Marker Logo
THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Little Havana in Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses

 
 
South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023
1. South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses Marker
Inscription. The South River Drive Historic District contains the oldest surviving Frame Vernacular boarding houses along the Miami River and illustrates the historic development of Miami beyond the downtown area and along the riverfront. Completed by 1915, during the era of segregation, the boarding houses mostly accommodated white tourists and potential new residents drawn to Miami’s tropical climate. This neighborhood was the first on the west side of the river. For this riverside area, access to the city’s growing downtown was crucial, and the completion of the SW 1st Street bascule bridge in 1929 was pivotal for the area’s development. As a convenience to the residents, walkways were constructed from the bridge to the 2nd stories of 3 boarding houses, creating a unique historic feature. This segment of the Miami River continued to function as a working waterfront well into the 21st century, shipping fresh Florida seafood to the Caribbean and other international markets. The historic district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Completed in 2021, the current SW 1st Street Bridge was designed so that the 1929 direct connection between the bridge and historic boarding houses could be reestablished.
A Florida Heritage Site
 
Erected 2020 by The Florida Department of Transportation
Paid Advertisement
Click or scan to see
this page online
District 6 and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1125.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & ViaductsSettlements & SettlersWaterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
 
Location. 25° 46.362′ N, 80° 12.058′ W. Marker is in Miami, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in Little Havana. It is at the intersection of Southwest South River Drive and Southwest 1st Street (Florida Route 968), on the right when traveling north on Southwest South River Drive. Marker is located below the 1st Street bridge. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Miami FL 33130, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida and on the Gold Coast. It is also in the American South. 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: Miami River Historic Working Riverfront (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Dallas and the William F. English Plantation Slave Quarters (approx. Ό mile away); Wagner Homestead (approx. Ό mile away); Lummus Park Historic District (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dade County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Julia Tuttle - The Mother of Miami (approx. 0.6 miles away); Gesu Catholic Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Menendez on Biscayne Bay (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami.
 
Another marker is no longer nearby. Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 (was approx.
South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023
2. South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses Marker
0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
 
1st Street Bridge image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023
3. 1st Street Bridge
South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses from the 1st Street bridge image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Google Earth, 2023
4. South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses from the 1st Street bridge
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 686 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 21, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
m=229002

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Jun. 6, 2026