Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Side One: Coconut Grove began as a small settlement on the cliffs of Biscayne Bay, surrounded by a vast tropical wilderness. In the mid-1800s, the first known permanent residents, Edmund “Ned” and Ann Beasley, settled near what became Barnacle Historic State Park. In 1873, Dr. Horace Porter opened the first post office, and called the area “Cocoanut Grove,” opting for an archaic spelling. Charles and Isabella Peacock emigrated with their family from England in 1875. The Peacocks opened the first hotel in the area, which drew more tourists to Coconut Grove. Captain Ralph Munroe, a sailboat designer from Staten Island, New York, settled in the area by 1885. Working-class residents, many of whom were Bahamian immigrants, lived around Charles Avenue. Their homes were inspired by traditional Bahamian shotgun-style architecture and tropical colors. By 1890, Coconut Grove included more than 100 inhabitants, including Ralph Munroe’s cousin, Kirk, who helped found the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. In 1889, Isabella Peacock began teaching Sunday school in the first schoolhouse at the Plymouth Congregational Church. By 1891, the Housekeepers Club women’s group was established to uplift the community through fundraisers. Side Two: In 1896, fortunes changed dramatically when Henry M. Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway steamed into Miami. The railroad brought new settlers to Miami-Dade County. Coconut Grove’s high waterfront bluffs were favorite sites for wealthy industrial tycoons to build their winter retreats. Bayfront Parkway and Main Highway became known as “Millionaires Row,” and included many famous estates, such as James Deering’s Villa Vizcaya, David Fairchild’s Kampong, John Bindley’s El Jardin, and Ralph Munroe’s Barnacle. In 1925, the village's name changed to Coconut Grove, after Dr. David Fairchild informed incorporators of the fruit’s proper spelling. That same year, the village was annexed, along with other neighboring communities, by the City of Miami. In 1928, Pan American Airways began operation out of Dinner Key at the site of the old naval air station, which became the Miami City Hall in 1954. Coconut Grove continued to attract people drawn by the beauty of its natural landscapes, including authors Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Helen Muir, Hervey Allen, and playwright Tennessee Williams. Tourists and residents have long valued Coconut Grove’s bohemian roots and lush landscape.