The city of Coral Gables began as a plantation run by a congregational minister, who purchased the land, without ever seeing it, in 1899. According to the website of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, Rev. Solomon Merrick's Coral Gables Plantation sold fruit in Miami and operated the "largest grapefruit export business in South Florida" and were the first to ship the citrus north by train. "Coral Gables" was initially the name of the rock house built with limestone quarried on the Merrick property.
Rev. Solomon Merrick
The Merrick HomesteadAfter Rev. Merrick passed away in 1911, he was succeeded by his son George, who grew the family business and expanded upon his father's dream of selling plots of land to retired clergy by creating an entire planned community that became the city of Coral Gables. Influenced by Frederick Law Olmstead's City Beautiful Movement, Merrick envisioned a city of Mediterranean Revival architecture that would be carefully planned for maximum aesthetic effect. Lots went on sale in 1921 and Merrick recruited the famous orator William Jennings Bryan to help sell his inventory.
George E. Merrick
William Jennings BryanCarefully theming everything from architecture to advertising, lot sales boomed and by 1926 Coral Gables encompassed 10,000 acres of South Florida. In 1925 Coral Gables was officially incorporated as a town. But as often is the case in Florida history, the boom was followed by a bust and the city went bankrupt in 1929. Merrick's pocketbook was severely damaged to the point that when he died in 1942, he was still in debt.
Examples of Coral Gables Mediterranean Revival architecture
Church detail, Coral Gables
Coral Gables City Hall
Black and white archival images from the State Archives of Florida
Excellent post! Thanks for the great images.
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