Miami - The First 100 Years
Reprinted from Miami Centennial Calendar - The
First 100 Years 1896-1996
Biscayne Engineering Company is Miami’s oldest
continuous operating business. Founded by W.E. Brown, a New Englander,
and J. S. Frederick, an old Miami area engineer and surveyor, Biscayne's
influence has been felt statewide through three centuries. Long
before minimum technical standards were established, Biscayne created
our own system of required standards and today, we continue to be
recognized as always exceeding published minimum standards.
The firm took its name from the building it originally occupied
- The Bank of Bay Biscayne (located on the west side of Miami Avenue,
25 feet north of Flagler Street) known as 1202 Ave D.
The company's early work included laying out the City of Miami
streets, later extended to Dade County streets. The firm was also
retained for dredge and fill operations on Star Island (the first
man-made island in Biscayne Bay). The development of Villa Vizcaya,
one of Miami's premier landmarks, is perhaps our most beloved project.
Other key projects include development of the Brickell and Tuttle
properties, construction layout of the Dade County Court House,
and the transformation of Key Biscayne from a coconut plantation
to housing and retail development, which has matured into a city;
work on the construction of the U.S. Post Office Building and Federal
Courthouse, conversion of tropical Park from dog park to a horse
track and certifying the distances of all the tracks; laying out
the University of Miami campus, surveying of Tamiami Cana in 1911,
and the redevelopment of the Brickell area into an international
banking and business center. More recently the firm has been involved
in the Metro Rail and People Mover projects, the new Dade County
Library and many major high rises in Miami.
Mr. J.S Frederick died in 1910. Formal incorporation of Biscayne
came in 1912, with W.E. Brown as president, J.A. Moore, as vice
president and E.E. Harvey as secretary treasurer. A year prior to
incorporation, the company hired a young engineer just out of the
University of Florida at Gainesville. He was John J. Bennett, later
known as "J.J", a man who would leave an indelible mark
on the firm as well as on many areas of South Florida.
Hired as a lowly Rodman, and soon promoted to instrument man on
a survey team, there was little to indicate that J.J. Bennett would
someday become secretary, majority stockholder and president. Much
of what is known about the company's long history comes from Bennett,
who ran the company from 1952 to 1972, retiring in 1974.
Today, Biscayne Engineering offers a full range of civil engineering,
professional land surveying,right of way mapping, traffic engineering
and environmental services. We offer our services to private clients,
cities,counties, and the Florida Department of Transportation.
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