have been my whole life preparing to take the journey on which I would now invite you to join me. There are a thousand stories to tell, all helping to shed light on the mystery that so enriches our experience of Villa Vizcaya, with every single visit, through all of the seasons of our lives. I will begin simply by explaining, since some of you may not know, that the portion of the estate that now remains, totalling some thirty acres, is but a small fraction of the Vizcaya that James Deering knew, and saw planned and built. The Villa, farm, and gardens of his envisionment and creation incorporated a luxury of no less than 180 full acres, acquired in two separate transactions from pioneer and landholder Mary Brickell. And though Im quite certain that the spirit of James Deering smiles upon our useful enjoyment of what remains of his Epic Dream, he is less pleased with the loss of the southern gardens, a wonderful network of islands (seven in number), streams, and lagoons that was spoken of as one of his true pride and joys, seeking (far ahead of his time) to establish, right there by the bay, a garden that would, through considerable ingenuity, hard work, and untold expense, reflect the beauty and honor the spirit of the majestic Florida Everglades. Right there near his fine home, on the bay, in the city. Again, there are a thousand stories to tell, and not a one of them will take away from, rather than add to, the sense of Deerings genius, and greater understanding of the great gift that he made to us all. As time permits, we shall explore. Thank you.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:14:51 +0000
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