Restoration crews are back at work inside Georgette's Tea Room House in Miami's Brownsville neighborhood, breathing life into the 13-room guesthouse long remembered as a safe haven for Black entertainers and community leaders during segregation. Church leaders and preservation advocates say the current phase focuses on stabilizing the structure, bringing back key historic details and eventually reopening the site for community programs. The push has picked up fresh energy during Black History Month, with organizers juggling fundraising, emergency repairs and plans for more extensive rehabilitation.
Restoration in the spotlight
A recent Black History Month segment put the project in front of a wider audience when CBS News Miami highlighted the work. The piece noted that the two-story house is being brought back to something close to its former glory as part of a broader push to safeguard local Black landmarks. Organizers say the renewed attention has helped fuel an existing grassroots campaign to raise money and complete work that started with urgent stabilization efforts.
Preservation work and recognition
As the restoration moved ahead, Dade Heritage Trust honored Kim Johnson and the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church with a 2025 Preservation Award for their leadership on the project. In its write-up, the group details completed work that includes a new roof, 63 replacement windows, eight exterior doors, restored shutters and critical structural repairs to trusses and floor joists, while emphasizing that interior rehabilitation is still ahead. The organization also notes that the property is expected to be nominated for the National Register of Historic Places as fundraising continues.
Why Georgette's matters
The project's official page traces the story back to 1940, describing Georgette Scott Campbell's two-story, 4,100-square-foot guesthouse as a 13-room refuge where Black performers who were turned away from segregated hotels could find lodging and meals. The site underscores the building's role in Miami's Black cultural life and invites the public to back the ongoing renovation work, according to Georgette’s Tea Room House.
Architectural significance and designation
Preservation accounts describe the house as a Streamline Moderne design with Tudor-inspired interior touches, and note that the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Board named it a local historic site in 1990. Technical observers add that the project tackles familiar South Florida preservation hurdles such as roofing issues, moisture problems and structural stabilization, as outlined by Eastern Engineering Group.
Next steps and how to help
Project leaders say the next phase centers on interior rehabilitation and planning for future programming, with continued fundraising needed both to finish the restoration and to adapt the building for public use. "This project not only preserves an iconic landmarkit celebrates a legacy of resilience while building a future rooted in pride and community," Dade Heritage Trust wrote. Organizers direct supporters to the donation page for sponsorships and volunteer opportunities on the Georgette’s Tea Room House site.
