Historic Hampton House

Let's travel back in time to the glitzy 1960s Miami. Remember Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the rest of The Rat Pack frolicking at Miami Beach's glitzy bars and clubs? Muhammad Ali ultimately defeated reigning heavyweight world champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach in 1964, claiming the championship for the first time. He settled in Miami and reportedly trained with Angelo Dundee at the Fifth Street Gym in South Beach to become "The Greatest of All Time."

In Miami, the 1960s were likewise a turbulent time, with racial disparity and segregation laws severely enforced. While Ali won his historic victory at Miami Beach that night in 1964, he was not permitted to spend the night there due to Jim Crow segregation rules. Instead, he went to celebrate with his buddy Malcolm X at the Hampton House Motel in Brownsville, just outside of Liberty City on the mainland. He is believed to have celebrated his huge triumph with a dish of ice cream. Ali also had a house in Brownsville that is still standing.

During this period, the Hampton House was the place to see and be seen in Miami's black community, displacing old Historic Overtown hotspots such as the Sir John. The community of Historic Overtown began to deteriorate when the more affluent inhabitants of the neighborhood relocated to Liberty City in the 1960s with the establishment of Liberty Square apartments.

The Golden Age of Liberty City and The Hampton House

While Miami Beach was in the spotlight for its musicians and nightclub performances, the black artists retreated to Liberty City and the Hampton House after the event. Among these musicians were Sammy Davis, Jr., Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, and many more. Berry Gordy, the creator of MoTown Records, stayed here, and DJ China Valles broadcast a live jazz show from the club on WMBM radio.

Other athletes that visited the Hampton House included Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and Althea Gibson, in addition to Ali. But it wasn't simply a celebrity hangout. On weekends and after church on Sundays, it was a popular hangout for the neighborhood's residents.

The 50-room, two-story Miami Modern-style inn had a jazz club, café, and swimming pool. Martin Luther King, Jr. was notably seen swimming in his swimming shorts. While the Hampton House was regarded as the "Social Center for the South" and a magnet for entertainment, it was also the site of weekly meetings of the Congress for Racial Equality. Dr. King came frequently in the early 1960s and gave a version of his "I Have a Dream" address at the Hampton House in 1960, prior to his iconic oration at the March on Washington in 1963.

Present and Future of the Hampton House

As segregation laws were repealed in the late 1960s, many important members of Liberty City's black population moved to neighboring Miami neighborhoods, leaving the region in economic disarray. The Hampton House closed in 1976 and remained an abandoned shell of a structure until the early 2000s. When the block was threatened with destruction, an advocacy group proclaimed it a protected historical site in 2002, and the county finally acquired it.

Today, owing to the efforts of preservationist Dr. Enid Pinkney, the Hampton House is undertaking a $6 million restoration project. The renovated Hampton House will serve as a museum and community center, with plans for a café, jazz club, and gift shop on-site. There are currently no plans for a hotel. However, as part of the museum, they will rehabilitate a few guest rooms, including Dr. King's favorite suite.

The Hampton House is an important part of Miami's black culture, and it is the only segregated hotel from that era that is still intact today. It is significant architecturally as an example of the Miami Modern style. Architect Robert Karl Frese went on to develop properties for other hotel brands such as Days Inn and Holiday Inn. The Hampton House's renovation will soon be a source of pride for the Liberty City community.

Information provided by Flood Professionals, Inc.