Did You Know... North Miami Beach

Did you know the oldest building in the U.S. is in the City of North Miami Beach? The Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was built between 1133-1144 in Sacramenia, in the Province of Segovia, Spain. William Randolph Hearst purchased the monastery in 1925 and shipped it to the United States in 11,000 crates. It remained in storage in Brooklyn, N.Y., for 26 years until its purchase by Messrs. W. Edgemon and R. Moss in 1952. The two men then had the monastery reassembled in a wooded preserve nestled along Snake Creek in downtown North Miami Beach, where it has become a popular and beautiful tourist attraction and a favorite wedding spot. Reprinted from Quality Cities July/August 2003 Back to City Trivia Home