The Barnacle Historic State Park

The Barnacle Historic State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
The Barnacle, built in 1891 by Commodore Ralph Munroe
Location in Florida
Location	Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, United States
Coordinates	25°43′30″N 80°14′32″W / 25.72487°N 80.24213°W / 25.72487; -80.24213Coordinates: 25°43′30″N 80°14′32″W / 25.72487°N 80.24213°W / 25.72487; -80.24213
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Created	1973 (1973)
Governing body	Florida State Parks
Website	The Barnacle Historic State Park

The Barnacle Historic State Park is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) Florida State Park in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida at 3485 Main Highway.

Built in 1891, it is the oldest house in its original location in Miami-Dade County. The Barnacle was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s founders, as well as founder and Commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. He was also a leading designer of sailing yachts. The Florida Park Service acquired the remaining 5 acres (20,000 m²) of Munroe's original 40-acre (160,000 m²) homesite from his descendants in 1973.

The Barnacle Historic State Park is served by the Miami Metrorail at the Douglas Road and the Coconut Grove stations.

History

Historic marker at front entrance on Main Highway

Ralph Middleton Munroe first visited South Florida in 1877 while on vacation from New York City. On his second trip he brought his wife who suffered from tuberculosis. Unfortunately, the cure failed and she died. Her body is buried in Coconut Grove. He returned several times to the area and in 1887 decided to settle in the Bay.

Ralph Munroe purchased 40 acres (160,000 m²) of bayfront land in 1886 for $400 in addition to one of his sailboats, the Kingfish, valued at an additional $400. His boathouse was built in 1887 and he lived on its upper floor until his main house was completed in 1891. The house, a one-story structure, was raised off the ground on wood pilings. Its central room is octagonal in shape and Munroe called his home "The Barnacle," presumably because it resembled one. It remained a bungalow until 1908 when more space was needed for his growing family. The whole structure was lifted and a new first story inserted below. In 1912 a library was built adjacent to the house. The Barnacle survived the disastrous 1926 hurricane and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 with only minimal damage.

Ralph Munroe's principal passion in life was designing yachts. Boats were the major form of transportation in the early days of Coconut Grove and yachting was a popular sport. Many South Floridians commissioned Munroe to design their yachts. In 1887, a group of residents formed the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, electing Munroe as Commodore, a title that he held for 22 years. In his lifetime, he drew plans for 56 different yachts. Micco, one of the last of Munroe's boats, was displayed at the park until Hurricane Andrew reduced the 101-year-old vessel to fragments. Egret, a replica of Munroe's 28-foot (8.5 m) modified sharpie is now moored offshore.

As a seaman, civic activist, naturalist, and photographer, Commodore Munroe was a man who cherished the natural world around him. A walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. It is representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock.

Regatta

In the spring of 1887 Ralph Munroe organized a regatta on Biscayne Bay with fifteen boats divided into three classes. "The winners were Ada (Captain Brickell), Maggie (Captain Carney) and Edna (Captain Addison), while Alfred Munroe and Charles Peacock were timekeepers and judges. After the race all hands, about fifty in number, participated in a good dinner at Peacock's (the Peacock Inn), given by the promoters. Thus began organized aquatic sports on the Bay, the Washington's Birthday Regatta afterwards being a fixture of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, until the displacement of sails by gasoline in general interest caused it to degenerate into a "Chowder-party".^[1]

Timeline: Early History of the Site

Before 1846: Largely unused, like most of South Florida, until the Seminole Wars forced Seminoles into this area. Spanish expeditions may have explored the bay on mapping expeditions, but any inland explorations are purely speculative.
1846: Land first surveyed.
1868, November 14: Edmund Beasley files claim for site under the Homestead Act. May have dug well on site. Built a small house later called the Three Sisters Cottage about this time.
1870: Beasley dies, leaves site to his wife, Anna.
1872: Site rented to Dr. Horace Porter.
1873, January 6: Porter establishes a post office, which he calls Cocoanut Grove.
1873, July: Porter unsuccessfully attempts to claim site under the Homestead Act, claiming that it had been abandoned by the Beasleys.
1875, May 20: Mrs. Beasley gains clear title to the site.
1877: Mrs. Beasley sells site to John W. Frow, lighthouse keeper at Cape Florida, for $100.00.
1886: Ralph Munroe purchases 40 acres (160,000 m²) for $400.00 plus the boat "Kingfish" which he values at $400.00.
1887: First Washington's Birthday Regatta held.

Timeline: History of the Barnacle

1887: Ralph Munroe builds boathouse with living quarters on upper floor and workshop on lower floor.
1891, Summer: Ralph begins constructing the Barnacle house.
1895: Ralph marries Jessie Wirth.
1900: Daughter, Patty, born. Jessie's sister, Josephine, joins household to help with child.
1902: Son Wirth Middleton Munroe is born.
1903: Northwest corner of house expanded.
1908: House raised and first floor added.
1913: House electrified and library added.
1916: Indoor bathrooms added to northeast corner of first floor and area off of Mr. & Mrs. Munroe's bedroom with water tank on second floor.
1926: Original boathouse destroyed in hurricane. House sustains minor damage. Boathouse later rebuilt along lines substantially like those of original.
1928: House assumes present day form by enclosing porches on sides of house on both floors and extending library and kitchen.
1932: Patty marries William Catlow, moves to New Jersey.
1933: Wirth marries Mary Poore.
1933, August 20: Ralph dies at age 82. Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, MA.
1940: Jessie dies, Wirth and Mary move into house with their children, Charles and William.
1959: Sarah Josephine Wirth (Aunt Dodie) dies.
1968: Wirth Munroe dies.
1973: Munroe family sells site to the State of Florida.
1988: Used as the backdrop to the finale of the Miami Vice TV episode 'Deliver Us From Evil' (first aired 29 April 1988). The house was portrayed as the Caribbean island hideaway of career criminal Frank Hackman, who tricked Det. Sonny Crockett into getting him released from death row, and later murdered Crockett's wife. Crockett successfully tracked Hackman to the house and avenged his wife's death by shooting Hackman in cold blood. The dramatic scene concludes with Crockett walking towards the water's edge and showing a vista of the property with the dead Hackman slumped over in a lawn chair.
1992: Hurricane Andrew heavily damages boathouse, destroys one of the last surviving Munroe boats, the "Micco", but house receives only very minor damage.
1994: Site of the final answer in the 1994 Tropic Hunt, just before reopening to the public.

Activities

Daytime activities include touring the historic site, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Concerts and other events are held frequently throughout the year, making it a popular destination in Miami.

Hours of Operation

The Barnacle is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with tours at 10, 11:30 a.m.; 1 and 2:30 p.m. Friday through Monday and for groups by reservation Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The park is closed on Tuesdays, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days.

Park Fees

Admission to the park is $2 per person for everyone ages 6 and over.^[2] Admission may be paid at an honor pay station located inside the park near the restrooms, or in the park gift shop. To go inside the house guests are required to take the guided tour which is an additional $3 per person for everyone over the age of 12 and $1 for children ages 6–12. Tours are available at 10a, 11:30a, 1p, and 2:30p on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Location and Parking

Sign at front entrance on Main Highway

The entrance is on the Northbound side of Main Highway between Abitare and The Cloister Townhomes. There is no parking available in the park itself, except for those with disabilities. However, there is a public parking lot next to the Coconut Grove playhouse and street parking throughout the neighborhood.

References

Notes

↑ The Commodore's Story, Ralph Middleton Munroe and Vincent Gilpin, page 166-167
↑ https://www.floridastateparks.org/hours-and-fees/The-Barnacle

Bibliography

External links

Media related to The Barnacle Historic State Park at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
National Register of Historic Places
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. FL-261, "Ralph M. Munroe House, 3485 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, Miami-Dade County, FL", 11 photos, 8 measured drawings, 6 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HABS No. FL-261-A, "Ralph M. Munroe House, Boathouse", 6 photos, 3 measured drawings, 1 photo caption page
HABS No. FL-261-B, "Ralph M. Munroe House, Three Sisters Cottage", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page

Protected areas of Florida

Federal

National Parks	Biscayne Dry Tortugas Everglades

National Memorials	De Soto Fort Caroline

National Monuments	Castillo de San Marcos Fort Matanzas

National Seashores	Canaveral Gulf Islands

National Forests	Apalachicola Choctawhatchee Ocala Osceola

National Wildlife Refuges	Archie Carr Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Caloosahatchee Cedar Keys Chassahowitzka Crocodile Lake Crystal River Egmont Key Florida Panther Great White Heron Hobe Sound Island Bay J.N. 'Ding' Darling Key West Lake Wales Ridge Lake Woodruff Lower Suwannee Matlacha Pass Merritt Island National Key Deer Okefenokee Passage Key Pelican Island Pine Island Pinellas St. Johns St. Marks St. Vincent Ten Thousand Islands

Other National Protected Areas	Big Cypress National Preserve Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

National Estuarine Research Reserves and National Marine Sanctuaries	Apalachicola NERR Florida Keys NMS Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR Rookery Bay NERR

State

Parks	Amelia Island Anastasia Avalon Bahia Honda Bald Point Big Lagoon Big Shoals Big Talbot Island Bill Baggs Cape Florida Bulow Creek Caladesi Island Camp Helen Cayo Costa Collier-Seminole Colt Creek Curry Hammock Delnor-Wiggins Pass Devil's Millhopper Don Pedro Island Eden Gardens Egmont Key Falling Waters Faver-Dykes Florida Caverns Fort Clinch Fort Cooper Fort George Island Fort Pierce Inlet Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou Gasparilla Island George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier Grayton Beach Henderson Beach Highlands Hammock Honeymoon Island Hontoon Island Hugh Taylor Birch John D. MacArthur Beach John Pennekamp Coral Reef John U. Lloyd Beach Jonathan Dickinson Little Talbot Island Long Key Lovers Key Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway Mike Roess Gold Head Branch North Peninsula O'Leno Oscar Scherer Perdido Key Sebastian Inlet Skyway Fishing Pier St. Andrews St. George Island St. Joseph Peninsula Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center Stump Pass Beach Tomoka Torreya Windley Key Fossil Reef

Botanical Garden Parks	Alfred B. Maclay Gardens Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Lignumvitae Key Ravine Gardens Washington Oaks

Lakes, Rivers and Springs Parks	Deer Lake Lake Griffin Lake June in Winter Scrub Lake Kissimmee Lake Louisa Lake Manatee Lake Talquin Alafia River Blackwater River Dunns Creek Econfina River Hillsborough River Little Manatee River Myakka River Ochlockonee River Oleta River Suwannee River Blue Spring De Leon Springs Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Fanning Springs Homosassa Springs Wildlife Ichetucknee Springs Lafayette Blue Springs Madison Blue Spring Manatee Springs Ponce de Leon Springs Rainbow Springs Silver Springs Three Rivers Troy Springs Weeki Wachee Springs Wekiwa Springs Werner-Boyce Salt Springs Wes Skiles Peacock Springs

Recreation Areas	Gamble Rogers Memorial

Museums, Historic sites, and Archaeological sites	Cedar Key Museum Constitution Convention Museum Forest Capital Museum John Gorrie Museum Ybor City Museum The Barnacle Bulow Plantation Ruins Dade Battlefield Dudley Farm Fort Foster Fort Mose Fort Zachary Taylor Gamble Plantation Indian Key Koreshan Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Homestead Natural Bridge Battlefield Olustee Battlefield Orman House Paynes Creek San Marcos de Apalache Yellow Bluff Fort Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Crystal River Lake Jackson Mounds Letchworth-Love Mounds Madira Bickel Mound Mound Key San Pedro Underwater

Preserves and Reserves	Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Anclote Key Cedar Key Scrub Charlotte Harbor Crystal River Estero Bay Fakahatchee Strand Kissimmee Prairie Lower Wekiva River Paynes Prairie Pumpkin Hill Creek River Rise Rock Springs Run San Felasco Hammock Savannas Seabranch St. Lucie Inlet St. Sebastian River Tarkiln Bayou Topsail Hill Waccasassa Bay Yellow River Marsh

State Trails	Blackwater Heritage Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Gainesville-Hawthorne General James A. Van Fleet Nature Coast Palatka-Lake Butler Palatka-to-St. Augustine Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Withlacoochee

State Forests	Belmore Big Shoals Blackwater River Carl Duval Moore Cary Charles H. Bronson Cottage Hill Deep Creek Etoniah Creek Four Creeks Goethe Holopaw Indian Lake Jennings John M. Bethea Lake George Lake Talquin Lake Wales Ridge Little Big Econ Matanzas Myakka Okaloacoochee Slough Picayune Strand Pine Log Point Washington Ralph E. Simmons Memorial Ross Prairie Seminole Tate's Hell Tiger Bay Twin Rivers Wakulla Watson Island Welaka Withlacoochee

Other

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Florida

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Greater Miami

Miami Miami metropolitan area

Central business district	Downtown Miami Brickell Central Business District Historic District Government Center Park West Omni

Major urban areas	Aventura Coconut Grove Coral Gables Dadeland Health District Hialeah Midtown Edgewater Wynwood South Beach

Colleges and universities	Barry University Carlos Albizu University Florida International University Florida Memorial University Johnson & Wales University University of Miami Miami Dade College Miami International University of Art & Design Nova Southeastern University St. Thomas University

Parks and recreation	Alice Wainwright Park Amelia Earhart Park Arch Creek The Barnacle Historic State Park Bayfront Park Big Cypress National Preserve Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Biscayne National Park Chapman Field Park Crandon Park Dinner Key Everglades National Park Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Fort Dallas Fruit and Spice Park Greynolds Park Haulover Park Jungle Island The Kampong Margaret Pace Park Matheson Hammock Park Miami Seaquarium Monkey Jungle Museum Park Oleta River State Park Peacock Park Shark Valley Simpson Park Hammock South Pointe Park Tamiami Park Tropical Park Virginia Key Zoo Miami

Attractions	Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts American Airlines Arena Bass Museum Biltmore Hotel Bonita Chita Key Coral Castle Downtown Miami FIU Arena FIU Stadium Florida Grand Opera Fontainebleau Miami Beach Frost Art Museum Frost School of Music Hard Rock Stadium HistoryMiami Holocaust Memorial Homestead Jewish Museum of Florida Lowe Art Museum Lincoln Road Lummus Park MacFarlane Homestead Marlins Park Miami Beach Architectural District Miami Beach Convention Center Miami Children's Museum Miami City Ballet Miami Conservatory Museum of Contemporary Art New World Symphony Orchestra Normandy Isles North Shore Ocean Drive Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science Pérez Art Museum Miami South Beach The Miami Line Villa Vizcaya Watsco Center Wolfsonian-FIU Wynwood Art District

Major shopping centers	Aventura Mall Bal Harbour Shops Bayside Marketplace CocoWalk Collins Avenue Dadeland Mall Dolphin Mall The Falls Flagler Street Lincoln Road The Mall at 163rd Street Mall of the Americas Mary Brickell Village Miami International Mall Midtown Miami Miracle Marketplace The Shops at Sunset Place Southland Mall Village of Merrick Park Westland Mall

Transportation	Broward County Transit Government Center Miami Airport Station Miami-Dade Transit Metrorail Metrobus Metromover MIA Mover Miami International Airport Palm Tran Port of Miami Tri-Rail

Major thoroughfares	East 6th Avenue North 36th Street North 54th Street North 79th Street North 103rd Street North 125th Street North 135th Street West 7th Avenue West 12th Avenue West 27th Avenue West 107th Avenue Allapattah Road Alton Road Bird Road Biscayne Boulevard Brickell Avenue Broad Causeway Collins Avenue Coral Reef Drive Coral Way County Line Road Douglas Road Flagler Street Galloway Road Gratigny Ives Dairy Road Julia Tuttle Causeway Kendall Drive John F. Kennedy Causeway Killian Krome Avenue William Lehman Causeway Le Jeune Road Ludlam Road MacArthur Causeway Miami Avenue Miami Gardens Drive Milam Dairy Road Miracle Mile Okeechobee Road Old Cutler Road Port Boulevard Quail Roost Drive Red Road Rickenbacker Causeway South Dixie Highway Sunset Drive Tamiami Trail Venetian Causeway West Dixie Highway

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