© Raul Pedroso
Greynolds Park Boathouse
The Greynolds Park Boathouse is the architectural centerpiece of this historic 265 acre park, one of the most beautiful parks in the Miami-Dade County system. Created from a rock quarry, it was built as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs in 1936. William Lyman Phillips, landscape architect and partner in the landscape architectural firm of Frederick Law Olmsted, supervised a crew of Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the design and construction of the park with an organic, rustic quality, using materials mostly found on site. Among the park’s most significant features are the lake, the “Mound”–a castle-like observation tower created by a construction equipment trash heap that was covered over and landscaped–hiking trails, bird sanctuaries and a series of structures done in field stone and wood, such as the park offices, various restrooms and the Boathouse. R.J. Heisenbottle Architects completed work on the restoration and rehabilitation of the Boathouse, which included reinforcing the existing roof timber structure, the addition of a new non-intrusive hurricane protection system, rehabilitation of staff offices that complement the historic character of the building, renovation of windows and doors for energy efficiency, and replacement of decayed walls, floors, and ceilings with structurally sound materials, compliance and MEP upgrades. The Greynolds Boathouse now houses a nature center and is used for parties and educational events.
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