One of downtown Miami’s most significant structures, the Ingraham Building is an outstanding example of Second Renaissance Revival style architecture. Of particular interest are the diminishing rustication of the façade, the elaborate arched entrance and fenestration, the cornice details, the use of Indiana limestone, and the interior lobby. Although patterned after the Florentine palaces of the Renaissance, the building is closely akin in form to the skyscrapers of the Chicago school, which divided a building into a three-part, classical composition of base, main body, and bold, projecting cornice.
The Ingraham Building was designed by the prominent New York architectural firm of Schultze and Weaver and is an outstanding example of their work in Miami. The firm also designed Freedom Tower, the Biltmore Hotel, and the Roney Plaza in South Florida, as well as the Waldorf-Astoria and New York Biltmore, the Los Angeles Biltmore, and the Breakers in Palm Beach.
Begun in 1926, the Ingraham Building exemplifies the frenzied building activity that characterized Miami during the Boom. The Ingraham Building was built by the Model Land Company, the real estate division of the Florida East Coast Railway, as a memorial to James E. Ingraham, former president of the Model Land Company and a Miami pioneer. The construction of such an important office building reflects the continuing importance of the Model Land Company and the Florida East Coast Railway to Miami.
~~ From the Historical Preservation Miami Designation Report (.pdf)
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