SOUTH RIVER DRIVE HISTORIC DISTRICT BOARDING HOUSES

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.