Camp Biscayne
Camp Biscayne was a winter resort founded in 1903 by Ralph Middleton Munroe to provide "a stopping place in Coconut Grove, Florida", as the Peacock Inn had closed in 1902.[1] Situated a few lots south of the Barnacle (now the Barnacle Historic State Park),
Camp Biscayne primarily catered to those interested in sailing, fishing, and the simple life. By 1925, when the resort closed, it consisted of several cottages and a main lodge with a dining room that could seat 100 people. At Camp Biscayne, Munroe made efforts to preserve as much of the hammock (tropical forest) as possible, believing it had "worked out its life's problems and established itself as the legitimate occupant of the land." Drawing inspiration from the trees in the hammock, Munroe named each of the 11 cottages after a native tree or an ornamental one. Each tree was tagged, and a list of the trees was made available to guests.
References
- Notes
- Parks 2010 p. 3.
- Bibliography
- Camp Biscayne Hotel Register,1914-1925. Archives of the Barnacle Historic State Park.(Primary source)
- Camp Biscayne Has Many Noted Winter Visitors. Miami Herald, March 3, 1923.
- Coulombe, Deborah A. and Hiller, Herbert L. Season of Innocence: The Munroes at the Barnacle in Early Coconut Grove. Miami: The Pickering Press, 1988.
- McIver, Stuart. One Hundred Years on Biscayne Bay: 1887-1987. Coconut Grove, Florida: Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, 1987.
- Munroe, Ralph Middleton and Gilpin, Vincent. The Commodore's Story: The Early Days on Biscayne Bay. Miami: Historical Association of Southern Florida, 1985, pp. 306–314.
- Parks, Arva Moore and Bennett, Bo. Coconut Grove. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
- Parks, Arva Moore. The Forgotten Frontier: Thru the Lens of Ralph Middleton Munroe. Miami: Centennial Press, 2004.
- Taylor, Jean C. "Camp Biscayne," Update. Miami: Historical Association of Southern Florida, Vol. 5, No. 3, February, 1978, pp. 6–8.