Deering, Charles, Estate

About this property

Deering Estate (previously known as Deering Estate at Cutler) is the former Florida home of Charles Deering until 1927 when he died at the estate. The Charles Deering Estate rests on 444 acres and comprises two buildings known as the Richmond Cottage and the Stone House. Both buildings are used as historical museums that center the Deering family. Both homes are filled with paintings, artifacts, books and antique furnishings. Deering lived on the 444 acres (1.80 km2) property for five years, from 1922 to 1927. The property consists of a three-story wooden house built in 1900, known as the Richmond Cottage, and a three-story stone mansion. Other buildings were also built on the property to serve as auxiliary buildings to the estate. Charles Deering Estate is located in the Cutler neighborhood of Palmetto Bay, Florida. The grounds include what is thought to be the largest virgin coastal tropical hardwood hammock in the continental United States. The estate was acquired by the state of Florida in 1985. The estate is owned by the State of Florida and is managed by the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. After the death of Charles Deering in 1927 the property was maintained by his family. The property became available for sale after his daughter died in 1982. The estate was purchased in 1984 by Finley Matheson, who fought to get it turned into a state park. In 1985 the State of Florida purchased the land for $22.5 million. The Deering Estate is a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It became part of the National Register of Historic places in 1986 by meeting the requirements in all categories. It is also part of the Organization of Biological Field Stations through its collaboration with Florida International University School of Environment, Arts and Society. By being part of the organization they receive assistance in order to improve their effectiveness in supporting critical research, education and outreach programs. For more than 30 years, researchers have studied the unique ecological, geological and archaeological features of the property. The Deering Estate is situated in the only portion of the Everglades Restoration Project within an urban setting and which is easily accessed by the public. In August 2019, the Deering Estate Foundation was granted $200,000 for capital improvements. This will expand the cultural and ecological field station and research site. The funds will provide renovations for a 10,700 square-foot field study research center. The research facility will provide temporary living quarters for up to 14 researchers, an archival library and a field staff office for the Deering Estate and Deering Estate Foundation.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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