Did You Know? Fisher Island Hotel And Resort

Fisher Island was a wedge of land with coconut palms and mangroves that sat in Biscayne Bay. In 1919, Miami Beach founder and developer Carl Fisher bought it from Dana Dorsey, South Florida's first black millionaire. Fisher, when trying to expand the island and build deep-water docks, experienced quite a bit of push back from the County, which delayed his progress. The construction of the Port of Miami served to separate the lush appendage from Miami Beach, creating an entirely distinctive island. In the 1920's, Carl Fisher traded 7-acres of Fisher Island for a yacht from William K. Vanderbilt II.

In 1936,  Vanderbilt began building his $1.5 million private island retreat on Fisher Island with a Mediterranean-style mansion. He surrounded this mansion with lush landscaping, gracious guest homes, tennis courts and swimming pools.The main home and the surrounding guest cottages were completed in 1941. Rosemary's Cottage was built for Vanderbilt's stepdaughter Rosemary (Rosamund's daughter from her first marriage.) The studio cottage was built for Rosamund to paint in, as she was an artist. The North and South Cottages were for the their servants. The building now referred to today as the Jr. Suites was built to house the crewman for his yacht. The building now the Spa Internazionale was Vanderbilt's personal airplane hanger.

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