t
Cover by August DeWinkler
Coconut Grove History Introduction by August DeWinkler It is often said what is important in life is the journey and not the destination; however among the first trails in any place or time we find places of observation or the place where one path crosses another. It is these places that become our destinations along the way. They are the places where a scenic overlook from a ridge becomes a suitable and tranquil place for observation or to camp. They are the places at the base of mountains where rest is needed for the next day’s journey into the unknown. They are the places at the edge of a bay where a different mode of transportation will take place. Most importantly these are the places where multiple paths collect into one and disperse into others; for these are the places that become our place to be.
One such place has evolved over time since natives crossed paths with each other and when explorers crossed paths with the natives. One such place has natural overlooks into the bay to seek out and signal those that are coming from a far. One such place has become a place to anchor and stay for a while. One such place has become a center point for fishermen and business men, for explorers and authors, for the noble and the clergy. One such place has become a place for research and to study our natural surroundings, to teach and to practice the arts. This one such place is named for the abundance of palm trees that exist in harmony and in relation to each other. For it is this one place that many can call it their home, and visitors alike will seem to never forget a place that happened along their way, hence we have the place for which is named Coconut Grove. URP4403 – Sustainable Cities - Mitsova
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Coconut Grove History
Table of Contents Cover and Introduction by August DeWinkler .................................................................................. 1
Early Coconut Grove Juan Ponce de Leon and his fateful dance with the Calusa by Anthony Matonti ............................... 3 Andrew Jackson vs. the Seminole by Anthony Matonti .................................................................... 4 Dr. Porter and “Cocoanut Grove” by Anthony Matonti ..................................................................... 5 “Jolly Jack” Peacock and Jack’s Bight by Anthony Matonti ................................................................ 5 Ralph Munroe and the Barnacle by Anthony Matonti ...................................................................... 6
20th Century Coconut Grove James Deering and Vizcaya by August DeWinkler ............................................................................. 7 Kampong by Anthony Matonti ......................................................................................................... 8 “The Grandmother of the Glades” by Anthony Matonti edited by August DeWinkler ...................... 9 50’s and 60’s by August DeWinkler ................................................................................................ 10
21st Century Coconut Grove Modern Day Coconut Grove by Olga Garcia ................................................................................... 11 Demographic Information by Olga Garcia ...................................................................................... 11 Economic Information by Olga Garcia ............................................................................................ 12 Land Use by Olga Garcia ................................................................................................................ 12 Transportation by Olga Garcia ....................................................................................................... 14
Closing Remarks in the Presence of Time by August DeWinkler ................................................................................ 15 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 16
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Early Coconut Grove Juan Ponce de Leon and his fateful dance with the Calusa by Anthony Matonti Reigning well before Columbus sailed across the Atlantic in 1492, the Calusa Indians of southern Florida were a fierce, war-like tribe of over 50,000 people who were responsible for the death of Ponce de Leon. They controlled much of the southwest coast, along with being masters of the waterway and everglades.1 A smaller, less influential, yet more peaceful tribe of roughly 800 were able to coexist during this time with the Calusa, and settled along Biscayne Bay in present day Miami; they came to be known as the Tequesta. These original inhabitants of Coconut Grove built their settlements mainly along the Miami River, with the chief living at the mouth. 2 The first Spanish conquistadors began to arrive in present day St. Augustine in March of 1513. Ponce de Leon claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, or “place of flowers”.3 Continuing his exploration by heading south, he eventually was met by the Tequesta in Miami, and eventually won their friendship with gifts of colored cloth, knives and rum.2 Ponce de Leon had heard legends from the natives about a Fountain of Youth, and one can only imagine Ponce de Leon and his men were inclined to make friends with the Indians in exchange for knowledge. This same hospitality granted by the Tequesta was not displayed by the Calusa. In 1521, after already having deadly run-ins with the Calusa, Ponce de Leon decided to make camp for 200 settlers along the Gulf Bay. Living up to their fierce reputation, the Calusa attacked the Spanish settlers and inflicted Ponce de Leon with a severe leg wound that would eventually result in his death.3 The irony is that Ponce de Leon’s fascination and curiosity for the Native American tale of the Fountain of Youth would eventually lead him to his death at the hands of the Calusa tribe. Akin to the space race between the United States and Russia during the 1960’s, France and Spain began an offensive to see who could claim the magnificent peninsula, la Florida. Though constant fighting amongst the Indians and the Europeans led to declines in populations, it was the weapon of disease that would lead to the demise of both the Tequesta and Calusa.
1
The Calusa: “The Shell Indians”. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. 2 The Tequesta of Biscayne Bay. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. 3 Ponce de Leon: Florida First Spanish Explorer. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002.
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Early Coconut Grove Andrew Jackson vs. the Seminole by Anthony Matonti Spain turned over Florida to the British following 1763 and the few surviving Calusa were said to have taken off for Cuba. By the 1800’s the Tequesta had only a few survivors.2 The expansion of the United States during this time was pushing the natives out of their homelands in the north and forcing them into other locations to the west and south. A band of runaway Indians from many different tribes would join together in Florida to form the Seminoles. 4 While America defended its freedom from the British during the War of 1812, the Seminole had coexisted with runaway African-American slaves and were trading weapons with the British during the early 1800’s along with supplying them during the War of 1812. After winning the war, frustration with the runaway slave and Seminoles led to the United States sending in Andrew Jackson and 3,000 men in 1817. In what would be named the First Seminole War, Andrew Jackson led a ferocious offensive against the Indians. Successful in his attacks on Seminole villages, Jackson continued with his campaign and captured Spanish forts along the coast. This would lead to the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 which gave Florida to the United States by nullifying a $5 million dollar debt Spain owed. Andrew Jackson set up the Florida government within a few weeks and divided the territory along the north-south meridian into two counties – Escambia County (West Florida) and St. Johns County (East Florida). The Seminoles were given the four million acres south of presentday Ocala in the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, but in 1829, Jackson was attempting to use his new Presidential powers to pass the Indian Removal Act and clear the Seminole out of Florida all together. Osceola, a young warrior, led surprise attacks on the Americans. His first battle was known as the Dade Massacre; hundreds of soldiers were killed in Major Dade’s Army platoon. Eventually the Americans were much too powerful for the Seminole and the Second Seminole War officially ended August 14, 1842; a time when most of the tribe had been killed or relocated out west.4
4
The Seminole Wars. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002.
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Early Coconut Grove Dr. Porter and “Cocoanut Grove” by Anthony Matonti The Beasley’s were also a homestead family with over 160 acres of land in Cocoanut Grove. After Edmond D. Beasley passed, his widow rented out the bay front property to Dr. Horace P. Porter. Though Porter did not reside in Cocoanut Grove for more than a year, he did leave his impression that still stands today. While living at the Beasley’s home he established the first Post Office and named it Cocoanut Grove.6 This ocean side outpost with a broken lighthouse and a few families now had a name. Soon, key patriarchs that were changing the way the world communicated, conducted business, traveled, and interacted with nature would be converging on Cocoanut Grove.
“Jolly Jack” Peacock and Jack’s Bight by Anthony Matonti
John Thomas “Jolly Jack” Peacock had such a profound effect on Coconut Grove that his presence
still
resonates
throughout
the
community today. He was an Englishman who was homesteaded 160 acres adjacent Biscayne Bay in 1863.5 In 1882 Jolly Jack opened the first hotel in Coconut Grove, then known as the Bay View Villa – later renamed the Peacock Inn. In order to construct the hotel, Peacock imported black Bahamian workers who established the first black community in Coconut Grove along the western edge of town. Charles Avenue, once known as Evangelist Street, was the hub of the regions earliest black community. 6 The area we know today as Coconut Grove was referred to during this time as Jack’s Bight; a bight is the land beside a bend in the shore.7 The Peacock Inn was located close to the Barnacle, and directly on the bend of the tip of Florida. Peacock and his hotel soon became a frequented vacation spot for the noble and wealthy. He had not only successfully opened a profitable hotel but was now also showcasing Coconut Grove to his wealthy guest. Ralph Monroe, a New York born entrepreneur, and James Deering would soon build their own historic Coconut Grove residences. 5
Morris, Allen. Florida Palce Names. Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Fl. 1995. South Florida’s Black history “The Black Grove”. National Weekly. February 2, 2012. 7 Morris, Allen. Florida Palce Names. Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Fl. 1995. 6
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Early Coconut Grove Ralph Munroe and the Barnacle by Anthony Matonti During the construction of the Bay View Villa, Peacock had help from his good friend Ralph Monroe. Monroe came from wealth; his grandfather, William, had designed and manufactured the first lead pencil. Like many of Coconut Grove’s earliest settlers, Monroe had a relationship with the land. He was educated and came to love the work of conservationists Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson as a young man.8 Monroe had sailed to Key West with a relative in 1877 and was impressed with the Biscayne Bay community springing up around the Miami River, the climate, subtropical landscape, and friendly people he encountered. He would return in 1881, only to lose his wife and infant daughter in the same year. He buried his wife in Coconut Grove and decided to build a winter home close to her grave. He purchased 40 acres of bay front property, and completed his house by 1891.8 Monroe built the house out of Dade County pine and salvaged wood from ships. It would become known as the Barnacle, much to do with Monroe’s love of sailing. He had made a living on designing yachts and served as Commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club for 22 years starting in 1887. Boats were the primary means of transportation in Coconut Grove during that time, and the yacht club held a high place of prominence in the community.8 The Barnacle was originally one story, but was later elevated to add another story below the original. Today it is the oldest home that has remained in its original location in Dade County. The Barnacle has withstood the disastrous 1926 hurricane along with Hurricane Andrew in 1992; it is a testament to Monroe’s knowledge of the environment and building techniques used.8 After re-marrying in 1895, Monroe would establish a new family in Coconut Grove and “remained an active leader of the Coconut Grove community, successfully fighting developers who proposed to build artificial islands offshore and engineers who proposed piping raw sewage into the Bay”.8 It was Ralph’s brother Kirk who more formally named the city. Dropping the ‘a’ from Dr. Horace P. Porter’s post office, the town was incorporated as Coconut Grove in 1922. He was an avid and persuasive judicial fiction writer, and argued that the coconut palm had no relation to the cocoa plant. 7 In 1925 Coconut Grove was annexed by its neighbor, the City of Miami.
8
Clement, Gail. Everglades Biographies: Ralph Middleton Monroe. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012.
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20th Century Coconut Grove James Deering and Vizcaya by August DeWinkler Vizcaya was the winter home for James Deering, a northerner of Chicago, who frequently came to Florida to escape the harsh winters in the North.
He and his brother were partners of
International Harvester, a farm equipment company.9 When he decided to build his private retreat in Coconut Grove he was fascinated by the ancient castles in Europe so he decided to build as if it was already there from 400 years before. Construction began around 1912 and since this was during South Florida’s Real Estate boom, the project had to recruit works from the Miami Beach Development Company under the direction of Charles Fischer and my grandfather, August DeWinkler Senior. It took one thousand workers to build the mansion which at time was ten percent of the population. The house features a collection of antiques and artwork from across Europe. Deering and his project manager for the house traveled extensively throughout Europe to acquire most of the furnishings. Although some items replicated in south Florida and some
of
the
first
furnished
reproductions were built. Deering moved into the mansion in 1916 but sadly died in 1925 thus occupying his dream home for only eighteen years.
9
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Website. http://www.vizcaya.org/learn-history.asp Accessed June 4, 2012.
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20th Century Coconut Grove Kampong by Anthony Matonti Another one of Jack Peacocks Coconut Grove properties would take its place in Coconut Grove history. David Fairchild bought the property in 1916. Originally sold by Peacock in 1882 to J.W. Ewan, it was also owned by Cpt. Albion and Dr. Eleanor Simmons, and French Count Florence Baldwin Nugent before Fairchild purchased the property.10 Located at 4013 Douglas Road, the Kampong (meaning “cluster of homes” in Malay) became the permanent home of David Fairchild and his wife, Marian Hubbard Bell. She was the daughter of Alexander Graham Bell.11 The fact that David Fairchild was married to Bell was no coincidence, but rather a testament to his expertise in the field of botany and exploration. He was a young man with great ambition and, like many of the influential ‘Grovites’ of his time, a nature enthusiast. Fairchild had been a member of the United States Department of Agriculture, and helped organize the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. Attempting to improve the diets of Americans and introduce foreign species of plants, Fairchild traveled the world in search of plants that would have economic and aesthetic value. After constructing a two-story residence on the Kampong property in 1929, Fairchild began to transform the property into what it is today – one of only five existing Botanical Gardens; the other four are in Hawaii. While living in Coconut Grove, Fairchild continued to travel around the world in search of new species of plants and began planting many of them all over the Kampong property. In all, David Fairchild was responsible for introducing over 70,000 new plant species to the United States; the soy bean being one of the most popular. It was at the Kampong where meetings were held amongst Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Henry Firestone and David Fairchild. It was during these meetings in where the groundwork for the Everglades National Park was laid down, and Fairchild would become the first president of the Tropical Everglades Park Association in 1929.10 One of the most influential women authors of the 20th century was also attending these meetings at the Kampong during this time – Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
10
The Kampong: History. National Tropical Botanical Garden. 2012. Accessed June 4, 2012. http://ntbg.org/gardens/kampong-history.php 11 Clement, Gail. Everglades Biographies: David Grandison Fairchild. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012.
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20th Century Coconut Grove “The Grandmother of the Glades” by Anthony Matonti edited by August DeWinkler Marjory Stoneman Douglas was born in 1890 and died in 1998, and with those 108 years she used Coconut Grove and the Everglades to make a lasting impact on the entire world. She was an environmental, female and human right activist who got her start in Miami working for her editor father’s newspaper, the Miami Herald. It was in 1915 when she first arrived in Miami and she had this to write about the location and people, “the houses are not impressive and the town was not impressive, but the people were impressive. Many of them were adventurers who’d worked in South America or Europe and like Miami’s position on the map, liked the tropic climate and proximity to the sea.”12 It was in 1922 when David Fairchild solicited Douglas to write a pamphlet advocating a proposed tropical botanical garden on his Kampong property. An Argument for the establishment of a Tropical Botanical Garden in South Florida made Douglas a quick sensation in the literary world and an influential leader/activist in environmental circles.(10a) She wished to protect Florida’s natural beauty and systems from commercial development. In an effort to save the Everglades from the ever increasing human footprint across South Florida, she began researching the swampy wilderness so close to her Coconut Grove home on Stewart Street.13 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shelved her writing career in the late 1960’s when she began to find it hard to read or make out her own writing. Though her body was aging, her mind remained sharp and eloquent, one of someone who had lived many lives. She turned her efforts fulltime to environmental protection until her death in 1998, but not before the State had passed the “everglades Protection Act”, better known as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Law”, in 1991. Today the City of Miami commemorates November 30th as “Marjory Stoneman Douglas Day”.11
12
Smith, Suzanne. Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. Yorkin Publications. Waterford, Ct. 1999. 13 Vogel, Ruthanne. Everglades Biographies: Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012.
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20th Century Coconut Grove 50’s and 60’s by August DeWinkler After the Art Deco boom from Miami Beach and once America began to recover from the great depression. Coconut Grove became the place to hang out, the local place to come to especially to find gifts and artwork from the many artisans who made Coconut Grove their home. This trendy lifestyle correlated to the happenings in San Francisco which was the dawn of selfdiscovery through lifestyle changes. Coconut Grove became the “Grove” a place to celebrate life, the ambition of a new approach to life through environmental activism and especially a place to celebrate the arts. It was a common place to find street artists playing guitars and singing, jugglers and mime artists dazzled audiences. This was a place where people could live that was out of the norm of the mainstream city lifestyles. There was a tasteful blend of night life from the Grove Cinema to the Grove Playhouse to gay bars and restaurants for the very wealth and for the poor. It was a place to mingle and to be one with each14. Since Coconut Grove was situated next to the bay, many boat owners anchored or docked there and many
homes
had
their
own
pleasure craft to play in Biscayne Bay. When a barge got stuck in the shallows of Biscayne Bay it became a place to go to and gamble, soon with the building of weekend getaways the residents of Coconut Grove created Stiltsville, a collection of retreats built with pilings in the water. Like Coconut, these became the dwellings of the rich and the poor, a comingle of lifestyle as it carried into other parts of the surrounding neighborhoods.
14
Patricios, Nicholas. Building Marvelous Miami. University Press. Gainesville, Florida. 1994
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21st Century Coconut Grove Modern Day Coconut Grove by Olga Garcia Coconut Grove is a neighborhood within the boundaries of the City of Miami and comprises approximately 5.6 square miles. The small neighborhood consists of sub-district neighborhoods
known as Center Grove, Northeast Coconut Grove, Southwest Coconut Grove, West Grove also known as Black Grove. With its rich history dating back to 1825, Coconut Grove’s many facets of today’s existence have had much to do with factors that occurred in the past. The factors that will be mentioned throughout this document such as its demographics, economic patterns, land use patterns, as well as the transportation patterns of the neighborhood will be discussed.
Demographic Information by Olga Garcia As for the demographics of the Coconut Grove neighborhood, the area is comprised of a total population of approximately 20,076. This information was gathered from the 2010 US Census Bureau from seven different tracts (Tracts 68.01, 68.02, 71.01, 71.03, 71.04, 72, and 73) that make up the Coconut Grove neighborhood. Northeast Grove’s racial makeup is comprised of a predominantly white population at 61 percent, while Southwest Grove’s racial makeup on the other hand is comprised of a predominantly black or African-American population at 48 percent. The West Grove sub-district has a higher concentration of “Afro-Caribbean” population.
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21st Century Coconut Grove Economic Information by Olga Garcia The median household income of the Northeast Grove and Southwest Grove’s is approximately $63,617 according to the US Census Bureau.
Land Use by Olga Garcia Of the most interesting facets of the Coconut Grove neighborhood are the land uses that have existed in the area over the decades. Currently, the Miami 21 Zoning designations guide development throughout the City of Miami and specifically the Coconut Grove neighborhood and its sub-districts. Of the most noticeable changes that have occurred in the area are the overlay districts that exist. As specified on the City of Miami’s website, there are changes that are significant such as Grand Avenue’s Vision Plan. Below is one of the first maps of the Coconut Grove Bahamian neighborhood.
Of several studies done for the area, it was determined by the City that there were two significant incompatible land uses along the grove area, and that was (O) Office District and (R2) Two-Family Districts. These districts are now overlain by districts known as the Urban Center Zone with areas such as the NCD-2, NCD-3, T5-O, T5-L and Civic Space Zones (formerly Open Space/Recreation). URP4403 – Sustainable Cities - Mitsova
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21st Century Coconut Grove
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21st Century Coconut Grove Transportation by Olga Garcia Transportation within the neighborhood is served by the Metro Rail and Metro Bus services of Miami Dade County’s Transit System. Miami Dade Metro services run through Vizcaya at SW 32nd Road and US-1, Coconut Grove at SW 27th Avenue and US-1, and through Douglas Road at SW 37th Avenue and US-1. As it reads on the Grand Avenue Vision Plan, below is a proposed transit circulator plan for the Coconut Grove Neighborhood: “A ‘Circulator’, in the form of an open-air trolley or jitney, is currently under study as a mode of public transportation within Coconut Grove, making various stops along a proposed route between the 37th Avenue and 27th Avenue Metrorail stations. Two stops are anticipated on Grand Avenue, at Douglas Road and Elizabeth Street next to the existing mini-park. Appropriate furnishings for such stops should be considered in the avenue’s overall streetscape design. The plan above also suggests a potential site for a future parking garage at the existing Rolle Neighborhood Center on Douglas Road. Such a garage could accommodate visitors to the West Grove, who could park there and either walk or take the Circulator to Grand Avenue.
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Coconut Grove History Closing Remarks by August DeWinkler History in Florida sometimes appears to be bleak since most of the metropolitan areas are only a few decades to a half century old. But what are the measurements of time and sequencing of events? These are the factors that when brought together provide Floridians with an actual rich and vibrant experience of historical events. In the presence of time, the most observed are our natural elements such as the everglades or the river of grass as Marjorie Stoneman Douglas portrayed the vast area. Or the silver bluff ridge that abuts Biscayne Bay of Coconut Grove. Then there are the chain of islands that stretch from Key Largo to Key Biscayne of which the southern tip is a State Park.
Dotted among these areas are ruins from Indian Villages to Settler
Structures, Lighthouses and Forts.
It seems at the intersection of all these places we have the community of Coconut Grove.
Centered on historical events both natural in the making along with
contributions of the human race. It is all these components that makes Coconut Grove the unique place that it is. But its uniqueness could be a downfall if not managed with and by historical preservation, detainment of the arts, heritage of culture, and everlasting sustainability.
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Coconut Grove History Bibliography
The Calusa: “The Shell Indians”. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. Clement, Gail. Everglades Biographies: David Grandison Fairchild. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012. Clement, Gail. Everglades Biographies: Ralph Middleton Monroe. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012. The Kampong: History. National Tropical Botanical Garden. 2012. Accessed June 4, 2012. http://ntbg.org/gardens/kampong-history.php Love, Dean. Lighthouses of the Florida Keys. Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Fl. 1998. Morris, Allen. Florida Palce Names. Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Fl. 1995. Patricios, Nicholas. Building Marvelous Miami. University Press, Gainesville, Florida. 1994 Ponce de Leon: Florida First Spanish Explorer. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. The Seminole Wars. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. Smith, Suzanne. Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. Yorkin Publications. Waterford, Ct. 1999. South Florida’s Black history “The Black Grove”. National Weekly. February 2, 2012. The Tequesta of Biscayne Bay. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, South Florida University. 2002. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Website. Accessed June 4, 2012. Vogel, Ruthanne. Everglades Biographies: Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Everglades Digital Library. Florida International University. Accessed June 5, 2012.
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