By the end of the 1920s, Brickell Avenue became one of South Florida’s most desirable corridors. The avenue had been widened and landscaped with beautiful shade trees a few years prior to the construction of the mansions that lined this beautiful avenue. The Brickell neighborhood was opulent, quiet, and a wonderful respite for those who could afford to construct the mansions that once lined this picturesque quarter of Miami.
The manors were often unique and preceded back to an architectural style from a different era and a different region. The stories of the people who constructed their dream winter residence along Brickell Avenue were as distinctive as each of the properties. This is the story of Rebecca Gilbert and her home at 908 Brickell Avenue.
Rebecca McBride (Burritt) – First Marriage
The news sent shockwaves throughout Elgin, Illinois, and beyond. The story read that one of Kane County’s most prominent citizens, a widower, had just wed a woman 46 years his junior. The 23-year-old Rebecca McBride married 69-year-old Peter Burritt on January 6, 1885. The Chicago Tribune published the following very succinct announcement on January 10, 1885 (Peter Burritt would turn 70 on January 18th):
“Uncle Peter Burritt of Elgin, ILL., worth $150,000 and seventy years of age, was married on Monday to Miss Rebecca McBride, a lady of twenty-three. The marriage created quite a sensation.”
To an outsider, the focus of the story was on the age difference between the married couple, as well as the net worth of the much older groom. Peter Burritt was a pioneer citizen of Kane County, Illinois, when he began to invest in real estate in the small town of Elgin. Over time, his real estate holdings grew in value, and he was considered one of the wealthiest men in the county.
When his first wife passed away in February of 1884, he became very lonely and struck up a friendship with another well-known resident of Elgin, William Gilbert, who was a prominent publisher of newspapers and periodicals. One afternoon when Peter was visiting William, he was introduced to Rebecca McBride, who was friends with Gilbert. After spending time socializing with both Gilbert and McBride, Peter Burritt decided he was falling in love with Rebecca, and he proposed to her.
The proposal came as quite a surprise to Rebecca, and when she asked Gilbert for advice, he reminded her of his wealth and recommended that she consider it. After a short courtship, McBride married Burritt in January of 1885. The two honeymooned in New Orleans and then traveled to Florida which gave Rebecca Burritt an appreciation for the weather and beauty of Florida, something she would not forget years later.
The marriage lasted seven years when Peter Burritt passed away at the age of 76 on June 2, 1892. At the time of his passing, his net worth was estimated at $500,000 ($16.8 million in 2024 dollars), which made his widow, Rebecca Burritt, the wealthiest woman in Elgin once Peter’s estate was settled.
Rebecca Gilbert – Second Marriage
After Peter’s passing, Rebecca rekindled her friendship with her publisher friend, William Gilbert. Like Peter, William was older than Rebecca, but not by as many years. On January 10, 1894, the 47-year-old William Gilbert married the then 33-year-old Rebecca in Elgin, Illinois. Like her first marriage, Rebecca’s second marriage created quite a stir when it was revealed, but this time, not because of the age difference, but because of how soon it was after her prior husband’s death.
Rebecca and William grew the fortune that she inherited from her prior marriage. They continued to invest in real estate, and made a significant stock acquisition in a local manufacturer called the Elgin Watch Company.
Within a few years after the incorporation of the City of Miami in 1896, Rebecca and William began traveling to the Magic City regularly. The first trip was in 1905 when they stayed at the Royal Palm Hotel in downtown Miami. By 1913, the couple purchased a home at the corner of Avenue B and 9th Street, which is today’s NE Second Avenue and NE Third Street. By 1916, the couple had welcomed a daughter by the name of Mabelle to the family. Given the ages of Rebecca and William at the time, they likely adopted their daughter.
By 1917, William was beginning to have chronic respiratory issues and required more frequent respites from the cold weather of Elgin. However, during one of the Gilbert’s visits to Miami, on December 5, 1920, William had succumbed to his illness and passed away at the age of 73 in their downtown residence. A few years later, Rebecca sold that home on NE Second Avenue and began renting a residence in the Southside neighborhood from Dr. H.C. Babcock at 828 Brickell Avenue. Her time as a renter gave her ideas on where she would like to locate her next residence.
Figure 1: Mabelle Gilbert with friends in the backyard of 908 Brickell Avenue in September of 1938
Gilbert Mansion at 908 Brickell Avenue
It did not take long for Rebecca Gilbert to find her ideal location for her next home. There were three vacant contiguous lots available on the same block where she was renting at 828 Brickell. Gilbert bought all three lots and brought them together which allowed her to construct a 4-bath and 4-bedroom home, located in the center of the three lots, for $65,000. In addition, Rebecca added a garage apartment house for $8000 at the rear of the property to provide a separate domicile for guests and family members who decided to visit her in Miami.
The main residence spanned 40 by 78 feet, and was designed by the Kiehnel and Elliott architectural firm, but the construction was overseen by Rebecca Gilbert. The style was Mediterranean, and the materials used to construct the home and garage apartment was brick and tile. The home featured central air and heating, and had an elevator.
In January of 1932, Rebecca spent $14,000 improving her property by adding a brick clubhouse and tennis courts in the back, and a rock wall in the front near the sidewalk. The work was completed by Barry & Sons on Miami Beach.
In October of 1941, Mabelle Gilbert married Walter Colquitt in a ceremony held at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove, with the reception hosted at 908 Brickell Avenue at her mother’s home. Just a few years later, on December 18, 1944, Rebecca Gilbert passed away at the age of 83. Mabelle and Walter inherited the home and lived there until 1948 when they sold it prior to relocating to Georgia to be closer to Walter’s family.
Figure 2: Dr. Fuad Hanna and his wife enjoying a beautiful December afternoon in the backyard of 848 Brickell Avenue
Hanna Apartments (1948 – 1978)
Dr. Fuad Hanna had been a long-time Brickell resident when he purchased the Gilbert property. He owned a mansion, located at 1299 Brickell Avenue, that he converted into an apartment complex in 1934. Hanna believed that he could find renters to pay his mortgage with the right configuration of his residence. When 908 Brickell Avenue became available, Dr Hanna jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property and repeat the transformation of the house from a single-family residence to an apartment complex, similar to what he had done at 1299 Brickell Avenue.
While the Hannas were converting the residence into an apartment complex, they sold the 1299 Brickell property to Dr. Luis Rivera in 1949 who continued to manage the residence as a hybrid family residence with room rentals which was advertised as the ‘Rivera Apartments.’
The larger lot and additional amenities, including the clubhouse and tennis courts, were most likely what appealed to the Hannas when they made the decision to purchase 908 Brickell. Once the former Gilbert residence was fully converted into individual apartment units, leaving the largest apartment for the doctor and his wife, the property was marketed as the ‘Hanna Apartments.’
In addition to the change in owner of the property, the former Gilbert residence, which had always had an address of 908 Brickell Avenue, got a new address number when the Hannas purchased the property in 1948. At first, advertisements referred to the Hanna Apartments being located at 848-901 Brickell Avenue, but over time, the 901 was dropped, implying that the hybrid address of 848-901 was a temporary reference.
The couple operated the Hanna Apartments from 1948 until October of 1978 when it was sold and razed to make room for the next transformation of the Brickell neighborhood. By the early 1980s, some of the old mansions and apartment buildings, including those located on the 800-block of Brickell Avenue, were replaced with mid-rise commercial towers to support the city’s burgeoning financial district.
Figure 3: Article about Caribank Tower on March 30, 1980, published in the Miami Herald
Caribank Tower at 848 Brickell
When the 13-story commercial office building opened in April of 1981, the flagship tenant was the Caribbean National Bank. They would operate out of this building under the brand name of Caribank, which led to the edifice being referred to as the Caribank Tower. Planning for the building began in 1980 when Ferendino Grafton Spillis Candela, a Coral Gables based architectural firm, was hired to design the structure. The commercial complex featured a concrete structure façade, with stainless steel cladding, along with precast concrete panels, and the use of keystone.
The building was one of the earliest commercial office buildings in the area, and likely was one of the tallest when it opened in 1981. One of the distinctive features of the property is the raised plinth, which sits five feet above the sidewalk with a spacious plaza in front of the building. There is a garage connected to the building providing parking for the tenants. The use of stainless-steel column cladding foretold the coming of the 1980s era of flash and bling.
The raised plaza may have been included in the design to provide a level of exclusivity, or may have been to protect the building from flooding during high tides and storm surge. Regardless of the reason, the building design is consistent with the timeframe it opened.
While the Caribank Building may have been an early addition to Brickell’s Financial District skyline during the 1980s, the current transformation of Miami, and in particular the Brickell Neighborhood, has led to plans to replace this building with a significant upgrade in size and design of a new building to adapt to modern architectural trends and meet the current demands for office space.
Figure 4: Office building at 848 Brickell Avenue, constructed in 1981, in 2016
What’s Next?
It was announced in early 2024 that Chicago-based Sterling Bay had partnered with Miami’s Key International to redevelop the 848 Brickell Avenue property by constructing a 51-story tower that will extend 756 feet above sea level, which will offer over 750,000 square feet of Class-A office space. In addition, the building will include over 6,500 square feet for food and beverage retail within the building, and will include a 10-story garage built to accommodate over 1000 vehicles.
The architectural firm that will design the new building is Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and the official groundbreaking ceremony will take place in the second quarter of this year. As of January of 2024, it has not been announced when the Caribank Tower will be razed or when the new building is expected to be completed, but the joint venture feels that demand for office space in Miami is peaking and it appears that this project will move quickly once demolition plans are finalized.
Figure 5: Rendering of the Class-A office building coming to 848 Brickell Avenue
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Images:
- Cover: Gilbert residence at 908 Brickell Avenue in 1952, which was converted into the Hanna Apartments by this time. Courtesy of Miami-Dade Public Library, Romer Collection.
- Figure 1: Mabelle Gilbert with friends in the backyard of 908 Brickell Avenue in September of 1938. Photo courtesy of the Miami News.
- Figure 2: Dr. Fuad Hanna and his wife enjoying a beautiful December afternoon in the backyard of 848 Brickell Avenue. Courtesy of Miami-Dade Public Library, Romer Collection.
- Figure 3: Article about Caribank Tower on March 30, 1980, published in the Miami Herald. Courtesy of the Miami Herald.
- Figure 4: Office building at 848 Brickell Avenue, constructed in 1981, in 2016. Courtesy of Casey Piket.
- Figure 5: Rendering of the Class-A office building coming to 848 Brickell Avenue.
