Historic Manhattan Beach, Florida

Manhattan Beach was Florida’s first African American beach resort. In 1900, Henry Flagler reserved Manhattan Beach for black employees of his Florida East Coast Railway and Florida East Coast Hotel companies. African Americans, who comprised a large portion of Flagler’s workforce, built and maintained Flagler’s racially segregated rail and hotel empire.

Manhattan Beach provided their only seaside respite in northeast Florida. African American entrepreneurs, including Mack Wilson and William Middleton, helped transform Manhattan Beach into a vibrant community that attracted black beachgoers from all over the South. Their pavilions offered guests entertainment, bathing suit rentals, dining, and lodging.

Manhattan Beach was a hub of African American culture and leisure until its decline during the 1930s. In 1932, the Florida East Coast Railway ceased operations from Jacksonville to its northern terminus in Mayport, making it harder for vacationers to reach Manhattan Beach. The resort survived until 1938, when pressure from white land developers and coastal erosion hastened its end.

The displaced African American community found refuge at American Beach in nearby Nassau County, founded in 1935 by Abraham Lincoln Lewis.