Explore this family tree and take a closer look at three generations of the Deering family to begin to understand how James Deering––who was born in Maine, ran a family business in Chicago and had homes in New York City and Neuilly, France––selected Miami for his winter retreat.

Deering was a lifelong bachelor with no direct descendants. After his death, Vizcaya ultimately became the property of his nieces, Marion Deering McCormick and Barbara Deering Danielson, the daughters of Deering’s half-brother Charles. His nieces’ commitment to the estate weathered multiple hurricanes and escalating maintenance costs, but they eventually conveyed the entire estate, including its art and furnishings, to Miami-Dade County. Vizcaya opened as a public museum in 1953.

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Deering Family Tree