Coconut Grove in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Coconut Grove Playhouse

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, January 24, 2018

1. Coconut Grove Playhouse Marker Side 1

Inscription. (Side 1)
This theater is one of the few structures in downtown Coconut Grove that typifies the flamboyant era of the 1920s. Envisioned by Miami entrepreneurs Irving Thomas and Fin Pierce, The Grove was a luxurious movie theater designed in the Spanish Rococo style by noted architect Richard Kiehnel, who also designed the Miami Senior High School, the Scottish Rite Temple, and many South Florida homes. The Grove was the most elaborate theater with the largest capacity in Miami. Before its opening in 1926, Thomas sold the theater to the movie studio Paramount Enterprises, Inc., believing that the studio could bring in larger attractions. As one of Paramount’s 11 theaters in Southeast Florida, it was equipped with the latest model Wurlitzer pipe organ and was one of the few air conditioned buildings in the area. In addition, the building served multiple purposes with storefronts on the ground floor, offices on the second, and apartments on the third. The theater enjoyed a brief period of success before it closed during the Great Depression in the 1930s. (Continued on other side) (Side 2) (Continued from other side) During

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World War II, the theater was used as a training school for U.S. Army Air Corps navigators. Following the war, the building was closed until 1955 when it was purchased for $200,000 by George Engle, who decided to transform it into a performing arts center. Engle hired prominent Modernist architect Alfred Browning Parker to redesign the theater. The remodeled theater opened on June 3, 1956, as the Coconut Grove Playhouse and was Miami’s first live theater. The opening was headlined by the U.S. premiere of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece “Waiting for Godot.” After changing ownership multiple times, the theater was purchased by the State of Florida in 1980. Despite its turbulent history, the Coconut Grove Playhouse evolved into one of the most important regional theaters in the country and remains a beloved venue for the theatrical community in Miami.

Erected 2015 by Coconut Grove Civic Club and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-900.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Entertainment • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 25° 43.546′ N, 80° 14.681′ W.

Coconut Grove Playhouse Marker Side 2 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, January 24, 2018

2. Coconut Grove Playhouse Marker Side 2

Marker is in Coconut Grove, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is at the intersection of Main Highway and Charles Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Main Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3500 Main Highway, Miami FL 33133, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tea Chest / Ralph Munroe (within shouting distance of this marker); E.W.F. Stirrup House (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker); Mariah Brown House (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ransom School

Coconut Grove Playhouse and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, January 24, 2018

3. Coconut Grove Playhouse and Marker

(about 600 feet away); The Barnacle (about 700 feet away); Coconut Grove (about 700 feet away); Charles and Isabella Peacock Park (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coconut Grove.

Coconut Grove Playhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, January 24, 2018

4. Coconut Grove Playhouse

Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,022 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 31, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.