Item B05
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: July 19,2001
Division:
Growth Management
Bulk Item: Yes X
No
Department: Planning
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: A resolution designating "The Hermitage" as a Monroe County Historical and
Cultural Landmark.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The site is located at 25340 4th Street, Summerland Key, Real Estate Numbers
196690, 196970 and 115100. The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the site be designated as
a Historical and Cultural Landmark as seen in its resolution HOI-Ol. The site meets the criterion specified in
the Land Development Regulations.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None
CONTRACVAGREEMENTCHANGES: NM
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST:
X
BUDGETED: Yes N/A
No
COST TO COUNTY: N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes N/ A No
AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A Year
APPROVED BY:
County Atty ~
To Follow
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included X
AGENDA ITEM #J ?fir
DISPOSITION:
Revised 2/27/01
1t~
Planning Department
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS GRANTING THE DESIGNATION
OF "HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LANDMARK" TO
"THE HERMITAGE," 25340 4TH STREET,
SUMMERLAND, REAL ESTATE: NUMBBRS 196690,
196970, AND 115100.
WHEREAS the "The ltermitage" meets the criteria for
"designation of historical properties" a.s specified in
Section 9.5-454 (a) (1) and (2) of the Monroe County Code,
Amended, in that the structure is significant in the hietory
of Monroe County and is associated with the lives of
individuals slgnlficant in the past; and
WHEREAS the procedures of historic designation set forth
in Section 9.5-455 of the Monroe County Code. Amended, have
been followed, in that:
1. The proposed designation was initiated by Mr. Gregory
Klimock, owner of "The Hermitage," who SUbmitted an
application dated April 1, 2001;
2. A designation report dated June 7, 2001, was prepared by
George Born, Eistor ic Preservationist , Historic f'lorida
Keys Foundation, sArving a9 sta=f to the Histor~c
Preservation COmmission;
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3. The above materials established the ba5is for
designation under Code Section 9.5-454 and included
other evidence that supports the designation,
documenting the historic, social, and cultural
significance of the structure#
4. The Monroe County Historic preservation Commission,
during a regular session held on June 18, 2001,
conducted a public hearing on the proposed designation
and reviewed the application for designation#
5. The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously
at said public hearing to recommend to the Monroe County
Board of Commissioners that the Board grant historical
designation to the s~ructure, as stated in the Historic
Preservation Commission Resolution No. HOI-Ol; and
WHEREAS the Monroe County Board of Commissioners has
considered the proposed designation and the recommendation of
the Historic Preservation Commission; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COmITY, FLORIDA, THAT:
The nThe Hermitage" is hereby historically designated as
provided by ArLicle VIII uf the Monroe County Code, Amended.
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PAGE 87
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners
of Monroe county, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board
held on the
day ot
, A.D. 2001.
Mayor Neugent
Mayor pro Tem Williams
commissioner McCoy
Commissioner Nelson
Commissioner Spehar
BOARD OF COUNTY COMlUSSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
MAYOR/CHAIRMAN
(Seal)
At.test:
DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
BY:
DEPUTY CLERK
~APP.qO'.ji:: .~) FORM
8y~L;~
Attorney's Office
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F'AGE B 8
IVI0nroe LOUDty t1.IStonc !"'roperty ueslgnatton
Staff Report to the Historic Preservation Commission
NAME OF PROPERTY
The Hermitage
Henry Clay Hudgins House
LOCATION
25340 4th St., Summerland Key (Mile Ma,rker 25)
DESCRIPTION
The Hermitage is a rectangular. steel-reinforced poured concrete, single-family
house, raised on pilings, with a flat roof and a wraparound porch. The three-
bedroom, three-bathroom structure encloses 2,085 square feet and is situated on a lot
with 300 feet of open water frontage, near Niles Channel. Landscape features
include three outbuildings, a canal, and a wooded area.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Applicable Designation Criteria:
X A. Property is significant in the history of .Monroe County, the State of
Florida, or the United States, or is associated with events that are significant
in the history of Monroe County, the State of Florida, or the United States.
X B. Property is associated with the lives of individuals significant in the past.
_ C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or
method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high
artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity ,."hose
components may lack individual distinction.
~ D. Property has yielded or may hE> likply to yield information important in
prehistory or history. .
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F'AGE 0'=
Staff Report to the Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission
The Hermitage, Summerland Key
Page 2 of 4
Criteria Considerations:
Property is
A. owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes.
B. removed from its original location
_ C. a birthplace or grave
D. a cemetery
E. a reconstructed building, object, or structure
_ F. a commemorative property
~ G. less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50
years.
Period of Significance; 1948-1962.
Narrative Statement of Significance
The Hermitage was built for Henry Clay Hudgins, the prime developer of
Sununerland Key and a civil and structural engineer for 40 years.
Hudgins was born in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Georgia Technical
College in 1922. The City of Miami hired him as the chief structural engineer for the
city in 1926, in which capacity he helped plan the dty's building code. While in
South Florida, he also designed the Boca Raton Club and became acquainted with
Warren Niles, whose family then owned most of Summerland Key. Later, he
worked in Bogata, Colombia, designing and managing the construction of the first
tall buildings built in that earthquake-prone city. Hudgins formed his own
company in 1940, building many factories, churches, banks, and other buildings in
Colombia and Panama. In 1943, he married Mary Dobie.
Hudgins's old friend Warren Niles wrote to him in 1940, urging him to buy Niles
.fam.ily property on Summerland. Hudgins sent an agent to dose the deal, waitin.g
untU 1948 to first see the uninhabited island himself. A hurricane had jllst passed
through, and Hudgins inspected the damage. At this time, Hudgins was reportedly
inspired by Panamanian stilt houses. He bought some storm-wrecked structu.res
that were part of the Pirate's Cove Fishing Camp and had one of these raised up on
stilts, the first such design in the lower keys. (In 1962, this was reportedly standing
Staff Report to the Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission
The Hermitage, Summerland Key
Page 3 of 4
in the Dobie subdivision, owned at the time by Carlos and Margerita Perez of
Bogota.) Hudgins advocated elevating houses at least three feet.
He c.hose the site of the old Garry Niles homestead for his own home, The
Hermitage, built on steel-reinforced concrete piers in 1959.. reportedly with the
proceeds of a successful lawsuit against the Greyhound Corporation. He also
bought more land and developed the rest of the island, working out machine
dredging techniques used in creating canals throughout Summerland and later
adopted throughout the keys. In 1956, Hudgins entered into a partnership with
Phillip Toppino,. who had just learned to fly. Together, they built Summerland Key
Cove, a unique development that includes homes bordered on one side by a private
landing strip and on the oiher by canals. Hudgins retired in 1961, selling the
remainder of his business interests to Toppino. Hudgins died on May 25, 1962, at
the age of 62.
Although the Hermitage is currently eight years short of being fifty years old,
Hudgins's pivotal role in the history of Summerland clearly places his house in the
eligibility category, defined by Monroe County's historic preservation ordinance, of
"a property achieving significance in the pa.st 50 yea,l's, if it is of exceptional
importance" (See. 9.5454 (b) (7). Two other properties in Monroe County meeting
this criteria consideration, the Hodgman House (1960) on Conch Key and the
Wilkinson House (1951) in Tavernier, have already been designated; the latter is a
"stHt" house.
SOURCES
Key West Citizen, June 3, 1962, obituary.
Letter from Gregory Klimock to George Born, May 15, 1996.
Previous indusion in historic resources surveys: None
GEOGRAPHIC DATA
Acreage of Property: 2
Boundary description:
RE#: 00196690-000000
00196970-000000
00115100-000000
Legal Description: Lots 18, 19, 20, Summ.erland Bch Amd plat
Lot 20, Summertand Bch Addn #J
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PAGE 11
Staff Report to the Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission
The Hermitage, Summerland K@}'
Page 4 of 4
Verbal Boundary justification: The property includes the house arad associated
grounds, including its waterfront frontage.
PREPARED BY:
George W. Born
Historic Preservationist
Historic Florida Keys Foundation
Old City Han
.510 Greene St.
Key West, FL 33040
Date: June 7, 2001
Owner.
Gregory & Betty Klimock
25340 4th St.
Summerland Key, FL 33042
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F';:"'GE 1:::
ESTATES & HOMES
Located in the Florida Keys just
25 miles outside of Key West on
tht:: island of SUMMERLANJ)
KE.Yis the "Hermitage" - a
1.84+/- acre oceanfwnt estate
offering over 300' of open water
frontage. There is a deep draft
bO<it basin with dockage and a
hoat ramp 011 this fenced in
property. Th~: home is approxi-
mately 2085 square feet with 3
bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
There ar€:, three out buildings on
the lushly landscaped grounds.
Summerland Key has a private
2520' runway on the island This
island retreat is being uffere.d for
0t,/2Bi2C~91 14: 15
3052~33t,3~8
,\:7ou've earned the prestige
you deserve the privacy
HFf<F
F'AGE 1 :::
RESOLUTION NO. HOI-Ol
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
RECOMMENDING THAT THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS GRANT THE DESIGNATION OF
"HISTORIC AND CULTURAL LANDM..~" TO "THE
HERMITAGE," 25340 4TH STREET, SUMMERLAND,
REAL ESTATE NUMBERS 196690, 196970, AND
115100.
WHEREAS the Monroe County Historic Preservation
Commission during a regular meeting held on June 18,2001,
conducted a public hearing to discuss recommending the
designation of the "The Hermitage" as a "Historic and
Cultural Landm.ark~' as provided by Article VIII of the Monroe
County Code, k~ended; and
WHEREAS the Historic Preservation Commission was
presented with the following evidence, which by reference is
hereby incorporated as a part of the record:
1. An application for designation dated April 1, 2001,
completed by Gregory Kl imock, O'J..'ner of liThe Hermitage" i and
2. A staff report dated June 7, 2001, prepared by George
Born, Historic Preservationist, Historic Florida Keys
Foundation, serving as staff to the Historic preservation
Commission;
WHEREAS the Historic preservation Commission has made
the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law:
1. Based on the evidence produced at the hearing,
including the testimon:l' and the wricten data, the
COm..'tuBsion rinds th.9.t "The Hermitage" i.s both
significant to the history of Monroe County and
associated with the lives of individuals significant in
the past, meeting the standards for designation as
specified in Sec. 9.5-454 (a) (1) and (2) of the Monroe
County Land Development Regulat1ons: NOW THEREFORE,
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F'AGE 04
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the preceding Findings of Fact
and Conclusions of Law support their decision to RECOMMEND
that the MOnroe County Board of Commissioners des~gnate liThe
Hermitage" a "Hi.storic and Cultural Landmark" as p~ovi.ded for
by Article VIII of the Monroe County Code, Amended.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Historic Preservation Commi.ssion of
Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting held on the 18th
day of June, 2001.
Chair Allen YES
vic@-Chair Silvia YES
Commissioner CluppeL YES
Co~issioner Johnson Yes
Commissioner Lloyd YES
~:~::~TI~:.C:mlrSSION
By(f~~__
Alice Allen, Chair
Signed this :<6 day of Va..~
OF
, 2001.
r _
I '. AJIIfl5) APPRO VEL} ! .. ' TO J:OAfv' 1
I Vr._!EGA(~ I
'BY ~~
I t:::;nBy;, ~~c" V -;' -I
Page 2 of 2
I
///~
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PAGE 05