Overtown (Miami)

Last updated

Overtown
Central Negro District (historic) [1]
Miami FL Overtown 3rd Ave.jpg
NW 3rd Avenue
Nickname: 
Colored Town (historic name)
Miami neighborhoodsmap.png
Overtown neighborhood within the City of Miami
Coordinates: 25°47′14.92″N80°12′2.32″W / 25.7874778°N 80.2006444°W / 25.7874778; -80.2006444 Coordinates: 25°47′14.92″N80°12′2.32″W / 25.7874778°N 80.2006444°W / 25.7874778; -80.2006444
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
StateFlag of Florida.svg  Florida
County Miami-Dade County
City Miami
Government
  City of Miami CommissionerKeon Hardemon
  Miami-Dade CommissionersAudrey Edmonson
   House of Representatives Cynthia Stafford (D)
   State Senate Larcenia Bullard (D)
   U.S. House Frederica Wilson (D)
Population
 (2010)
  Total6,736
  Density3,410/km2 (8,820/sq mi)
   Demonym
Towner
Time zone UTC-05 (EST)
ZIP Code
33136
Area code(s) 305, 786

Overtown is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States, just northwest of Downtown Miami. Originally called Colored Town in the Jim Crow era of the late 19th through the mid-20th century, the area was once the preeminent and is the historic center for commerce in the black community in Miami and South Florida.

Contents

It is bound by NW 20th Street to the north, NW 5th Street to the south, the Miami River, Dolphin Expressway (SR 836), and I-95 (north of the Midtown Interchange) to the west, and the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and NW 1st Avenue to the east. Local residents often go by the demonym "Towners".

History

Overtown Folklife Village sign on the NW 2nd Avenue Miami FL Overtown Overtown Folklife Village.jpg
Overtown Folklife Village sign on the NW 2nd Avenue

A part of the historic heart of Miami, it was designated as a "colored" neighborhood after the creation and incorporation of Miami in 1896. The incorporation of Miami as a city occurred at the insistence of Standard Oil and FEC railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, whose mostly black American railroad construction workers settled near what became Downtown Miami, just north of Flagler's Royal Palm Hotel on the Miami River. Owing to a substantive black population, 168 of the 362 men who voted for the creation of the city of Miami were counted as "colored," but the separate but equal segregation laws of the Deep South dictated the city designate the portion of the city, in this case, north and west of FEC railroad tracks, as "Colored Town." [2]

The second-oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of the Miami area after Coconut Grove, the area thrived as a center for commerce, primarily along Northwest Second Avenue. Home to the Lyric Theatre (completed in 1913) and other businesses, West Second Avenue served as the main street of the black community during an era which, up until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, barred black residents from entering middle and upper income white areas like Miami Beach and Coral Gables without "passes." [3] During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, Overtown was home to one of the first black millionaires in the American South, D. A. Dorsey (who once owned Fisher Island), and the original Booker T. Washington High School, then the first high school educating black students south of Palm Beach. [3] Community organizing and mobilization during the era, as such in actions of Reverend John Culmer, who advocated for better living conditions for lower class blacks living in abject squalor during the 1920s, led to the completion of Liberty Square in 1937 in what is now-called Liberty City. Northwest Second Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood, once-called the "Little Broadway" of the South, [4] by the 1940s hosted hundreds of mostly black-owned businesses, ranging from libraries and social organizations to a hospital and popular nightclubs.

Popular with blacks and whites alike, [5] Overtown was a center for nightly entertainment in Miami, comparable to Miami Beach, at its height post-World War II in the 1940s and 1950s. The area served as a place of rest and refuge for black mainstream entertainers such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole who were not allowed to lodge at prominent venues where they performed like the Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc, where Overtown hotels like the Mary Elizabeth Hotel furnished to their needs. Further, many prominent black luminaries like W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson lodged and entertained in the neighborhood. [6]

The area experienced serious economic decline from the late 1950s. Issues ranging from urban renewal to the construction of interstate highways like I-95 (then, the North-South Expressway), the Dolphin Expressway and the Midtown Interchange in the 1960s, fragmented the once-thriving center with the resident population decimated by nearly 80 percent from roughly 50,000 to just over 10,000. [7] The area became economically destitute and considered a "ghetto" as businesses closed and productivity stagnated in the neighborhood. [8] In 1982, a riot broke out in the neighborhood following the police shooting of a man.

Development was spurred in the area again in the late 1980s with the construction and completion of the Miami Arena and transit-oriented development surrounding the newly opened Overtown station.

Since the 1990s and 2000s, community gardens have been created, in addition to renovations to the historic Lyric Theatre and revitalization and gentrification efforts spurred both by the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County. Dr. Marvin Dunn founded the original Roots in the City Overtown Community Garden, turning an "overgrown, littered lot into a flourishing garden" maintained by Overtown residents and volunteers. [9] [10] [11] Roots in the City, a non-profit "dedicated to community development, jobs training, inner-city beautification, healthy eating initiatives, and community research" used the Community Gardens to provide affordable fresh produce to low-income families, public school students, community agencies and homeless shelters. [12] and is also organizes an urban farmer's market. [13] These projects and other aspects of Overtown were featured in a short documentary The Ground under Overtown centered on multi-issue multi-racial community organizing created around Florida protests against the FTAA with a focus on environmental racism, critiques of so-called "free trade" agreements like the FTAA, and positive community solutions such as permaculture. Anti-FTAA protesters at Dr. Dunn's invitation held a workshop on permaculture at the Overtown Community Garden and donated over 100 cherry trees to the Overtown community. [14]

In 2015, David Beckham announced that he had secured land in the neighborhood for a future, since-named Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami, [15] although the team has since proposed a stadium at a different site in the city. [16]

Demographics

Overtown Music and Arts Festival Miami FL Overtown Music and Art Festival.jpg
Overtown Music and Arts Festival

As of 2000, [17] Overtown had a population of 10,029 residents, with 3,646 households, and 2,128 families residing in the city. The median household income was $13,211.99. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 74.77% Black, 19.90% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 3.27% White (non-Hispanic), and 2.05% Other races (non-Hispanic).

Places of interest

Lyric Theater, 1914 Miami FL Historic Overtown Lyric Theatre.jpg
Lyric Theater, 1914

Overtown is home to several historic churches and landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including:

Other places of interest included in the City of Miami Historic Preservation Program are:

Parks and recreation

Henry Reeves Park Miami FL Overtown Henry Reeves Park.jpg
Henry Reeves Park

Education and institutions

Booker T. Washington High School Miami FL Overtown Booker T. Washington Senior High School.jpg
Booker T. Washington High School

Schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools:

Libraries

Museums

Places of worship

Greater Bethel AME Church, 1927 Miami Overtown FL Greater Bethel AME01.jpg
Greater Bethel AME Church, 1927

In addition to the churches listed in the places of interest section, in the neighborhood there are: [42]

Other institutions

Dr. William A. Chapman House Miami FL Overtown Chapman House.jpg
Dr. William A. Chapman House

Infrastructure

Transportation

Overtown is served by the Miami Metrorail at:

Health care

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Beach</span> Neighborhood of Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Havana</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade, Florida, United States

Little Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban exiles, as well as many immigrants from Central and South America, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba.

Dana Albert "D. A." Dorsey (1872–1940) was a businessman, banker, and philanthropist who became one of the first African–American millionaires in Florida and the American South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty City (Miami)</span> Neighbourhood in Miami, Florida, US

Liberty City is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The area is roughly bound by NW 79th Street to the north, NW 27th Avenue to the west, the Airport Expressway to the South, and Interstate 95 to the east. The neighborhood is home to one of the largest concentrations of African Americans in South Florida, as of the 2000 census. Although it was often known as "Model City" both historically and by the City of Miami government, residents more commonly call it Liberty City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booker T. Washington Senior High School (Miami, Florida)</span> Public secondary school in Miami, Florida , United States

Booker T. Washington Senior High School is a normal four year High School located at 1200 NW 6th Avenue in Miami, Florida, United States. It is located in the Overtown neighborhood, and serves families in the Overtown, Downtown, Park West, and Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods. Its principal is Kevin E. Lawrence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Square (Miami)</span> Public housing apartment complex in Miami, Florida, United States

Liberty Square is a 753-unit Miami-Dade public housing apartment complex in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It is bordered at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/North 62nd Street to the south, North 67th Street to the north, State Road 933 to the east, and Northwest 15th Avenue to the west. Constructed as a part of the New Deal by the Public Works Administration and opening in 1937, it was the first public housing project for blacks in the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest District, Portland, Oregon</span> Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Northwest District is a densely populated retail and residential neighborhood in the northwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States. Craftsman-style and Old Portland-style houses are packed tightly together with old apartment buildings and new condominiums, within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and shops. The Portland Streetcar's first line terminates there, connecting the district to the Pearl District, Downtown Portland and points south to the South Waterfront, and several TriMet bus lines also serve the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brickell</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Brickell is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida located directly east of Interstate 95, south of the historic CBD, and north of Coconut Grove. Brickell is known as the financial district in Miami, as well as South Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Downtown Miami</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and Park West. It is divided by the Miami River and is bordered by Midtown Miami's Edgewater and Wynwood sections to its north, Biscayne Bay to its east, the Health District and Overtown to its west, and Coconut Grove to its south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyric Theater (Miami)</span> Theater in Miami, Florida, United States

The Lyric Theater is a historic theater in Miami, Florida at 819 Northwest Second Avenue. It served Miami's African American community. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Baptist Church (Miami, Florida)</span> Historic church in Florida, United States

St. John's Baptist Church is a historic church in Miami, Florida. It is located at 1328 Northwest 3rd Avenue. On April 17, 1992, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lummus Park Historic District</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

The Lummus Park Historic District or simply Lummus Park, is on the National Register of Historic Places and a locally historic designated district in Miami, Florida. It is roughly bound by Northwest Fifth Street to the north, Flagler Street to the south, Northwest Third Avenue to the east, and the Miami River to the west. On October 25, 2006, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Lummus Park has some of the oldest structures in Miami, and over the decades, has been able to retain a large part of its early pioneer character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wynwood</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Wynwood is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida. Wynwood is known for being an entertainment district, with artwork, restaurants, breweries, clothing stores, dance venues, among other retail options. Formerly an industrial district, the area is now known for the murals that cover the walls of many of the buildings and much of the sidewalks. It is north of Downtown Miami and Overtown, and adjacent to Edgewater. Wynwood has two major sub-districts, the Wynwood Art District in northern Wynwood, and the Wynwood Fashion District along West 5th Avenue. Wynwood roughly is divided by North 20th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and the Florida East Coast Railway to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami-Dade Public Library System</span> Public library system in Florida

The Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) is a system of libraries in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wagner House</span> Hand-hewn lumber with mortise and tenon joints in Miami, Florida

The Wagner Homestead was built c. 1855 by William Wagner, who came to Miami with his Creole wife Everline. Wagner, a U.S. Army veteran, had joined the army in 1846, fought in the Mexican War under General Winfield Scott until he was wounded in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, and sent to Charleston S.C. to recuperate. When Wagner's former military unit was sent to reopen Fort Dallas in 1855, he came to the Miami area and decided to move to South Florida. Wagner died in 1901 on his homestead. He was one of the area's first permanent residents and was actively involved in local political and community affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Roads</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

The Roads is a neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is a triangular area located south of SW 11th Street, between SW 12th Avenue and SW 15th Road, just west of Brickell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park West (Miami)</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Park West is a neighborhood of Greater Downtown, Miami, Florida. It is roughly bound by Biscayne Boulevard to the east, West (NW) First Avenue to the west, North (NE/NW) 7th Street to the south and Interstate 395 to the north. As of 2010, about 4,655 residents live in Park West. The neighborhood is named 'Park West' due to its location just west of Museum Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Vernon Triangle</span> Place in the United States

Mount Vernon Triangle is a neighborhood and community improvement district in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Originally a working-class neighborhood established in the 19th century, present-day Mount Vernon Triangle experienced a decline in the mid-20th century as it transitioned from residential to commercial and industrial use. The neighborhood has undergone significant and rapid redevelopment in the 21st century. It now consists mostly of high-rise condominium, apartment and office buildings. Several historic buildings in the neighborhood have been preserved and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mount Vernon Triangle is now considered a good example of urban planning and a walkable neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appleton P. Clark Jr.</span> American architect

Appleton Prentiss Clark Jr. was an American architect from Washington, D.C. During his 60-year career, Clark was responsible for designing hundreds of buildings in the Washington area, including homes, hotels, churches, apartments and commercial properties. He is considered one of the city's most prominent and influential architects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of his designs are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

References

Notes

  1. "The Reverend John Edwin Culmer, 1891-1963". Episcopal Archives. 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  2. Mjagkij, Nina (2001). Organizing Black America: An Encyclopedia of African American Associations. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. p. 287. ISBN   978-0-8153-2309-9.
  3. 1 2 Mjagkij 2001
  4. Savage, Beth (1995). African American Historic Places. Washington, D.C.: National Register for Historic Places. p. 155. ISBN   978-0-471-14345-1.
  5. Bird, Christiane (2001). The Da Capo Jazz and Blues Lover's Guide to the United States . Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. p.  106. ISBN   978-0-306-81034-3.
  6. Jones, Maxine; Kevin McCarthy (1993). African Americans in Florida. Key West, Florida: Pineapple Press. p.  164. ISBN   978-1-56164-031-7.
  7. Hirsch, Arnold; Raymond A. Mohl (1993). Urban Policy in Twentieth-Century America. Piscataway, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-8135-1906-7.
  8. Simms, Bob (July 21, 1975). "Minority Experience: Welcome to the Ghetto, It's No Place Like Home". The Miami News . Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  9. Food Events: Roots in the City Farmers Market Pilots this Week
  10. Roots In The City Overtown Community Garden
  11. Roots In The City Presents: The Overtown Community Garden
  12. Piola Takes Inner City Produce To Its Restaurants On Miami Beach, Brickell And Hallandale Beach
  13. Roots in the City Urban Farmers' Market
  14. The Ground Under Overtown
  15. Hanks, Douglas (December 4, 2015). "Beckham announces Overtown site for soccer stadium". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  16. Flechas, Joey (July 18, 2018). "After Beckham's 5-year quest, the next decision on his soccer stadium is up to voters". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  17. "Demographics of Overtown Miami, FL". miamigov.com. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  18. Historic preservation program. "D. A. Dorsey House". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  19. Historic preservation program. "Greater Bethel AME Church". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  20. Historic preservation program. "Lyric Theater". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  21. Historic preservation program. "Mt. Zion Baptist Church". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  22. Historic preservation program. "St. John's Baptist Church". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  23. Historic preservation program. "Dorsey Memorial Library". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  24. Historic preservation program. "D.A. Dorsey House". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  25. Historic preservation program. "Ebenezer Methodist Church". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  26. Historic preservation program. "Hindu Temple". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  27. Historic preservation program. "St. Agnes' Episcopal Church". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  28. Historic preservation program. "Ward Rooming House". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  29. Historic preservation program. "X-Ray Clinic". City of Miami Planning Department. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  30. "Dorsey Park". City of Miami Parks and Recreation. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  31. "Gibson Park". City of Miami Parks and Recreation. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  32. "Henry Reeves Park". City of Miami Parks and Recreation. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  33. "Williams Park". City of Miami Parks and Recreation. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  34. "Frederick Douglass Elementary School". Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  35. "Paul Laurence Dunbar K-8". Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  36. "Phillis Wheatley Elementary". Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  37. "Booker T. Washington Senior High School". Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  38. "Theodore & Thelma Gibson Charter School". Theodore & Thelma Gibson Charter School. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  39. "Culmer/Overtown Branch". Miami-Dade Public Library System. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  40. "Dorsey Memorial Library" (PDF). City of Miami Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  41. "Black Police Precinct Courthouse and Museum". Black Police Precinct Courthouse and Museum. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  42. "Faith Based Organizations". City of Miami Neighborhood Enhancement Team. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  43. "Culmer Center". Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  44. "Overtown NET". City of Miami Neighborhood Enhancement Team. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  45. "Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency". Miami Community Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  46. "Overtown Youth Center". Overtown Youth Center. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  47. "Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Health Center". Jackson Health System. Retrieved November 24, 2013.

Bibliography