Skip to content
August 11, 2022
t9oor

t9oor

The Interior Breakfast

Exclusive
Breaking News
Great Kids Books Parents Won’t Mind Reading Again… and Again Great Kids Books Parents Won’t Mind Reading Again… and Again Home design ideas: Decorating a bedroom with challenging sloped ceilings Build Diary – Hasina and Marco (Part 2 – the reveal!) Build Diary – Hasina and Marco (Part 2 – the reveal!) Why We’re Doing More Home Maintenance Ourselves This Year House of Hamilton: Sensual Indulgence House of Hamilton: Sensual Indulgence
Primary Menu
  • Home Improvement
  • Home Decorations
  • Home Renovation
  • Home Cleaning
  • Home Design
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
Watch Online
  • Home
  • This abandoned UFO home was once worth $1.6 million
  • Home Design

This abandoned UFO home was once worth $1.6 million

Gloria J. Paul February 15, 2021 7 min read
This abandoned UFO home was once worth $1.6 million






Lovemoney




The story of Florida’s derelict spaceship home

A landmark of the Florida Keys, this futuristic 1970s home was once a stark contrast to the grand mega-mansions that now pepper the affluent coastline. Left vacant for many years, the UFO house sadly fell into a state of disrepair, but it was last valued at a jaw-dropping $1.6 million (£1.2m). Captured by photographer Bullet of Abandoned Florida, this architectural wonder has a fascinating story. Click or scroll through for the sad ending…



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

A mysterious landmark

Once a familiar sight in the village of Islamorada, the unusual home has a relatively secretive backstory. One of the few facts we know for certain is that the UFO house originally belonged to Henry Casimir Ruzakowski, a seaplane engineer and pilot who emigrated from Poland to the United States around 1920.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

An enchanting tale

According to the Miami Herald, Ruzakowski travelled to Peru in search of gold in the mid-1950s. Yet as well as unearthing riches, he also found love – his future wife, Patricia. The two quickly married and had three children: Patricia, Henry and Edmund. Years later, they moved to the Florida Keys where they purchased an attractive waterfront plot overlooking Snake Creek. It was here that they planned to build a family home.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Expert architect

Knowing that the site would be ideal for launching and landing his cherished seaplanes, Henry commissioned the renowned Miami-based architect Peter Vander Klout to design him a groundbreaking home that would make the most of the idyllic waterside location.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Showstopping structure

Completed in 1978, the futuristic round house was designed around a circular concrete frame, with the interior rooms overlooking a central open-air swimming pool. At 10 feet deep, people would reportedly dive into the water from the second floor. Despite the deterioration evident in this picture, it isn’t difficult to imagine how spectacular this pool once was, especially during the height of the Florida summer.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Mammoth operation

Constructed almost entirely from concrete, the top portion of the house was created first and is said to have weighed over 280 tonnes alone. Once it was completed, the upper section of the home was moved to its final position with hydraulic rams. Next, pylons were positioned below to support the colossal weight of the structure and the ground floor was constructed underneath.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Creative curves

The unique, otherworldly shape is captured here in all its rotund glory, from the gentle barrelling of the roof to the wide curves of the windows. With its pitched ceilings and convex walls, the home feels like something of an optical illusion, with no angle seemingly the same. 



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Faded grandeur

The photographs also reveal a number of features from its previous life including a grand chandelier, yet it’s clear that years of abandonment have taken their toll. Uninvited visitors have graffitied the windows, while the interior looks to be a vacant, empty shell. The property was purchased by a private company in December 2012 for $950,000 (£724k) but, as this picture shows, little was seemingly done to restore the architectural marvel.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Buckling under pressure

Thanks to its unique design, the UFO home was believed to be able to endure winds as high as 300mph, as well as a Category 5 hurricanes. However, left to languish, this photograph from a few years ago shows signs of the building buckling under the weight of its hefty concrete structure. Here, the home’s custom-made windows are seen dislodging themselves from the walls.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Unconventional layout

While residential layouts have changed throughout the years, moving from closed to more open spaces, the UFO home offered an altogether more unusual floor plan. Joe Ziomek, who documents the history of the local area, told the Miami Herald: “The interesting thing was, here is the kitchen and there is the bedroom, but in order to get to the bedroom, you had to go all the way around the house.”



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

A maze of rooms

Echoing the home’s circular form, narrow spiral staircases cast from metal connected the ground floor with the maze of rooms across the top floor, as well as the internal courtyard. This space, which may have been a bedroom judging by the recessed wardrobe, would’ve been dazzling back in the day, with its decorative ochre ceiling tiles and embossed wallpaper. 



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lingering memories

Although unusual for a residential property, this was a happy family home for many years. The Ruzakowskis’ son, Henry, told the Miami Herald that he had many cherished memories of growing up in the landmark as a teen and young adult. 



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Nostalgic décor

A snapshot of one of the home’s old-fashioned bathrooms offers a window to the past, featuring yellow diamond tiling and a mint green vanity countertop that look to be straight from the 1970s. A dominant rotund window is positioned directly in front of the toilet and shower – we can only hope that curtains once hung here!



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Wow-factor features

In this picture, another bathroom unexpectantly features one of the home’s most spectacular design choices. Patterned copper wallpaper, which seems to have weathered the years remarkably well, makes a dramatic statement in this snug space.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

A room with a view

Just around the corner, more décor delights await. These vibrant yellow sunflower tiles would’ve once been the height of fashion. Still intact when they were photographed a number of years ago, they would’ve offered the perfect backdrop for a long, indulgent soak at the end of a long day.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

A fond fixture

Over the years, locals and intrigued passersby have reportedly given the property various fond nicknames, including Mushroom House, Spaceship House, and of course, the UFO House. While many saw the unique dwelling as an important landmark that should be protected and preserved, other locals were less than pleased.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Legal battles and feuds

Few records exist to show when or why the Ruzakowskis moved out of the property. Yet their departure could perhaps be put down to the legal battles they faced from angry neighbours who disapproved of the family using their garden as a runway for their seaplane. The local homeowners’ association reportedly took the family to court and proceedings are said to have lasted almost a decade – despite the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration had designated the property as a seaplane base.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Tall stories

The Ruzakowskis’ son, Henry, told the Miami Herald that some of their neighbours were apparently so unhappy that they began spreading rumours that the family were using the plane to transport drugs. “Now you can look back at it and laugh,” Henry said. “It was the 80s. I can see why some people would go down that route.” To build bridges, the Ruzakowskis later taxied the plane to and from the bay, rather than taking off from their fly-in home.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Left to languish

Fast-forward a few decades and the eccentric home that was once at the centre of local intrigue had become a shadow of its former self. Left to languish, the walls of this dilapidated dream home were reduced to canvases for graffiti, while its pioneering design slowly crumbled. Despite its derelict state, the property, or more specifically the land it was constructed on, was reportedly valued at a staggering $1.6 million (£1.2m) in recent years.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

An enduring legacy

The Islamorada UFO house was one of many of a similar style that Peter Vander Klout designed and produced across America. While many have by now been torn down, others remain very much intact. Similar UFO-inspired properties are still standing in Plantation in Florida, Mettawa in Illinois and Garden City, South Carolina.



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Gone but not forgotten

Sadly, like many of its counterparts, this landmark home was demolished in October 2017 following Hurricane Irma but the local memory lives on. Quite unlike any other residential style found across America, the UFO house and its fascinating past reveal a rich architectural – and personal – history, fuelled by a pioneering spirit and the determination to push boundaries.

Loved this? Like and follow us on Facebook for more abandoned house tours



Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


21/21 SLIDES








Opens in a new window
Opens an external site
Opens an external site in a new window



Tags: abandoned Home million UFO worth

Continue Reading

Previous Go inside this six-bedroom home in Dallas’ Preston Hollow filled with old-world glamour
Next $20.75 Million Lakefront Estate Is Wisconsin’s Most Expensive Home

More Stories

The Homeowners Show
1 min read
  • Home Design

Landscaping with Michael Faust

August 10, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
How are water tanks useful in saving water?
3 min read
  • Home Design

How are water tanks useful in saving water?

August 9, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
3 min read
  • Home Design

Great Tips and Ideas For Designing Your One Bedroom Apartment

July 25, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
August 2022
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Jul    

Categories

  • Garage Remodel
  • Home Cleaning
  • Home Decorations
  • Home Design
  • Home Improvement
  • Home Renovation

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • January 2017

Recent Posts

  • Great Kids Books Parents Won’t Mind Reading Again… and Again
  • Home design ideas: Decorating a bedroom with challenging sloped ceilings
  • Build Diary – Hasina and Marco (Part 2 – the reveal!)
  • Why We’re Doing More Home Maintenance Ourselves This Year
  • House of Hamilton: Sensual Indulgence

Tags

A Home Improvement Company Was Negotiating With A Homeowner A Home Improvement Loan A Home Improvement Store A Home Improvement Store Advertises 60 Al Home Improvement B&G Home Improvement B&M Home Improvements B&W Home Improvement B'S Home Improvement Eric B Home Improvement Home Improvement Actor Dies Home Improvement Actors Home Improvement Actress Home Improvement Air Date Home Improvement Al Home Improvement Al Borland Home Improvement Apps Home Improvement Assistance Home Improvement Black Friday Deals Home Improvement Blogs Home Improvement Books Home Improvement Box Set Home Improvement Brad Home Improvement Brothers Home Improvement Business Home Improvement Business Cards Home Improvement Center Home Improvement Contractors Near Me Home Improvement Ideas Home Improvement Loan Calculator Home Improvement Loan Rates Home Improvement Loans Home Improvement Near Me Home Improvement Neighbor Home Improvement Outlet Home Improvement Shows Home Improvement Stores Home Improvement Stores Near Me Home Improvement Streaming Home Improvement Tv Show Is Home Improvement A Good Investment J&B Home Improvement L&B Home Improvement R&B Home Improvements When A Homeowner Does Home-Improvement Work
Intellifluence Trusted Blogger

BL

TL

scorpion pest control las vegas 

Related Article

11 min read
  • Home Decorations

Great Kids Books Parents Won’t Mind Reading Again… and Again

August 11, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
2 min read
  • Home Decorations

Home design ideas: Decorating a bedroom with challenging sloped ceilings

August 11, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
Build Diary – Hasina and Marco (Part 2 – the reveal!)
3 min read
  • Home Cleaning

Build Diary – Hasina and Marco (Part 2 – the reveal!)

August 11, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
4 min read
  • Home Cleaning

Why We’re Doing More Home Maintenance Ourselves This Year

August 11, 2022 Gloria J. Paul
t9oor.com © All rights reserved. | Newsever by AF themes.