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The President of the Seamy —es Ocean Beach Company was Han _,, B. Graves. Graves, who was from Rochester, New York, began spending his winters in Florida around 1916. While vacationing here, he started investigating investment opportunities in the real estate market. By 1922, Graves bad purchased, from the Tatun Brothers' Model Land Company, one half mile of ocean and bayfront property east of Fulford. He also purchased from them 2,000 acres of land on the west side of the bay that would be later known as the Interama Tract. Graves' waterfront property east of Fulford was named Seamy Isles. Graves envisioned the development of this area as a tropical Venice and proceeded to make the necessary improvements, widening and deepening the waterways and beautifully landscaping the property. Graves platted his acreage into the following subdivisions: Ocean View, Bella Vista, Fairyland Island, Atlantic Island, Venetian View Island, Royal Palm and Bay View. Water Court Villa lies in the Atlantic Island subdivision. This Mediterranean style residence is representative of the types of homes pictured by Graves for his luxury development. It seems, however, that the financial bust of the late 1920s. prevented the completion of Graves' plan and only a few of these homes were built. Within a few months, James Leonard Lee turned over the Seamy Isles sale contract to the North Mini Beach Corporation. Kurtis R. Froedtert, President of the corporation, immediately published a brochure promoting the area, now advertised as "the aristocrat of developments in the American Riviera." In this pamphlet, Froedtert vows to complete Graves' vision. Froedtert states: "Sunny Isles will move forward to the complete realization of its destiny as the true city beautiful and a true city for comfortable living."1 The brodiure contains photographs of Seamy Isles as it appeared at the time of purchase by the North Miami Beach Corporation. It shows several of the "unusual" and "beautiful" homes on the islands and mentions the availability of homesites where similar homes could be constructed. Many of the lesser oases of palm and soil are sufficiently large to be home sites, offering the fullest privacy in the very heart of things. Larger islands present scores of homesites yet through all, from the smallest to the largest run the triple boons of carefully planned and gorgeously realized landscaping of broad, navigable and soothingly flowing waterways which make every homesite front on the water and, finally, of complete accessibility to the con- veniences of utilities and municipal protection. This modern Venice has been in the workshop of artists and trained city planners for two decades and, with all of the world as their laboratory, they have created a practical paradise.2 Graves' Atlantic Island subdivision had been embellished with concrete bridges faced in ooltic limestone and with a graceful gazebo and pergola. All of these structures were touted by the North Miami Beach Corporation as additional amenities of the development. The gazebo no longer stands, and the pergola is now part of the 334 Atlantic Avenue property. Today, Stmny Isles is described as an area having "an inflated condominium craze... motels, highrises... "3 Atlantic Island remains the sole single family residential area of Seamy Isles. Water Court Villa is historically significant as the remaining example of the type of homes once envisioned for Sunny Isles. The residence is architecturally significant for its fine Mediterranean architecural style. Its association with the pergola further enhances the property's composition. 1 Kurtis R. Froedtert. "Captivating Sunny Isles, The Venice of America," promotional brochure, ca. 1936. 2 Ibid 3 Pat Morrissey (editor). Miami Neighborhoods, Miami., FL.: The Miami News, 1982. Page 60 of 98 71