Lawrence Murray Dixon


Lawrence Murray Dixon was an architect in Miami Beach, Florida. He was born in Live Oak, Florida, attended the Georgia School of Technology and worked in New York for Schultze and Weaver from 1923 to 1929, when he moved to Miami Beach. He is credited with designing The Temple House in the South Beach section of Miami Beach as well as other Art Deco hotels and residences. Dixon is listed as a Great Floridian.
Dixon work includes The Tides Hotel, The Victor Hotel , The Tiffany, The Marlin, Tudor Hotel, The Senator , The Raleigh Hotel, the Ritz Plaza Hotel, Regent Hotel and The Betsy Ross. His work is known for its curvilinear design.
The PBS show American Experience called Dixon and Henry Hohauser the principal architects of Deco South Beach including "streamlined curves, jutting towers, window "eyebrows," and neon." Such buildings were less expensive and less ornamented than those by Carl Fisher, such as the Flamingo and "seemed perfectly suited to a city created for sun, sand, and relaxation."
Dixon died in New York City on October 8, 1949.

The Temple House

was first constructed as a two-story single family home in with the first stone laid by Dixon. In 1942 it was expanded and re-zoned for The Joseph-Jacob Congregation, subsequently renamed Temple Emanuel, and moved in 1965. It was expanded by architect Lester Avery to for the 1,000 member Orthodox congregation. In 2003 it was purchased by Daniel Davidson.

Work