Coconut Grove in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons-Office and Stable
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, January 30, 2020
1. Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons-Office and Stable Marker
Inscription.
Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons-Office and Stable. . This low oolitic limestone building was the office and stable of Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons (1854 – 1909), Dade County’s first female physician. Simmons, a Bryn Mawr College alumna, graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia in 1880. She moved to Coconut Grove in 1892 with her husband, Captain Albion Simmons, and purchased eight acres. Using the Encyclopedia Britannica as guidance, the couple built a house which later burned down. As a frontier physician, Simmons made her rounds by horse and a two-wheeled cart or by boat. She encountered alligators, rattlesnakes, panthers, and swarms of mosquitos. Simmons treated white and black settlers, as well as members of the Miccosukee tribe, made rural house calls, and became renowned for her ability to treat difficult cases. She also ministered to the 7,500 troops stationed in Miami during the Spanish-American War who suffered from dysentery, typhus, or measles. The property was sold to botanist Dr. David Fairchild and his wife in 1916 and is known as The Kampong. Dr. Simmons’ office is the second-oldest building in Miami-Dade County standing on its original foundation, and the brass doorbell plate at the entrance still bears her name, DR GALT SIMMONS.
This low oolitic limestone building was the office and stable of Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons (1854 – 1909), Dade County’s first female physician. Simmons, a Bryn Mawr College alumna, graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia in 1880. She moved to Coconut Grove in 1892 with her husband, Captain Albion Simmons, and purchased eight acres. Using the Encyclopedia Britannica as guidance, the couple built a house which later burned down. As a frontier physician, Simmons made her rounds by horse and a two-wheeled cart or by boat. She encountered alligators, rattlesnakes, panthers, and swarms of mosquitos. Simmons treated white and black settlers, as well as members of the Miccosukee tribe, made rural house calls, and became renowned for her ability to treat difficult cases. She also ministered to the 7,500 troops stationed in Miami during the Spanish-American War who suffered from dysentery, typhus, or measles. The property was sold to botanist Dr. David Fairchild and his wife in 1916 and is known as The Kampong. Dr. Simmons’ office is the second-oldest building in Miami-Dade County standing on its original foundation, and the brass doorbell plate at the entrance still bears her name, DR GALT SIMMONS.
Erected 2017 by Michael and Dianne Rosenberg, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker
Location. 25° 42.936′ N, 80° 15.091′ W. Marker is in Coconut Grove, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. Marker can be reached from South Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue), 0.1 miles south of Bayview Road, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located in The Kampong. Entrance is by appointment only. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4013 South Douglas Road, Miami FL 33133, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . The Kapong. (Submitted on February 17, 2020.)
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, January 30, 2020
2. Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons-Office and Stable Marker and buildings
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, January 30, 2020
3. Looking from the grounds toward downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, January 30, 2020
4. Entrance sign to The Kampong
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, January 30, 2020
5. Photo taken from the shore of Biscayne Bay looking west.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 412 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 16, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
