Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Side One: This cottage was home to author and environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1912, Marjory moved to Florida in 1915 and worked for her father, Frank Stoneman, at The Miami Herald. During this time, she wrote on various progressive issues such as women’s suffrage, racial injustice, and environmental conservation.

In 1924, she purchased this Coconut Grove property for her new house, and contracted friend and architect George Hyde for the design. Some of Hyde’s previous work was in designing factories, and Marjory commented that her house “held up like a factory” after surviving the 1926 Miami Hurricane. The cottage was simple, consisting of a large main room for entertaining guests, and a single bedroom.

Marjory viewed it more as a workshop for her writing than as a residence. She wrote numerous books in this house, including her seminal work, The Everglades: River of Grass, published in 1947. The Florida Department of Natural Resources purchased the property in 1992, though Marjory continued to live there until her death in 1998.

Due to Marjory’s activism and work championing the preservation of the Everglades, her house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2015. Side Two: Marjory Stoneman Douglas spent much of her life raising awareness regarding the importance of the Everglades. Starting in 1930, she played an instrumental role in the more than 15-year struggle for its preservation as a national park.

Stoneman Douglas’ writing drew attention to the Everglades as a unique habitat for over 3,000 flora and fauna species and as a water source for South Florida residents. Her efforts were rewarded in 1947 when Everglades National Park was dedicated, but her work did not stop there. Development and exploitation were still threats to the wetlands, and Marjory continued writing to draw attention to these issues.

In 1969, at age 79, Marjory founded the Friends of the Everglades. Through grassroots lobbying, Friends of the Everglades fought and successfully blocked the construction of a large jetport in the fragile wetlands. Stoneman Douglas and the Friends of the Everglades continues to fight many other environmental threats over the years.

Among many awards and tributes for her work, Marjory was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993 by President Bill Clinton at age 103. In 2012, the Florida Legislature voted to make April 7th Everglades Day in honor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.