In Liberty City, the Lindsey House — a historic residence built for a wealthy Black couple during the segregation era — is being transformed for the 21st century into a place of art, culture and education.
Nov. 5 marked an important milestone in the project’s journey, as present owner Jacqui Colyer opened the doors to the public for the first time.
“This house is the home of Anne and Ellis Lindsey,” said Colyer in an address to community members. “That’s why I kept the name ‘The Lindsey House,’ because I wanted to make sure that I honored them.”
Located on Northwest 67th Street between Northwest 12th and 14th avenues, Millionaire’s Row, as it was called, housed wealthy Black entrepreneurs and civic leaders when housing policies restricted where Black families could build and live. The Lindseys were known for hosting some of the premier entertainers of the day, including talents like Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway. According to Colyer, Ellis Lindsey owned a pool hall, a haberdashery, a beauty salon and more in the Liberty City area.
As development on the project begins, Colyer has a vision for the renovation of the house, one that preserves the historic integrity of the front of the building while reimagining the back for Liberty City’s future. This reimagining includes a redesign of the garden area and a 55-foot mural along the back wall. She also envisions programming for group gatherings on the first floor, while allowing individual artists to house their studios on the second floor.
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As previously reported by The Miami Times, part of the preservation of the area’s history has involved the design of historical markers, addressing widespread concern that historic Black spaces across Miami disappear quicker than they are recognized. University of Miami graduate architecture students Adia-Simone Rhoden and Hanah Badran designed the custom marker in front of the Lindsey House, made to resemble a sound wave from Josephine Baker’s song “Paris, Paris.”
More artists, architects and designers are being brought into the project to commemorate not only the big names that passed through the area but also the ordinary people who helped build it.
“I think that we don’t do enough to remember just the regular folks who lived in Liberty City and who helped Liberty City grow and become what it was,” said Colyer. “Back in the ‘60s, it began to go into decline, and now it’s on its way back.”
Realtor, entrepreneur and author Antonia Williams-Gary was in attendance at the Nov. 5 event. She spoke to those gathered, sharing her own past in Liberty City. A Miami native, Williams-Gary was born in Overtown and raised in Richmond Heights, though she spent her childhood visiting relatives who remained in Overtown or moved to Liberty City. She described Liberty City as an “exotic place” when she was a child, a place that had a “certain tone.”
On the subject of preserving historical spaces, Williams-Gary said, “I happen to be of the mindset that as Black people who have owned and continue to own property as part of their legacy, it is extremely important.”
“Preserving legacy takes so many different forms,” she continued. “Ownership of property is prime.”
Colyer’s goal is not only to preserve history but to make it. To do this, she needed additional hands.
Zakiyya White is the founder of Love Made Visible, also known as LMV, an artist fellowship that provides mentorship, relationships and access to emerging artists. In relation to the Lindsey House, White is curating the structural design and commissioning artists to redesign the space.
“I got connected to Jacqui from a neighbor of both of ours who heard about the work that I was doing with my fellowship in Overtown,” said White. “The relationship was so organic. Our values were so organic. Our missions were so aligned… This was the right time for us to have met.”
With this hope of fostering a space of art, culture and education, Colyer and White want to bring in artists specifically to create a collaborative environment in the living room, dining room, Florida room and garden area, while the three bedrooms and attached bathrooms on the second floor will make up individual artist studios.
As the project develops, the team in charge of the renovations and redesign are actively fundraising, looking for donors to sponsor rooms but also contribute unrestricted funds to facilitate the renovations and support the creation of an on-site staff.
“[The Lindsey House] is a place of storytelling,” said White. “It’s a place of our history. So we’re looking for support to make sure that we can continue building out the legacy and telling the story of the Lindseys… We need to make sure that we’re paying it forward and funneling up.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
