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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> 1920 to 1929 Miami Area Historical Photos Gallery - click on image to view > 1920 - Gulfstream Apartments on Miami Beach, St. Francis Hospital on Allison Island, LaGorce Island & Normandy Isle to the right
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1920 Florida State Archives

1920 - Gulfstream Apartments on Miami Beach, St. Francis Hospital on Allison Island, LaGorce Island & Normandy Isle to the right

Miami Beach, Florida


The Lombardy Hotel was built just to the north of the Gulfstream Apartments at 6301 Collins Avenue and was torn down in the late 80's.


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Harlan 22-Feb-2017 03:10
Hello everyone,

Not sure if anyone still reads this page, but my grandfather was Dr. Roland Phillips. He died in a boating accident off the coast of Bimini in 1963. My mother was adopted by him, as well as her brother and sister. The brother and sister have passed but my mother is alive and well. Not sure if I can be of any help to you folks but feel free to reach out if you'd like and perhaps I may be able to answer any questions you may have about him... harlan5585@yahoo.com
S.Drapkin 30-Nov-2016 03:35
To B.Ely,
My twin brother and I were born at St.Francis in 1950. We also were adopted directly from the hospital.
Do have any recent info regarding the birth records from the hospital and possibly where they are located now St. Francis is gone..
Thank you...
B. Ely 09-Dec-2013 05:31
I was born at St. Francis Hospital in 1954. Dr. Roland Phillips was the obstetrician. I was adopted from the hospital and I'm just starting a search for my biological parents. Any other adoptees or anyone With information concerning adoptions at this hospital, birth records or Dr. Phillips please contact me on this website or by my email .
Guest 14-Nov-2013 00:16
I wonder if the islands that form north bay village existed back then...they should be to the upper left corner connecting with Normandy Isle
Pat 14-Jul-2013 18:56
Hi, I was born at St. Francis in 1953, my dad was in the Marines and stationed in Miami. My birth certificate is beautiful as it has a picture of St. Francis hospital, and my mom and my thumb prints. It has always been my desire that when I die, my ashes be scattered at Allison Island--is this possible?
Don Boyd03-Jun-2013 14:09
Hi Raione, while I offer you the best of luck in finding your biological parents, most of the viewers here are not experts in the subject but I'll leave your post up in case an expert happens to read your post. As I understand it, there are all kinds of privacy laws and rules in place that seriously impede an adopted child's ability to find their biological parents. Even if Dr. Phillips was still alive and still had his records he would be prohibited by law from divulging confidential information. I doubt if he or any other doctor would jeopardize his freedom and his financial estate by breaking the law and suffering prosecution and a civil lawsuit seeking damages.

Don
.
Raione 03-Jun-2013 01:55
H - I was adopted out of the St. Francis Hospital on or about September 29, 1959. Supposedly, the doctor was Roland Phillips who was known at the time for his life's mission to get babies adopted. I think he was out of Winter Haven or Lakeland. I have been searching for my biological parents for years - any suggestions? At this point, I have almost given up all hope....
Guest 07-May-2013 16:31
My mother was a nurse for Drs Purdue & Phillips and delivered many a baby at St Francis. When she passed I found pages and pages of the firms patients. I went thru them looking for friends that I grew up with in Miami. I had no idea that so many of the babies born there were put up for adaption. But it was after the war. Maybe I should have kept the records but i didn't. Most of those bio parents are probably gone and so are their secrets.
Maritza 22-Sep-2012 13:18
Thank you I will give them a call and see what I can find out. My architect also said he can get me some information on previous owners.
Maritza 22-Sep-2012 13:16
Hello,
I am fascinated by the Miami Beach history. I grew up here and own two properties here. My condo is on 60th and Collins, which by looking at this picture is around the Gulfstream Apartments are. I really am trying to get information on the early owner of a home I purchased this summer. It is a Spanish Mediterranean home built in 1928 located on Pine Tree Drive. Any guidance or photos that are available I would love. I was told the original home plans were lost in a fire in 1930's. I was wondering which fire this must be. Homes in the area were built by Henry Hohauser and L. Murray Dixon.

Thanks,
Maritza
Don Boyd22-Sep-2012 05:39
Maritza, you can find out everything you want if you have the addresses which obviously you do. There is a county department downtown that has all the property records for every property in the county dating back to the construction date. I can't remember if it is the tax assessor's office or building and zoning but a simple call to 311 should be able to answer that question. I'm going to look up some properties in my old neighborhood and I called last year and they told me that I have to come down in person to see the records and I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Don
Maritza 21-Sep-2012 16:31
Hello,
I am fascinated by the Miami Beach history. I grew up here and own two properties here. My condo is on 60th and Collins, which by looking at this picture is around the Gulfstream Apartments are. I really am trying to get information on the early owner of a home I purchased this summer. It is a Spanish Mediterranean home built in 1928 located on Pine Tree Drive. Any guidance or photos that are available I would love. I was told the original home plans were lost in a fire in 1930's. I was wondering which fire this must be. Homes in the area were built by Henry Hohauser and L. Murray Dixon.

Thanks,
Maritza
Guest 14-Jan-2012 03:19
I was born at St. Francis Hospital in 1951, delivered by Dr.'s Purdue and Phillips.
Adopted from same hospital. Love to get my hands on any records ref. my birth.
Virginia Valen 05-Oct-2010 01:27
Interesting-I was born in St. Francis Hospital in 1936 and the physician was Dr. Randolph Purdue--I was adopted out and there seems to be very little information to trace. How to get birth records-I wish I knew.
Virginia
J Hilsenbeck 17-Aug-2010 19:04
Guest: My father was a general surgeon who practiced at St. Francis Hospital in the late 40's and early 50's. Sometimes, when he made post-op rounds on Saturday morning, he would take me with him and I would wait for him in the lobby. He left St. Francis when Northshore Hospital opened in 1952.
Randy 09-Aug-2010 16:56
I just looked at Dave's answer, and believe that the records, if they still exist, might be held by Mt. Sinai or the Miami Heart institute. The Miami Heart Institute is now part of Mt. Sinai, according to the Mt Sinai website.

Here are two contact addresses and phone numbers that might be helpful:

Main Campus
4300 Alton Road
Miami Beach, FL 33140
305-674-2121

Miami Heart Campus
4701 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
305-672-1111

If you've already taken the trip, perhaps you found this information. The Mt. Sinai website doesn't seem to say anything about St. Francis, but I do remember driving by the hospital on Allison in the early '90's and saw something that said Miami Heart institute. So, maybe Mt. Sinai or the Heart Institute might still have birth records. I don't know if birth records are the same as medical records, but in many states hospitals and doctors are only required to save records for a limited time. In my state and several others, it's only seven years. I hope birth records are different.

Hope this helps.
Randy 09-Aug-2010 16:47
Amy,

I don't think the hospital exists anymore. At some part I think it was taken over by the Miami Heart Institute, but I drove past there in about '95, and I think it was closed then. I found an article suggesting the land was put up for sale in the early 2000's, and might have been bought by a developer. I don't know where the hospital records would be, if they still exist. The state must maintain birth records, but I don't know whether they would be sealed in the case of an adoption. I was born in the hospital in '47, my sister in '54.

I wish I had better suggestions for you. Just keep searching, you might find some leads.
Don Boyd16-Feb-2010 03:07
Miami Beach. Miami is in the far background on the other side of Biscayne Bay.

Don
Amy M. 15-Feb-2010 17:56
Was St. Frances Hospital in Miami Beach or Miami? I am making a trip and want to search for birth records of baby girls born at St. Frances on May 8, 1950. Where to go?
Guest 09-May-2008 20:40
Don
It was fun to find Gulfstream apartment on your site. My mother visited there in 1928 when her Uncle Jason Shaver was managing it. I was wondering, way up north here in Alberta, Canada if the building is still standing or has it been torn down? I understand a lot of the old buildings from that era have been renovated and are being used.

Shirley sandreeff@shaw.ca
Don Boyd14-Aug-2007 05:17
Thank you for the correction Stephen! Don
Stephen LeQuier14-Aug-2007 03:57
Don
Something about this photo didn't look right. This is not the old Lombardy Hotel. It's the Gulfstream Apartments just south of the Lombardy. The Lombardy was built just north, where Collins Avenue has that little dog leg.
Steve
Stephen LeQuier12-Aug-2007 03:44
In 1970 I lived and worked at the Lombardy Hotel.
Steve
Guest 07-Aug-2007 13:22
I was born in St Francis Hospital in 1947...my grandparents lived in Fl...names were
Frailey...never met them...moved to Pittsburgh, Pa...anyone know that name?
Gary
Amy 16-Jul-2007 11:49
I was born on May 8, 1950 at St. Frances Hospital in Dade County, Miami, FL. I was adopted and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I am searching for my birth parents. Any tips?

Thank you.

Amy
Dave 29-Jun-2007 22:11
I was born at St. Francis in 1950. I believe the Doctor's name was Pardue and he was a well known obstetrician of that era. My sister worked at the hospital in the late 60's while she was going to college. I used to drive her there all the time. It was built in 1924 by August Geiger, a famous architect that also built the Miami City Hospital (Jackson Memorial) and the Dade County Courthouse on 73 West Flagler where I worked for the county manager's office from 1971-73. It was at 250 W 63rd Street and I believe it is now part of Mt. Sinai Hospital. It was absolutely beautiful even in the 1960s and from the outside looked more like a country club than a hospital!
Don Boyd03-Jun-2007 06:56
Thanks Martha for the identification - I changed the title to better reflect what you said. Don
Guest 03-Jun-2007 01:18
Miami Beach looking west from 63rd st. St Francis Hospital /Allison Island are just
after the bridge. The island that is bare to the north is now LaGorce island and just north of LaGorce is Normandy Isle.