The oldest building in the country (with a little bit of cheating involved), Miami's Ancient Spanish Monastery is a tribute to American ingenuity as well as the strength of Spanish architectural design.
Originally the monastery was named after Mary, but was renamed upon the canonisation of the famous Cistercian Monk Bernard of Clairvaux. Inhabited for 700 years by Cistercian Monks, the monastery was seized by the Spanish state during the Spanish wars of the 1830s and re-made into a granary and stable.
Today's Ancient Spanish Monastery was built in 1141 - in Segovia, Spain. "Ancient" by American standards, it was imported to the US by newspaper magnate and national "character" William Randolph Hearst in 1925, disassembled in Spain and re-built upon arrival in the US. However, the actual reconstruction did not take place until 1952, as it was put in quarantine following a disease scare from Spain. In addition, Hearst was experiencing personal financial complications at the time, so the monastery was stored upon its arrival in America for a full 26 years. In 1952, the dissassembled bits were purchased by two wealthy investors for the purpose of creating a tourist attraction -US$1.5 million later, they succeeded. Today the Monastery can be rented out for weddings or special occassions, and is open daily for visits.