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(Photo Credit: RBenitez)
“The City of Lights” now shines once again, thanks to the many who were determined to see through to completion a decades-long restoration project.
The endeavor to restore Coral Gables’ landmark streetlights designed by Phineas Paist and Denman Fink has been a labor of love. This project has been the darling of the preservation community for decades, and the signature project of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables. In 1981, Sara Anderson, a member of the organization, facilitated the designation of the street lights as a City Historic Landmark Site. At that time, there were nearly 80 light still standing from the original 500.
Mayors Jim Cason and Vince Lago were instrumental in supporting the yearslong preservation efforts. As a commissioner, Lago led city leaders in proposing a resolution to fully fund the “White Way” street lights restoration plan under the Art in Public Places program. It was approved unanimously. And with that vote, a project that had lagged and had been dormant for decades suddenly got the attention and the funding it needed.
These functional works of art were commissioned almost 100 years ago by city founder George Merrick, not only to light the “City Beautiful,” but to enhance the newly built roads.
Originally, 500 streetlights with distinct decorative bases adorned the boulevards. Today, only about 45 of these originals remain, mostly along the Riviera Drive corridor and University Drive.
The current project, divided into several phases, restored approximately 45 originals and added another 30 plus reproductions in order to reach the number of streetlights that were standing back in 1981 when the lights were first designated. Additionally, a discovered batch in Fort Lauderdale, also part of the original 500, will join the ones in Coral Gables and be included as part of the multi-year historic preservation plan.
Finally, commendations go to Allen Architectural Metals Inc. for the meticulous work on the restoration and reproductions; the Historic Resources Office for maintaining strict designation guidelines, and to Lis Ferrer, project engineer in Public Works for overseeing and managing the logistics of the project’s various phases.
Karelia Martinez Carbonell is president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables. The Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 1991. The association promotes the understanding of the importance of historic resources and their preservation. For more information and/or to support the mission of HPACG, visit www.historiccoralgables.org.
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