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Coconut Grove, Florida
The earliest settlers of Coconut Grove were the Pent and Frow families. In the 1830's both families were lighthouse keepers at Cape Florida and homesteaders in what is now Coconut Grove. Another settler of that era was Edmund D. Beasley who homesteaded 160 acres bay front property. In 1873, after Beasley's death, his widow rented their home to Dr. Horace P. Porter. He lived there for only a year but during that time established a post office that he named "Cocoanut Grove." When Porter left the area, the post office was closed, but years later it was reopened using the same name.
Historic photo of the Peacock Inn Area Map of Coconut Grove Beautiful North Grove Pool Home 2 Bedroom 1 Bath Key Biscayne Coconut Grove Sunset Another pioneer was "Jolly Jack" Peacock, an Englishman who settled in the south part of the Grove. He persuaded his brother Charles, then owner of a wholesale meat business in London, to join him. Charles Peacock, his wife Isabella and their three sons eventually settled in Coconut Grove and in 1882 opened the Bay View House, later called the Peacock Inn, the first hotel in the area. Black workers came from the Bahamas to work at the Inn and established the first Black community in Miami, along Charles Avenue. The Peacock Inn attracted all kinds of visitors including scientists, authors, and nobility, many of whom remained to make Coconut Grove their permanent home. Among the settlers were yacht designer and wrecker Ralph Munroe whose home, The Barnacle, is now a state historic site; homesteader Flora McFarlane, Coconut Grove's first schoolteacher and founder of the Housekeeper's Club (now The Woman's Club of Coconut Grove); and author Kirk Munroe. The fledgling community grew and prospered, and by the early years of the 20th century, a school, library, Sunday school, chapel, and yacht club were built. Attracted by the climate, wealthy Northerners, such as James and William Deering and William Jennings Bryan made Coconut Grove their winter home. In 1925, the City of Miami annexed Coconut Grove, but it continued to retain its own identity. After World War II, as the population of South Florida mushroomed, Coconut Grove continued to grow, and artists were an important influence. |
