Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Arden Hayes "Doc" Thomas, a South Miami-area pioneer, pharmacist and owner of the O. K. Drug & Feed Store, commissioned architect Robert Fitch Smith in 1931 to design this distinctive High Pines home. Completed in 1932, the Rustic style structure is a sophisticated version of a Florida frame vernacular cottage. Characterized by native woods and oolitic limestone, the house also features built-in components and ornamental woodwork. As a lifelong conservationist, Thomas gifted his property to Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) to ensure its preservation and use to benefit both TAS and the general public. Established as a National Audubon Society chapter in 1947, TAS traces its origins to the 1915 Coconut Grove Audubon Society, the first in Dade County. Like all Audubon chapters, TAS is a conservation organization named for John James Audubon, the 19th-century ornithologist, wildlife artist and naturalist. After Thomas's death on December 31, 1975, TAS received his property. Since 1976, the house has functioned as Tropical Audubon Society headquarters, while the surrounding acreage now serves as the Steinberg Nature Center. The Doc Thomas House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.