Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Legacy of Dennis Sawyer

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, February 23, 2022

1. The Legacy of Dennis Sawyer Marker

Inscription. Edwin Dennis Sawyer (1874-1964) was born in the Bahamas, the second child of freed slave Alfred Sawyer. From age 18-25, Dennis worked on a ship and then in Ft. Pierce as a fisherman. In 1898, after moving to Cocoa, he married Rebecca Dallas. The couple settled on Merritt Island and raised five children. In 1902, Dennis Sawyer applied for U.S. citizenship. He organized and helped build Mt. Olive AME Church in 1908. He owned a 2-story building known as "Sawyer's Hall," which had space for community and Masonic lodge meetings, a small store, and rented living quarters. He helped establish one of the first African American schools on Merritt Island. In 1931, Sawyer arranged for the construction of a 2-room schoolhouse that was later known as Merritt Junior High. Sawyer grew vegetables, fruits, and sugarcane, and was often seen with his produce wagon pulled by his mule, Maude. He also captained the tug Mystic, which pulled fruit barges to Cocoa for loading onto Florida East Coast Railway cars, and skippered a trade boat that S.F. Travis ran down to Jupiter. Sawyer was a 33rd degree Mason, a mediator between the black and white

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communities, and is remembered for his fine produce, generous nature, and excellent character.

Erected 2020 by The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1091.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.

Location. 28° 22.776′ N, 80° 42.697′ W. Marker is on Merritt Island, Florida, in Brevard County. It is on North Tropical Trail 0.1 miles south of Sawyer Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in front of the Mt. Olive AME Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1240 North Tropical Trail, Merritt Island FL 32953, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Space Coast.

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

The Legacy of Dennis Sawyer Marker in front of the church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, February 23, 2022

2. The Legacy of Dennis Sawyer Marker in front of the church

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Dennis Sawyer Memorial Park and Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); John R. Field Homestead (approx. 1.3 miles away); Indianola Pioneer Cemetery (approx. 1.8 miles away); The S. F. Travis Company (approx. 1.8 miles away); Cocoa Village Playhouse (approx. 1.9 miles away); Emory Lawrence Bennett (approx. 1.9 miles away); Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris (approx. 1.9 miles away); Edward Postell Porcher House (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Merritt Island.

Also see . . . Greater Mt. Olive AME Church. (Submitted on February 26, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Photographed by Diane Murphy, August 2024

3. The Legacy of Dennis Sawyer Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,384 times since then and 166 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 26, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3. submitted on August 17, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida.