LEMON CITY NAZARENE

Bound by the area east of I-95, between 71st and 54th streets, the Lemon City community had at least three identifiable historic black communities at the turn of the 20th century, including this area, Nazarene. Pronounced by locals as “Naz’ree,” the community drew its name from the Bible. It was developed on land platted by Lewis W. Pierce, a local farmer and entrepreneur. Pierce wanted to provide housing for his black workers, many of whom were of Bahamian descent. An agricultural area originally comprised of pinelands and prairie, Nazarene was located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues from DuPont Road (Northeast 71st Street) to an undefined southern boundary. Artificial barriers of segregation set Nazarene apart as a black enclave in Lemon City. In the mid-20th century, racial discrimination and urban renewal forced many African American residents of Nazarene and the surrounding neighborhoods to relocate elsewhere in Miami. As a result of this forced shift in demographics, Lemon City’s African American cemetery, located within the Nazarene neighborhood on Northwest 71st Street, was lost. It was rediscovered in 2009, and portions were preserved in 2011.