Gifford in Vero Beach in Indian River County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Gifford Community

Photographed by Diane Murphy

1. Gifford Community Marker

Inscription. In the late 1880s, several farmers settled on small farms and homesteads in this area. The families of W. Brown, J. Cannon, A. O. Espy, W. Geoffrey, and J. Gray called their small agricultural community Brownsville. By 1893, these settlers had been joined by black laborers arriving to work on Henry Flagler's new railroad. The settlement then became known as the Gifford Siding for an early settler whose homestead was several miles to the south. It would be another decade before a railroad station was built near this settler's homestead at Vero. By 1900s, the African-American community, now known as Gifford, would have a busy railroad stop, post office, school, park, and a growing population of workers in citrus, domestic services, truck farming, and lumber. Today, the Gifford Community is one of Florida's Front Porch Communities and its citizens are active in the planning and future growth of their community.

Erected 2016 by the Indian River County Historical Society and the Progressive Civic League of Gifford.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Landmarks • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 27° 40.325′ N, 80° 24.9′

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W. Marker is in Vero Beach, Florida, in Indian River County. It is in Gifford. It is on 30th Avenue north of 43rd Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is erected in the hedges in front of Historic Macedonia Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4360 30th Avenue, Vero Beach FL 32967, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s Space 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Gifford High School Sundial Landmark (approx. ¼ mile away); Vero Beach Grounds/Dubose Cemetery (approx. ¼ mile away); Gifford School / Hosie Shumann Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); U.S. Naval Station, Vero Beach (approx. 1.4 miles away); Baseball and Dodgertown (approx. 2 miles away); Vero Beach Railway Station (approx. 2.2 miles away); Courthouse Executive Center (approx. 2.4 miles away); City of Vero Beach (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vero Beach.

Additional keywords. When looking north at the front of Historic Macedonia Church, the Marker will be just east and is erected in the hedges.