Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Dr. James M. Jackson moved with his wife Edith to Miami in 1896 and became the city’s first resident physician. In 1899 they built a home on land purchased from the “Mother of Miami,” Julia Tuttle. Dr. Jackson built this one-story frame building directly behind the house in 1905. It served as his office and surgery suite until it was sold in 1916 and moved by land and barge to this location. The building's wide porches, supported by Doric columns, exemplify the adaptation of the Neo-Classical style to Miami's climate. As the leader of Miami's early medical community, Dr. Jackson was the official physician for Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad, helped found the Dade County Medical Association, served as the president of the Florida Medical Association, and led a number of community and professional organizations. Upon his death in April 1924, the Miami City Hospital was renamed in his honor. Jackson’s office was restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The building is the headquarters of the Dade Heritage Trust, Miami's largest historic preservation organization, whose mission is to preserve the community's architectural, environmental, and cultural heritage.