Miami Shores historic homes keep the bay village scale

Miami Shores has roots that reach well past the growth of modern Miami. That history can still shape a home project, but only when the address has a local historic designation.

People first settled this part of Biscayne Bay in the early 1870s. In the 1920s, the Shoreland Company planned homes with Italian design, along with roads, parks, plazas, and a business district. Miami Shores became a village in 1932, and much of that early plan can still be read in its streets.

An old-looking house is not automatically a listed historic home. The Historic Preservation Board reviews plans to renovate or restore a structure on the village register. Miami Shores also keeps a separate Certificate of Appropriateness form for that review.

If you own or may buy an older home, confirm its local status first. Then check the normal building permit path and the historic board path when both apply. The key is the home’s official designation, not its age or style alone.