Stiltsville got its start in the 1930s, when "Crawfish" Eddie Walker set up a bait shop on the bay.
The area takes its name from the houses built on stilts above the water. By the 1950s and 1960s, it was a popular gathering place for fishermen, boaters, club-goers and well-known citizens, such as former governor of Florida, LeRoy Collins. Today, the National Park Service owns the land on which Stiltsville stands, and the structures are part of Biscayne National Park.
"No one who chances upon the phenomenon of Stiltsville for the first time will ever forget the sight of homes that hover above the waters, miles away from any shore, like stuctures from a dream."
Les Standiford, letter to Mr. Richard Shaw, August 12, 1998
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The Calvert Club was one of the earliest and most popular destinations in Stiltsville. It is shown here with members of the Maimi Rod and Reel Club in 1938.
Seven structures currently make up Stiltsville: Hicks House; Bay Chateau; Leshaw House; Baldwin, Sessions, Shaw House; A Frame House; Jimmy Ellenburg House; Miami Springs Power Boat Club
Feel the unique structure of the A-Frame House. It was added to Stiltsville in the 1950s.
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