Elizabeth Virrick Park

Elizabeth Virrick Park. . Elizabeth Virrick was born in Winchester, Kentucky in 1897. After studying architecture and interior design at the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University, she moved to Miami with her husband in 1925. Virrick met Coconut Grove activist and black Episcopal preacher Theodore Gibson at a meeting of the Coconut Grove Civic Club in 1948, and it was there that she became aware of the poor living conditions for African Americans in Coconut Grove. To address this problem, Virrick cofounded, with Gibson, the Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance. Virrick pushed for improved sanitation, access to running water, and garbage collection in Coconut Grove. By the early 1950s, Virrick was recognized as “Miami’s number one slum fighter.” In addition to her work in Coconut Grove, Virrick also crusaded to fight corruption in low income, African American neighborhoods, which included the unsuccessful lone opposition of the construction of I-95 through the Overtown area. She successfully fought against the extension of I-95 south into Coconut Grove along the US 1 corridor. Throughout the post-World War II era, Virrick sought to make sure urban renewal projects benefitted the community rather than the landlords., By the 1960s, Virrick was deeply involved in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s "Great Society," a campaign for fair housing, increased job opportunities, and social service programs. Many Miamians agreed that for their city, Virrick "fired the first shots in the war on poverty." Virrick’s legacy of activism is honored in numerous places in Miami, including the Elizabeth Virrick Village public housing project, the Virrick Gym, and here, Elizabeth Virrick Park. This park was designed by architect Kenneth Treister on a 3.5-acre parcel on the border of the historic black and white sections of Coconut Grove. Treister worked in conjunction with Virrick and Miami City Commissioner Alice Wainwright to make the park a reality. The park opened in 1963, and by 1970 had a public pool. Treister assisted with design of a new community center as part of a larger restoration of Virrick Park in 2002. The center expanded in 2006 with the addition of a public library branch, also named for Virrick. This park continues to be a beloved community gathering place and a testament to Virrick’s accomplishments in Miami.