Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Side One: The Lyric Theater was built in 1913 by Gerald Walker, an enterprising African American businessman from Georgia. It quickly became the center of an entertainment district and thriving community, part of an area on NW 2nd Avenue that became known as “Little Broadway” and “Harlem of the South.” The Georgian-style theater had classical detailing, a decorative parapet, and Corinthian columns flanking the end bays. It hosted a variety of events: musicals, concerts, theater, dance, movies, vaudeville, political rallies, boxing, school plays, cantatas, and beauty pageants. Many notables performed at and visited the theater, including Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Marion Anderson, Bessie Smith, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ethel Waters, Sam Cooke, Count Basie, Red Foxx, and Mary Wells. In 1915, the well-appointed 400-seat interior was described as the most beautiful and costly playhouse in the South owned by an African American. This theater and its flourishing nightlife symbolized the prosperous early twentieth century history of Overtown. The theater became a church in 1959 before being restored as a community entertainment venue in 2000. Side Two: Overtown is one of the most significant historical communities in Miami. Near the end of the 19th century, the population in South Florida spiked. Bahamian migrant farmworkers sought better opportunities following landowners south after the Great Freeze, and Henry Flagler lured thousands of workers to build his railroad and hotel. Overtown’s racially segregated black population played a critical role when Miami incorporated in 1896, casting 162 of 367 votes in favor. The 468-acre neighborhood was known as Colored Town, and city maps labeled the area the Central Negro District until it was changed to Washington Heights in 1937. However, local residents referred to the area as Overtown because people had to go "over" downtown to get there, saying "I'm going over town." It quickly became a vibrant self-contained community of black life and culture. Overtown had its own clothing and furniture stores, beauty shop, dentists, lawyers, doctors, restaurants, grocers, and carpenters. By the 1960s, Overtown’s population had reached over 50,000, but the construction of Interstate 95 during that decade forced many residents from their homes. Since then, there have been continued efforts to revitalize and preserve the community.