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The City of Coral Gables has designated a new local landmark.
The Permuy House, a 95-year-old residence located at 1544 Sopera Ave., was designed by noted Chicago architect Alfred F. Schimek in 1925. Schimek was elected secretary and then president of the Illinois Society of Architects during Chicago’s mid-century dominance as an influential architecture center in the U.S.
The Sopera residence also is notable for its historic context. It was completed in 1926, the same year as the Biltmore Hotel, a National Historic Landmark located in close proximity to the Permuy House. Later that year the South Florida Land Boom of the 1920s had burst following the destructive 1926 hurricane, leaving few remaining structures from the era of the city’s establishment.
Architecturally the home embodies Coral Gables’ signature Mediterranean Revival style with features such as smooth stucco, European archways and balusters, projecting and recessed planes and doorways, original white oak flooring, an ornamental medallion over the projecting entry bay, and a pronounced chimney.
The property also includes several unique features, including original 1920s imported decorative Cuban tile on its porch and kitchen as well as a flame-red Royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree at its entrance. Most of the home’s architecture features are original to the 1920s and have been painstakingly restored, although there is a 1946 extension by another high-profile architect, Alfred Browning Parker.
The home has had several notable owners who contribute to its historical significance. During WWII it was owned by Colonel Joseph R. Cooke, a top aide of General George Patton who served as his head Transportation Officer. Cooke was later president of the Pennsylvania Corporation of Coca-Cola.
The home is most known, however, for its connection to the Permuy family which has owned the residence for 45 years. It was the Permuys that added the royal poinciana tree that has adorned the property to recall their background in Cuba and symbolically replant their roots with a piece of that heritage.
The home is particularly associated with Marta Permuy, a prominent art patron who was a pioneering force in the establishment of the Cuban art market in South Florida. She was first known for running Permuy Gallery on Lejeune Road, which she co-founded in 1972 with her then husband, architect and human rights leader Jesús Permuy.
It was also a popular cultural gathering place for Cubans and Miami notables such as then Miami Mayor Maurice Ferré, collectors Marcos and Josefina Pinedo, and the Latin American art critic Ricardo Pau-Llosa. The venue also was historic for being among the first Cuban art galleries in the United States, paving the way for subsequent Latin American art galleries that have flourished in South Florida since.
After the gallery closed in 1976, Marta continued her art actives in their new home for more than 40 years until her death in 2017. She was known in the Miami art community for being particularly dedicated to assisting emerging and struggling artists with her events, practices, and patronage in the home.
The property was mentioned as an important South Florida art venue in Lynette Bosch’s 2004 book Cuban-American Art in Miami: Exile, Identity and the Neo-Baroque.
Three generations of the family have lived in the house spanning from Marta’s mother, Raquel Díaz Cazañas, to their grandchildren. The current homeowner is Eugenio Permuy, a banking executive with UBS Group and son of Marta and Jesús. It was he who initiated the local landmark filing that set the designation process in motion.
The Coral Gables Department of Historical Resources and Cultural Arts produced an extensive 30-page report on the property supporting designation, spearheaded by department director Warren Adams.
It ultimately recommended designation, not only on historical and architectural grounds, but also cultural. It states: “The Permuys, most notably Marta, also played a pivotal role in supporting Cuban artists including holding artist salons at The Permuy House. Hence, this home is historically and culturally significant due to its association with the Permuys.” It also states “Marta […] aided in launching and sustaining Cuban artists. The home is a touchstone to aid us in remembering and honoring their efforts.”
Following the department’s presentation, a letter of support was submitted by Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables president, Dr. Karelia Martínez Carbonell. Board member and former Historic Preservation director Dona Spain also voiced her support addingm “It’s a beautiful home.” The local landmark designation was unanimously approved by the Historic Preservation Board on Apr. 21, with Eugenio Permuy present while Jesús and Antonio Permuy joined virtually, representing each generation of the family to mark the occasion.
