Villa Paula was constructed in 1926 to be the first Cuban consulate in Miami.  With its combination of French neo-classical architectural elements, Moorish arches and Spanish tiles, this picturesque house has a distinctive Havana flair. It is one of a handful of homes in South Florida on the register of historic places. The Villa Paula has miraculously survived the trauma of the devastating hurricane of 1926 and attempts to tear it down.  Now Lovingly restored, it is a place for discovering art treasures -- ranging from Renoir and Picasso to Wilfredo Lam and Miami's homegrown genius, the late Pervis Young. The original bucolic environment of the villa grounds is preserved in the garden with its cascades of bougainvillea and its graceful pergola, perfect for enjoying food, wine, and music. This villa is now up for sale. read more

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What a cool building. This 1926 mansion in a neoclassical design used to be the Cuban Consulate. It was actually a Cuban building on American soil. Some people believe it is haunted by the ghost of Paula who was the wife of Cuban Consul Domingo Millord and for whom the house was named. Supposedly she died in 1932 after having one leg amputated. There are stories all over the internet claiming that this is the most haunted house in Miami. If you love the idea of owning a haunted house then you are in luck because Villa Paula is for sale for $4.5 million dollars. If you saw the neighborhood in Little Haiti you might be a little skeptical as to the price tag of this property. The house last sold in 2016 for a mere $500,000. It was used as an art gallery managed by Martin Siskind. The house is jointly owned by Martin and his brother Richard. Martin wanted to sell but Richard didn't. The dispute between the brothers has finally been settled and the mansion along with four other properties is now on the market. They are justifying the large price by saying that this is an up and coming neighborhood like Wynwood. The house is a designated historic site so it cannot be changed. It will be interesting to see what is eventually done with it. I am hoping for a museum or something in that vein that honors the history of this property. read more

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The local news has been fraught with news about Cuban relations with the U.S., so suddenly, Villa Paula found herself in the spotlight, considering her history as the first Cuban consulate in Miami. Built in 1926, this beautiful Cuban Neo Classical mansion was built by Havana architect C. Freira using materials (and workers) imported from Cuba. These materials include some stunningly beautiful hand-painted floor tiles reflecting various regions of Cuba. Although today it sticks out like a sore thumb among the ramshackle Little Haiti homes nearby and the drug deals taking place in neighboring blocks, when the home was built, the neighborhood was agricultural and the home would have sat like a plantation upon this agricultural acreage. Villa Paula was named after Paula Millord, the wife of the first consul, who moved into the home with his wife. Paula eventually required a leg amputation and not long after, she died. Soon after her death, the consulate closed its doors. The building was sold and resold several times, with rumors swirling of a haunting. Now, it is considered Miami's most haunted home and supposedly, one of the most haunted locations in the country. There are tales of a black-haired ghost, that walks down the hallways with a limp. The piano would play by itself. A gate would suddenly close the minute a cat would walk through. Could these sightings all be attributed to Paula? Apparently so, as she loved piano music and hated cats. A psychic claimed the place was haunted. A Satanist was shoved into one of the bathrooms (which is closed and not accessible), and said she felt she was choking and could see blood. The blood supposedly relates to one of the home's maids who had been abused and aborted an illegitimate baby. I had read the tales and history of the home, and seen pictures of it, so naturally, being interested in historically significant buildings, unusual architecture and the supernatural, this place fit the bill. I came with a friend on a rainy Saturday in August and saw the gate was closed. As I proceeded to take pictures of the exterior, 4 men walked up to the home and opened the gate, asking if I wanted to come in. Boy, was I in luck! Just as the rain started and my friend had asked to leave, I lingered on for a bit taking pictures, and that is when I ran across these men. Had I left, I never would have gotten a chance to enter the mansion and explore! The men sat in the foyer and provided me with a guide, Joe, who is the resident artist. He explained the history of the home, shared some of his experiences, as well as his artwork. Villa Paula has been fortunate enough to end up in the hands of these men who were remodeling and restoring the mansion to its former glory and it shows. Joe allowed me to roam around and take pictures of the interior, as well as the garden out back. He pointed out the place where Paula is buried underneath a tree (though some articles claim she is not buried there and is instead buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, he is adamant that she is buried here). He also pointed out a spot where the illegitimate baby was supposedly buried. The place was full of chickens and hens roaming around, and I snapped away while speaking to him about his artwork. Joe is a nude painter, and he is very talented. He showed us the studio where he paints and some of his paintings that were hanging throughout the hallways. Although his work hangs in the mansion, there are also works by Alexander Calder and some local artists, as well as other world-renowned artists. The home is now being used as an art gallery and will eventually open to the public for gallery events, where art work can be admired and/or purchased and parties. Though I did not see or feel anything strange in the house while I was there, it's definitely a beautiful place to see. The tall ceilings, stained glass windows, the Tuscan columns, and the hand-painted tile are all magnificent, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any homes like this nowadays. If you don't want to enter the home or don't like art, at least do yourself a favor to drive by the home and admire it from the outside. Just be careful (I'm not talking about encountering any possible ghosts, but instead, I am warning you to beware the crazy Miami drivers you may encounter while driving slowly on North Miami Avenue to admire the home)...lest you end up in a lethal accident and become a Villa Paula ghost yourself! read more

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This place is wonderful for throwing events like art shows, absolutely stunning part of Miami's culture and history.