Built in 1920 in Key West of Dade County Pine, this house was transported by truck from Key West to Coconut Grove Park after the 1935 Hurricane by a retired farmer who lived in it until his death. The last owner was a local artist who painted the house in vibrant colors, in and out, and who decorated its lawn with a cow, flamingos and assorted critters. In 2017 she sold it and the new owner/developer promptly demolished it. And in minutes, it was gone. The land presently sits vacant. Our neighborhood hasn’t been the same since.
We have been photographing houses in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest community, for over a decade. It is our goal to memorialize houses we have lost, as well as admire existing old houses, from the modest to the grand as a way to honor our community’s architectural history. We prefer to highlight houses built before 1960 and hope to share with you our collection of vintage photographs and postcards.
It is our desire to create awareness in the need to preserve older houses and buildings. Let’s visually show appreciation of Coconut Grove’s rich 194 year history. We hope you will join us by sharing your Coconut Grove house photographs and their stories with all of us.
Maria Freed
Oldcoconutgrovehouses@yahoo.com