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

The Josephine Baker Pavilion

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, March 21, 2024

1. The Josephine Baker Pavilion Marker

Inscription. The City of Miami Beach, the Consulate of France in Miami, and The Wolfsonian-FIU are pleased to dedicate this Bridge Tender House in honor of French-American entertainer Josephine Baker, a legendary Black artist and inspirational activist. Baker’s principled stand in 1951 for her tour-de-force performances at Miami Beach’s Copa City Club, where she insisted on entry for audiences of color, remains a storied chapter of South Florida history and a testament to the countless Black voices who have fought for equality and inclusion in our city and across the world stage.

About This Structure
Bridge Tender House, 1939
For the Northwest 27th Avenue Bridge, Miami
Harrington & Cortelyou, Kansas City, Missouri, architects
Steel, wood, glass, and iron
This Art Deco-style Bridge Tender House (dedicated as the Josephine Baker Pavilion in 2022) by architects Harrington & Cortelyou is one of two stainless-steel structures that sat at the ends of the Northwest 27th Avenue Bridge over the Miami River after its 1939 expansion. The Bridge Tender House was saved from demolition when the bridge was rebuilt and donated to The Wolfsonian

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in 1993.

The Wolfsonian–FIU, Gift of the Florida Department of Transportation, 1993.5

(Image caption: Bridge Tender House, Northwest 27th Avenue Bridge, Miami River, c. 1940)

Erected 2022 by The Wolfsonian-FIU.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Bridges & Viaducts • Civil Rights • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location. 25° 46.869′ N, 80° 7.957′ W. Marker is in Miami Beach, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in South Beach. It is on Washington Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach FL 33139, 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.

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

The Josephine Baker Pavilion image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, March 21, 2024

2. The Josephine Baker Pavilion

Formerly the Bridge Tender House, this bridge feature was moved and dedicated to the artist Josephine Baker in 2022.

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: Alfredo Gonzalez, Sr. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); 209 9th Street / 900 Collins Avenue (about 600 feet away); Barbara Baer Capitman – Historic Preservationist (about 700 feet away); South Beach Art Deco District (about 700 feet away); Casa Casuarina (about 800 feet away); The Rainbow Crosswalk (approx. 0.2 miles away); Barbara Baer Capitman (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Barbara Baer Capitman (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami Beach.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 209 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 28, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.