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George Merrick’s French City Village
1004 Cotorro Avenue
Coral Gables, known as “The City Beautiful”, has such a rich history which is evident in all its unique neighborhoods and architectural styles. Thanks to visionary George Merrick, we have one of the most beautiful cities at our fingertips! One of my favorite parts of this special city are his seven International Villages that are scattered throughout town. I thought it would be fun to share some history about each of them over the next several weeks.
In 1925, Merrick deeded several lots in Coral Gables to a group of Ohio investors – the American Building Corporation – who intended to build a series of 20 period-revival themed villages. Between 1925 and 1926, 7 of these were realized including the French City Village, French Country Village, Chinese Village, Dutch South African Village, Colonial Village, Italian Village & French Normandy Village.
Built by Mott Schmidt, the French City Village is in South Gables and occupies the blocks off of Hardee Road between Cellini Street & Leonardo Street. Similar to French Villas, the homes have a distinct feel to them with walled yards, gardens that open to the street, and wonderful architectural details throughout. Interesting to note – Coral Gables doesn’t permit perimeter walls to be built higher than 4 feet tall, however many of Merrick’s villages incorporate walls up to 10 feet high, adding yet another unique characteristic and great privacy.
One of the prettiest homes in the Village went on the market just last week, located on Hardee Road. Listed with EWM Realtors, it has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur! With wonderful, graceful spaces and so much charm, it is situated on a 10,000 square foot lot and features 5 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, a spacious updated kitchen and an elegant master suite with sitting room. Modern day touches include a heated pool and impact windows/doors, but the authenticity shines through in the original floors in the foyer and the reclaimed antique clay floors from Provence found throughout the rest of the first level! This is a truly exquisite home!
For additional details or information on Merrick’s Villages, please don’t hesitate to contact me at ashleybcusack@gmail.com or 305-798-8685.
Photos and property information courtesy of the MLS.
