HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit AWOOD FRAME VERNACULAR
RESIDENCES OF COCONUT GROVE
VILLAGE WEST
MULTIPLE PROPERTY DESIGNATION
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board
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REPORT OF THE CITY OF MIAMI PRESERVATION OFFICER,
WARREN ADAMS,
TO THE HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION BOARD
ON THE FINAL DESIGNATION OF
WOOD FRAME VERNACULAR RESIDENCES
IN COCONUT GROVE VILLAGE WEST
AS A MULTIPLE PROPERTY DESIGNATION
Prepared By: Vickie Toranzo
Historic Preservation Planner
Warren Adams
Preservation Officer
Reviewed By: Wendy Sczechowicz
Historic Preservation Planner
Submitted: June 18, 2018
Passed and Adopted On:
Resolution Number:
2
Contents
I.
General Information...............................................................................
4
II.
Statement Of Significance.......................................................................
5
III.
Description............................................................................................16
IV.
Application of Criteria............................................................................
19
V.
Planning Context...................................................................................
20
VI.
Bibliography...........................................................................................21
VII.
Photographs..........................................................................................24
VIII.
List of Properties......................................................................................25
IX.
Map......................................................................................................27
3
I- General Information
Historic Names: Kebo, West Coconut Grove, West Grove, Village West
Architectural Period of Significance: 1911-1941
Location:
Present Owner:
Present use:
Zoning:
Fn1in Nn --
Coconut Grove
Multiple Owners
Residential
Various
See attached list.
Boundary:
Percival to the north, Mac Donald Street and Main Highway to the east, Jefferson Street
to the west, and Marler Avenue to the south.
4
II- Statement of Significance
Coconut Grove Village West is one of the longest continuous communities within the
City of Miami. Many of its residents are descendants of the area's Bahamian
pioneering families and Southern African Americans, both of which came to Miami in
search of employment opportunities. Working as domestics, laborers, chauffeurs, farm
workers, tour guides, construction workers, and more, they served as the backbone in
the development of Coconut Grove, the greater Miami area, and Coral Gables. They
resided in the wood frame vernacular residences that are part of this designation. As
such, these buildings are significant as they are associated with a community that has
existed for 140 years.
In his publication, Black Immigrants: Bahamians in early twentieth-century Miami,
historian Raymond A. Mohl states, "Unlike the rest of the British West Indies, plantation
agriculture was never very successful or profitable in the Bahamas. Only about two per
cent of the total Bahamian land area of about 4,000 square miles was considered
suitable for crops. Most nineteenth century' Bahamians earned a livelihood from the sea
or from subsistence agriculture. By the 1830s, black and white Bahamians were
beginning to migrate to the Florida Keys, especially Key West, where they worked in
fishing, sponging, and turtling. The distance was short, and jobs in Florida paid cash
wages. Facing meager economic prospects at home, free Bahamian blacks found
better employment opportunities in Key West."'
One of the earliest Bahamian s to come to Miami was Mariah Brown. Born in Eleuthera,
Bahamas, she migrated to Key West during the 1880s. Sometime between 1885 and
1890 she relocated to Coconut Grove where she was hired by Charles Peacock to work
at the Peacock Inn.2 According to Miami historian Dr. Paul George, she informed her
husband, Ernest, of the job opportunities available. Shortly thereafter, he ventured to
Coconut Grove. Seeking employment opportunities, other Bahamian s followed.3
Mariah Brown and the other Bahamian settlers purchased parcels of land from
homesteader Joseph Frow for $50 a parcel. Within walking distance of the Peacock
Inn, a settlement known as Kebo was established along what is known today as Charles
Avenue.4 According to Miami historian, Arva Parks Moore, Kirk Munroe named the
developing community Kebo.5 The name Kebo was derived from the highest peak of
Mt. Kilimanjaro.6 Parks Moore further explains, members of the Kebo community would
have daytime baptisms in front of the Barnacle. Further, she argues, despite
I Mohl, R.A. (2009). Black immigrants: Bahamians in the early twentieth-century Miami. Tequesta, volume 1, (number 69).
Retrieved from http://dpanther.diu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/Fl18050900/00069, p. 8
2 Day, J. S., & Eaton, S.E. (1995). Report of the City of Miami Preservation Officer to the Historic and Environmental
Preservation Board on the Designation of the Mariah Brown House as a Historic Site. Miami, FL: City of Miami Plannign
Deaprtment. p.5
3 Miccosukee Magazine. (2002) Episode 352. History of Coconut Grove by Dr. Paul George. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIDPEYpA4UQ
4 Day, J.S., & Eaton, S.E. p. 5.
5 Parks Moore, Arva. (2010). Mary Barr Munroe, 1852-1922: South Florida's pioneer zealot. In L. E. Rivers & C. Brown Jr.
(Eds.), The varieties of women's experiences: Portraits of southern women in the post -civil war century. Gainesville, FL:
University Press of Florida.
6 Miccosukee Magazine.
segregation, the founding pioneers of the white and black communities had a close
relationship.?
Another pioneer who contributed to the development of the community was Ebenezer
Woodbury Franklin Stirrup (E.W.F. Stirrup). The pioneer migrated to South Florida in 1888,
and moved to Coconut Grove in 1899, where he constructed his family home and
upwards of 100 small wooden framed houses, which he made available for purchase to
the newly arriving Bahamian s. Some of these structures remain and are included as
part of this designation.8
Unlike Mariah Brown and E.W.F. Stirrup, Alice Burrows inherited the land on which her
house was built. Little is known about the pioneer, except that she was a laundress and
a close friend of Mary Burr Munroe, who upon her death bequeathed a parcel of land
on which Burrows had been residing. According to an article in the Miami News,
Munroe's will stated that if her husband, Kirk Munroe, not have survived her, Burrows was
to inherit half of her estate.9
The arrival of Bahamian s was crucial to the development of Coconut Grove, Coral
Gables, and Miami. George E. Merrick, founder of the City of Coral Gables, former
President of the Historical Association of Southern Florida, and one of the founders of
the University of Miami wrote in 1941: "Through the 7O's, 8O's, and right through the
189O's, they were practically the only available workers, the Georgia Negroes did not
come in any volume until after 1900, after the coming of the railroad. In this West Indian
period all of our heavy laborers were Bahaman Negroes. I believe these Bahaman
Negroes had a most distinct and important influence, in that they brought inspiration to
many of the first English, French, Northern and Southern planters; to all of those early
settlers who at first were skeptical of the coral -rocky country, forbidding and desolate
from the planting standpoint. In the Bahamas there is the same coral rock; and the
Bahaman Negroes knew how to plant on it; and how to use it: and they knew too that
all kinds of tropical trees would grow and thrive on this rock. They, too, had a vital
influence upon our civilization in bringing in their own commonly used trees, vegetables
and fruits. Soon these supplemented all those that had been brought in by the
Bahaman whites - the sea -living Conchs. Such things were introduced as the pigeon
pea, soursop, star -apple, sugar -apple, Jamaica apples, and all the anons - caneps,
sapotes, and dillies. These fruits can still be found in best profusion in the Bahaman
colored village in Coconut Grove (which was first called Monrovia, and which was the
first Bahaman Negro settlement on the Bay) and also in their villages at old Lemon City,
Cutler, and Perrine. These Negroes had built their homes in their own island of the coral -
rock, and they brought here their skill in masonry building. Today, some of the oldest
buildings in Coconut Grove and old Cutler are of the same construction which has
been in use for one hundred and fifty years in the Bahamas. Built without cement
with only the native lime mortar, these houses have withstood the countless
hurricanes of the Bahamas! This knowledge of building with the native coral
7 Parks, Arva Moore. (2010). Coconut Grove (Images of America). Charleston, SC: Arcadia. p. 31
"Eaton, S.E and Uguccioni, E. J. (2044). Report of the City of Miami Preservation Officer to the Historic and Environmental
Preservation Board on the Designation of the E.W.F. Stirrup House as a Historic Site. Miami, FL: City of Miami.
9 Unknown. (1922, November). Relatives are well remembered in will Mrs. Mary C. Munroe. The Miami News. P. 14
ri
limestone came with Bahaman Negroes, as did so much other valuable
knowledge and experience in the building of walls, roads, other uses of the
coral; and uses of the land, and of the sea."10
In her autobiography, native and longtime resident of Coconut Grove Village West,
Thelma Gibson states, "Much of the vegetation was planted by the hands of the
Colored men who brought so much of it from the Bahamas. The palm and coconut
trees were natural. The flowers, such as the hibiscus, bougainvillea, crotons and roses,
were prolific in the Bahamas."11
Another Bahamian valuable contribution to South Florida was architecture in the form
of wood frame vernacular homes. The function of the homes was to give shelter as all
activities were conducted outdoors which allowed for close interaction within the
community; Esther Mae Armbrister said: "When people were married once upon a time,
they would march. One woman lived on William Avenue and she marched in her
wedding gown from her house all the way around Hibiscus with her wedding party.
They used to walk in the streets from their house to the church or wherever it was they
were going to get married. They walked the streets with someone holding their gown.
You would look out the window and see the whole wedding party go by. One time two
sisters got married - they lived down on Charles Avenue - and they walked from across
the street to their house and got married on the front porch. The street was blocked off.
Then they had a party, and all the food you would want."
This behavior can be explained by the cultural tradition inherited by their ancestral West
Africans; Denise Andrews says on her essay (The Bahamian Influence on the South
Florida Shotgun House): "The history of African people suggests that members of a
community were families, or clans - a single lineage. The communities basically were
composed of one head of household and the extended family members of the
household -which could be hundreds of people. Compounds were created so that
families could live together communally. Traditionally there was no concept of privacy
or single mindedness as we know today. Family and family life was central, intimate and
communal."12
As the community known as Kebo expanded, Southern African Americans migrated to
the area in search of employment. According to Dr. Marvin Dunn, there was friction
between the newly arriving African Americans from Georgia and the Bahamian
community.13 In the film The Black Miami, Arva Parks Moore, local Miami native historian,
explains that while they shared a common history in slavery, the Bahamian s and
10 Merrick, G.E., (1941). Pre-Flagler influences on the lower Florida east coast. Tequesta, volume one, (number one). p.5.
11 Gibson, T. A. (2000). Forbearance: The life story of Thelma Vernell Anderson Gibson, a Cocoanut Grove Native.
Homestead, FL: Helena Enterprises, Incorporated. p 35.
12 Andrews, D. (n.d.) The Bahamian influence on the South Florida shotgun house. Retrieved from
http://www.kislakfoundation.org/millennium-exhibit/andrewsl.htm
13 Williams, M. (Producer & Director), & Smith, C. (Producter & Director). (2014). The Black Miami. [Motion picture]. United
States: Sundicado.
African Americans from the South didn't relate because slavery had been abolished
earlier in the BahamaS14, which abolished slavery in 183415, while the United States
abolished slavery 30 years later in 1865.
When discussing what she refers to as the Southern Migration, Dr. Joanne Hyppolite,
former chief curator of HistoryMiami and current curator at the National Museum of
African American History Culture, explained that, just like the Bahamian s, African
Americans from Alabama and Georgia came to Miami in search of employment. They
worked building streets, on people's homes, the railroad, and on farmland.16 Despite
their initial friction, the Southern African Americans lived and married within the
settlement that had established itself along Evangelist Street, which today is known as
Charles Avenue.
"Citing that it was too difficult to bring in supplies or truck their crops over the existing
footpath they asked for a road. When the request was denied, they gathered loose
coral -rock, loaded their wagons one moonlit night and dumped the rock where they
thought the road should be."17 Evangelist Street was officially born, and soon the little
village would thrive.
"Town officials relented and soon the road was extended to where Hibiscus Street
intersects today. Charles Avenue is narrow and out of line, especially when viewed from
its entrance on Main Highway, because it was laid out by homesteaders and not
surveyors." 18
Soon Charles Avenue became the spine of the community, Esther Mae Armbrister,
remembered as interviewed by William Labbee in 1991: "Back then they called Charles
Avenue by the name Evangelist Street, until they named it in the late Twenties after an
early settler called Charles Frow. But this street was it. It was the main drag. It was the
hopping place to be, William Avenue to the north was a back street, nothing but a cow
path for years and years. Both Charles and Franklin, the next one over to the south,
were rocky, rocky, rocky, nothing but crushed rock - they used to call Franklin Rocky
Road, when I came here; they had eventually gotten `round to tarring them." 19
She further recalled, "All the business, everything was right here on Charles Avenue. Old
Man Joe Major had a bicycle shop. Old Man Stirrup had a grocery store. There was a
soda shop and ice cream parlor. And then they had a Cleaner's, belonged to Old Man
Summons. He died last year; I didn't even know it. Father Culmer had a pressing club -
14 Ibid.
15 The National Archives. (n.d.) Abolition of slavery. Retrieved from
http://www.nationclarchives.gov.uk/slavery/about.htm
16 Williams, M. & Smith, C.
17 Cave, Donald H. "Grove's Charles Avenue." Miami News. January 5, 1971, Sec. A. 16
18 ibid.
19 Labbee, W. (1991). Black Grove feature. Miami New Times. Retrieved
from http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/black-grove-feature-6365177
a cleaner's - before he was a priest. He also was an organist at Christ Episcopal Church.
After he got married and moved to Overtown and he became a priest at St. Agnes."20
Evangelist Street received its name due to the multiple churches that were established
along its path. Formerly known as, St. Agnes Baptist Church, it is the oldest congregation
in South Florida. It was founded in 1891 as the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church,
and held services at the Union Chapel. In 1895 Jean D' Hedouville gave the members
of the Fifty -Six Baptist Church a tract of land on Thomas Avenue to build their church,
named St. Agnes. In 1903 the church relocated to Charles Avenue. In 1948, the
congregation moved its current location at 3515 Douglas Road. 21
Christ Episcopal Church was founded by the Bahamian settlers of Coconut Grove on
March 24, 190122. The original church building was constructed on the corner of Hibiscus
Street and William Avenue. In 1910 the neighboring lot was bought and the church was
moved to its current location23. The original church building was converted into a Sunday
school building. In 1911, St. Alban's Industrial School moved from Key West to the building
that housed the Sunday school. The school held classes for the children of the new
Bahamian community. St. Alban's provided an education nine months of the year in
"...academia, music, Bible study, as well as training in the trades, such as home
economics, needlework, and furniture repair."24 The current church, located at 3481
Hibiscus Street, was designated by the City of Miami as a Historic Site in 2011.
On April 27, 1896, Reverend Jeremiah H. Butler, along with approximately twelve other
members, whom had withdrawn their membership from St. Agnes Church due to cultural
differences, founded Greater St. Paul A.M.E. Church. Members of the church included
Pastor Butler, Brothers J.P. Brookins and Walter Burrows, Murray Burrows, J.W. Gibson,
William Counts Blackshear, James W. Williams, and Theodore McCloud. According to
their website, the same year the church established what would become known as the
a first black school, Dade County Training School.25 In 2011 it served 3,000 community
residents. When the Church was founded in 1896, it served 300 community residents.26
Founded in 1916 by Bahamian settlers, St. James Baptist Church of Coconut Gove was
established during the peak of the Ku Klux Klan era. Originally called Second Baptist
Church, but was changed to St. James Missionary Baptist Church by Reverend Samuel
Higgs. The brick building they constructed in 1926 was destroyed by the hurricane that
20 Ibid.
21 Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. (2015). About Us. Retrieved from
http://www.macedoniambcmiami.com/about-the-church
22 Christ Episcopal Church. "Who We Are" 2017. Retrieved from http://chrepch.org/?page id=24
23 Ibid.
24 Ibid.
25 Greater St. Paul A.M.E. (2007). GPS Church history. Retrieved from
http://www.greaterstpaulame.com/church_2_003.htm
26 Del Reigon, E. (2011, April 11). Greater Saint Paul AME celebrates 115 years of service. Miami Herald, Retrieved from
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coconut-grove/article l 937968.html
devastated Miami, but they would not be defeated and began construction of a new
building next year. But in 1935, the church was partially destroyed by another hurricane,
but just as before, the parishioners overcame.27
The multiplicity of churches indicates the role they played in the community. In an
interview with Roshan Nebrhrajani, Coconut Grove native Thelma Gibson states, "Most
of my activities also surrounded around the church, because most people were involved
with the church. We went to Sunday school activities"28 "Back in the day, the church is
where the majority of blacks went to find solace in a time of turmoil and injustice. It was
a place where neighbors met for fellowship and social gatherings; a place for Sunday
afternoon picnics and potluck dinners; where friendships were made and nurtured for
years."29
Today, descendants of the pioneering families continue to have reunions. In 2016, a
reunion was held in Miami. The family names for those in attendance included Barry,
Bethel, Cash, Cleare, Curry, Fisher, Grant, Higgs, Johnson, Major, Roberts, Saunders,
Sawyer, Stirrup, Sweeting, and Walker. According to the Miami Herald, there were
upwards of 90 cousins in attendance. They traveled from Harbour Island, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Orlando to be part
of the momentous event.30 These gatherings are a testament to the connectivity of the
pioneer families that are associated with the wood frame vernacular structures within
Coconut Grove Village West.
Using city directories and census data, the Preservation Office has identified that the
residents, whether renters or owners, were of Bahamian and Southern African American
origins and decent. While the criteria for designation of the wood frame vernacular
residences does not include their association with someone significant in the past, it is
important to point out how their residents contributed to the establishment of the
community and their contributions not only to the local community, but the greater
Miami area.
27 Hines, B. L. (2015, Dec ember2l). Neighbors in religion: Coconut Grove church readies for 100th anniversary celebration.
Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-
voices/article50943305.html
28 Nebhraiani, R. (2016, May 22.) Thelma Gibson looks back on 90 in West Grove. The New Tropic. Retrived from
https://thenewtropic.com/thelma-gibson/
29 Hines, B. L. (2015, December 21). Neighbors in religion: Coconut Grove church readies for 100th anniversary celebration.
Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-
voices/article50943305.html
30 Jenkins Fields, D. (2016, August 1 1). Descendants of families from Liberia hold Miami reunions. Miami Herald. Retrieved
from. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article95123427.html
10
Pictures:
3242 Charles Ave
Located on historic Charles Avenue, this two story wood frame home was the residence
of Ebenezer Woodbury Franklin Stirrup, his wife Charlotte Jane, their children, and
multiple generations thereafter. Stirrup migrated to South Florida in 1888, and moved to
Coconut Grove in 1899, where he constructed his family home and upwards of 100
houses for the newly arriving Bahamian s. A self-made millionaire, Stirrup died in 1957 at
the age of 84.31
31 Eaton, S.E and Uguccioni, E. J. (2004). Report of the City of Miami Preservation Officer to the Historic and Environmental
Preservation Board on the Designation of the E.W.F. Stirrup House as a Historic Site. Miami, FL: City of Miami Planning
Department
11
3250 Charles Ave
This was the home of Alice and Walter Burrows. Upon her death, Mary Burr
Munroe bequeathed the parcel of land on which Burrows had been residing.
According to an article in the Miami News, Munroe's will stated that if her
husband, Kirk Munroe, not have survived her, Burrows was to inherit half of her
estate.32
32 Unknown.
12
3447 William Ave
The community referred to the two-story residence as the "Bullard House." A review of
City Directories, United States Federal Census records, and Deeds, indicates the Bullard
Family lived in the home for multiple decades and owned it since its construction.
13
3587 Hibiscus Street
This home was built by the Sturrup family. One resident was Verneka Sturrup Silva who
was "the first African American in Miami to receive a Masters in Social Work, the first
African American to become a principle at Coral Gables Senior High, the first African
American to chair the Metro Dade Community Relation Board, and the first African
American woman to become the Diocese of Southeast Florida Standing Committee.
First Black female to be appointed Assistant Principal for Secondary Administration in
the Dade County Public School System."33
33 AT&T Miami -Dade County African-American History Calendar 2005/2006. (2005). Sturrup, Verneka Silva. Retrieved from
http://www.theblackarchives.org/archon/index.php?p=digitallibrory/digitalcontent&id=206
14
3517 Hibiscus Street
}p
Ilk
During the 1920s, William and Estelle Counts, founders of St. Paul AME Church, built their
family home. The home continues to be owned by the Counts family.
15
III- Description
Frame Vernacular, as defined by the City of Miami Preservation Office Historic Design
Guidelines, refers to a simple wood frame building, which is the product of the builder's
construction experience, available resources at the time, and the surrounding
environment. These structures are typically rectangular, of balloon frame construction,
and rest on piers. They are one or two stories in height, with one-story front porches, and
gabled or hipped roofs with overhanging eaves. Horizontal weatherboard and drop
siding are the most common exterior wall materials although there are also examples of
stucco exterior walls. Some early buildings feature vertical board and batten siding or
wood shingles, while asbestos shingles are common to post -1930s construction. Wood
double -hung sash windows are typical. Ornamentation is sparse, but may include
shingles, corner boards, porch columns, brackets, rafter tails, vents in the gable ends,
and oolitic limestone detailing.
A Shotgun House is a style of Wood Frame Vernacular Residence with particular design
characteristics. Shotguns are narrow rectangular one-story wood frame structures with
a front porch. Built on piers, they have gabled or hipped roofs and horizontal
weatherboard or drop siding. The front fagade normally contains a doorway on one
side and a window on the other. Wood double -hung sash windows are typical and
ornamentation consists of decorative woodwork on doors, porches, and under the
eaves34. Most are freestanding structures; however, there are examples of two Shotguns
joined together at the rear. Internally, they are typically one room wide with the rooms
placed back to back. These narrow structures can be accommodated on a small lot or
a half -lot.
The origin of Shotgun Houses has been much debated. Some scholars note similar forms
in the West Indies and trace them to early Haitian influences in New Orleans where they
became popular with freed slaves migrating to the south after the Civil War. Others
believe they are the one -room -deep, hall -and -parlor plan of the South turned sideways
to fit on narrow urban lots35. The Shotgun drew its name from its long rectangular shape
as supposedly a shotgun blast could travel through the building without hitting a wall.
The buildings included in the Multiple Property Designation are all wood frame
structures that contain the above elements to varying degrees. Some also include
features not mentioned above such as a chimney or dormer windows.
34 Weaver, P. L. (n.d.) Model guidelines for design Review: A guide for developing standards for historic rehabilitation in
Florida communities. Tallahassee, FL: State of Florida.
35 McAlester, V. S., & McAlester, L. (2002). A field guide to American houses. New York, NY: Knopf.
16
All of the structures surveyed for inclusion in the Multiple Property Designation have
been altered to some extent. These alterations range from minor works that do not
significantly affect the integrity or character of the structure to more extensive works
which may have some impact on a structure's character. Some examples of minor
exterior alterations include reroofing, the replacement of doors and windows, the
replacement of damaged siding with siding of a differing profile, the infilling of
foundations, the removal or addition of ornamentation, and the installation of shutters
and awnings. Properties that have been subjected to minor alterations have been
included in the Multiple Property Designation as the structures still retain their historic
character, design details, and much of their integrity.
One common alteration undertaken to a number of the properties surveyed is the
enclosure of the front porch. While this has some impact on the appearance of the
structures, this has been a common practice for many years and, when undertaken
correctly, this is an appropriate alteration which, in some cases, are historically and
culturally significant elements of the structures. The appropriate method of enclosing
the front porch is to use wood siding which is both historically accurate and compatible
with the Frame Vernacular style. Structures that have enclosed porches undertaken in
this way have been included in the Multiple Property Designation. There are examples
of structures where the front porch has been enclosed using brick or block. These
materials are historically inaccurate and, when added to the front elevation, they are
incompatible with the Frame Vernacular style. Structures that have been altered in this
way have been excluded from the Multiple Property Designation.
Several of the structures surveyed have been altered by the construction of an
addition. Appropriate additions (with the exception of added front porches) are to the
rear of the historic structure and do not significantly impact the historic structure.
Additions may be constructed of concrete block and stucco as they are to the rear
and this differentiates the original structure from the addition. Structures with
appropriate additions that meet these criteria have been included in the Multiple
Property Designation while those with additions that do not meet these criteria have
been excluded.
A small number of structures surveyed have been altered by the replacement of the
wood siding or stucco with an inappropriate material such as brick. These alterations
negatively impact the structures through the removal of a character -defining feature of
the Frame Vernacular style. Structures that have undergone this type of alteration have
been excluded from the Multiple Property Designation.
In addition to retaining historical, architectural, and cultural significance and meeting
the criteria for designation as described in Section IV of this report, the structures
17
included in the Multiple Property Designation must retain some degree of integrity of
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. To possess
integrity, each property must retain several of these aspects.
The subject properties retain a high level of integrity with regard to location and setting
as they remain on their original sites within residential areas. The structures also retain
high levels of integrity with regard to design, materials, and workmanship as, although
some alterations have been taken place, this work has been undertaken sensitively
using appropriate materials and methods and therefore has not significantly impacted
the design.
Feeling is a property's expression of the historic sense of a particular period of time
resulting from the presence of physical features that, taken together, convey the
property's historic character. As the properties retain integrity of setting, design,
materials, and workmanship, they convey the feeling of residential life in the Coconut
Grove Village West community in the early twentieth century.
The properties also retain a high level of integrity with regard to association as all are
associated with the establishment and continued settlement and development of
Coconut Grove Village West by Afro- Bahamians, African-Americans from the South,
and their descendants.
18
IV- Application of Criteria for Designation
The "Wood Frame Vernacular Residences of Coconut Grove Village West Multiple
Property Designation" is eligible to be designated as a historic district by the City of
Miami for having significance in the historical, cultural, aesthetic, and architectural
heritage of the city, and possessing integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association; and for meeting the following criteria:
1. Exemplify the historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the
community;
The Wood Frame Vernacular Residences of Coconut Grove Village West Multiple
Property Designation exemplify the historical, cultural, and social trends of the
community. The community that these buildings are associated with was established
140 years ago and continues today. They contributed to the development of
Coconut Grove, Miami, and Coral Gables. The community's Bahamian and Southern
American roots influenced the style of architecture and construction. And finally, the
design of the residences impacted the way they socialized.
2. Portray the environment in an era of history characterized by one or more
distinctive architectural styles;
Coconut Grove Village West contained wood frame vernacular residences that
were influenced by the Bahamas and the Southern United States. Historically, this
style of architecture was found within other Bahamian and Southern African
American neighborhoods including Lemon City and Overtown.
3. Embody those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, period, or
method of construction;
The Wood Frame Vernacular Residences of Coconut Grove Village West Multiple
Property Designation reflects the architectural trends within Coconut Grove Village
West during the period between 1910s and 1940s. They retain sufficient integrity to
convey their historic character and construction.
19
V- Planning Context
Setting
The subject properties are located within the Coconut Grove Village West portion of
Coconut Grove. The boundaries are percival to the north, Mac Donald Street and Main
Highway to the east, Jefferson Street to the west, and Marler Avenue to the south.
The area is part of the Neighborhood Conservation District - 2 (NCD -2) and the
Coconut Grove NET Office. With the exception of a few properties, the residences are
one story with front porches. The residences are single family homes and duplexes.
Some parcels contain two, three, or four structures.
Incentives
Historic district designation will ensure that the neighborhood retains original Bahamian
architecture. Design review of new construction that may be built on the parcels will
assist in maintaining the aesthetic harmony. Further, for owners of single-family
residences as well as income producing properties there is an ad valorem tax incentive
for improvements in both Miami and Miami -Dade County. The Preservation Fund,
established by the Arts in Public Places program, will provide grants to low income
households in order to ensure maintenance of the structures. Designation also provides
zoning and building relief which is intended to preserve the buildings. There are current
plans to expand the Omni Community Redevelopment Authority in Coconut Grove to
create affordable housing. These funds would offer financial assistance.
20
VI- Bibliography
Andrews, D. (n.d.) The Bahamian Influence on the South Florida shotgun house.
Retrieved from http://www.kislakfoundation.org/millennium-exhibit/andrewsl.htm
AT&T Miami -Dade County African-American History Calendar 2005/2006. (2005). Sturrup,
Verneka Silva. Retrieved from
http://www.theblackarchives.org/archon/index.php?p=digitaIlibra[y/digitaIcontent&id
=206
Christ Episcopal Church. (2017) Who We Are. Retrieved from
http://chrepch.org/?page_id=24
Miccosukee Magazine. (2002) Episode 352. History of Coconut Grove by Dr. Paul
George. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIDPEYpA4UQ
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-55-1661. Mac Farlane Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-1691. Mac Farlane Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-1750. Frow Homestead Amended.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-1751. St Albans Park.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-1891. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2111. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2389. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2469. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2501. Frow Homestead
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2531. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2549. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2585. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2621. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2721. Frow Homestead.
City of Miami, Florida. Tax Cards 5-56-2851. De Hedouvilles Subdivision.
Dunn, Marvin. Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. University Press of Florida. 1997.
21
Gibson, Thelma Anderson. (2000). Forbearance: The Life Story of Thelma Vernell
Anderson Gibson, a Cocoanut Grove Native. Homestead, FL: Helena Enterprises,
Incorporated.
Labbee, W. (1991). Black Grove feature. Miami New Times. Retrieved
from http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/black-grove-feature-6365177
Logan, T. (2016). City of Miami Preservation Office Historic Design Guidelines. Miami, FL:
City of Miami Planning Department.
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. (2015). About Us. Retrieved from
htto://www.macedoniambcmiami.com/about-the-church
McAlester, V. S., & McAlester, L. (2002). A field guide to American houses. New York, NY:
Knopf.
Miccosukee Magazine. (2002) Episode 352. History of Coconut Grove by Dr. Paul
George. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIDPEYpA4UQ
Merrick, G. E. (1941). Pre-Flagler influences on the lower Florida east coast. Tequesta,
volume one, (number one). Retrieved from
http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI08060901 /00001
Mohl, R. A. (2009). Black immigrants: Bahamians in the early twentieth-century Miami.
Tequesta, volume 1, (number 69). Retrieved
from http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI 18050900/00069
The National Archives. (n.d.). Abolition of slavery. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/slavery/about.htm
Nebhrajani, R. (2016, May 22.) Thelma Gibson looks back on 90 in West Grove. The New
Tropic. Retrived from https://thenewtropic.com/thelma-gibson/
Novaes, M. (2012). Report of the City of Miami Preservation Officer to the Historic and
Environmental Preservation Board on the desgiation report of the Evangelist
Street/Charles Avenue as a historic site. Miami, FL: City of Miami Plannign Department.
Parks, Arva Moore. (2010). Coconut Grove (Images of America). Charleston, SC:
Arcadia Pub.
Parks Moore, Arva. (2010). Mary Barr Munroe, 1852-1922: South Florida's pioneer zealot.
In L. E. Rivers & C. Brown Jr. (Eds.), The varieties of women's experiences: Portraits of
southern women in the post -civil war century. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
Uguccioni, E. J., & Eaton, S. E. (2004) Report of the City of Miami Preservation Officer to
the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board on the desgiation report of the E.W.F.
Stirrup House as a historic site. Miami, FL: City of Miami Planning Department.
22
Williams, M. (Producer & Director), & Smith, C. (Producter & Director). (2014). The Black
Miami. [Motion picture]. United States: Sundicado.
23
VII- Photographs
On file with the City of Miami Planning Department.
24
VIII- List of Properties
FOLIO
ADDRESS
CITY
ZIP
ZONING
YEAR
0141210075420
3242 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5802
T4 -L
1930
0141210075411
3250 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5802
T3 -R
1932
0141210075130
3297 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5801
T3 -R
1939
0141210075130
3295 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5801
T3 -R
1939
0141210075370
3298 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5802
T3 -R
1932
0141210075100
3325 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5803
T3 -R
1936
0141210075270
3388 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5804
T3 -R
1936
0141210075260
3418 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5806
T3 -R
1930
0141210075250
3420 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5806
T3 -R
1930
0141210074310
3427 SW 37 AVE
Miami
33133-5705
T3-0
1925
0141210120641
3447 WILLIAM AVE
Miami
33133-5835
T3 -R
1934
0141210074740
3475 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5717
T3 -R
1937
0141210074740
3477 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5717
T3 -R
1937
0141210076120
3508 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5720
T3 -R
1911
0141210075170
3517 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5719
T3 -R
1920
0141210076140
3536 WILLIAM AVE
Miami
33133-5729
T3 -R
1929
0141210076240
3537 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5713
T3 -R
1930
0141210075490
3566 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5735
T3-0
1937
0141210077120
3571 HISBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5702
T3 -R
1935
0141210077120
3571 R HISBICUS ST
Miami
33133-5702
T3 -R
1935
0141210077120
3573 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5702
T3 -R
1935
0141210076360
3588 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5714
T3 -R
1935
0141210076360
3586 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5714
T3 -R
1935
0141210076360
3541 PLAZA ST
Miami
33133-5725
T3 -R
1935
0141210076360
3543 PLAZA ST
Miami
33133-5725
T3 -R
1935
0141210077050
3587 HIBISCUS ST
Miami
33133-5702
T3 -R
1935
0141210076380
3589 FRANKLIN AVE
Miami
33133-5715
T3 -R
1934
0141210076380
3593 FRANKLIN AVE
Miami
33133-5715
T3 -R
1934
0141210076110
3603 CHARLES AVE
Miami
33133-5703
T3 -R
1928
0141210075650
3616 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5710
T3-0
1923
0141210072380
3628 FROW AVE
Miami
33133-4920
T3 -R
1914
0141210070950
3635 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4907
T3 -R
1925
0141210070950
3637 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4907
T3 -R
1925
0141210072410
3644 FROW AVE
Miami
33133-4920
T3 -R
1928
0141210075700
3658 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5710
T3-0
1936
0141210075760
3671 WILLIAM AVE
Miami
33133-5711
T3 -R
1924
0141210075750
3673 WILLIAM AVE
Miami
33133-5711
T3 -R
1928
0141200070770
13727 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5639
T3-0
1934
25
0141200060730
3738 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4807
T3 -R
1930
0141200070580
3746 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5643
T3-0
1937
0141200070590
3748 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5643
T3-0
1937
0141200060490
3758 FROW AVE
Miami
33133-4836
T3 -R
1938
0141200060490
3760 FROW AVE
Miami
33133-4836
T3 -R
1938
0141200060350
3769 FLORIDA AVE
Miami
33133-4864
T3 -R
1940
0141200060450
3790 FROW AVE
Miami
33133-4836
T3 -R
1930
0141200070050
3797 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5642
T3-0
1932
0141200060680
3802 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4809
T3 -R
1932
0141200060670
3820 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4809
T3 -R
1932
0141210076120
3817 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5644
T3 -R
1911
0141200060850
3821 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4808
T3 -R
1937
0141200060660
3822 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4809
T3 -R
1941
0141200060660
3826 OAK AVE
Miami
33133-4809
T3 -R
1941
0141200070680
3837 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5640
T3-0
1935
0141200070680
3841 THOMAS AVE
Miami
33133-5640
T3-0
1935
0141200070210
3859 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5644
T3-0
1934
0141200070330
3963 WASHINGTON AVE
Miami
33133-5646
T3-0
1930
26
c N r , .
Coconut Grove Villa a West
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