Richmond Heights Pioneer Historic District

Richmond Heights was the first private development in Miami-Dade County established for African American veterans and one of the first planned Black communities in the United States. In 1942, Captain Frank Crawford Martin, a former West Point student and pilot for Pan American Airlines, bought 3,000 acres of land next to the recently opened Naval Air Station Richmond.

Recognizing racial segregation and its impacts on housing for Black veterans, Martin laid out a high-quality community for African American veterans and their families by the end of the decade. Each of the residents served during World War II. Some remained in the military for their careers while others had prominent roles as teachers, judges, and clergy in the community.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the neighborhood expanded quickly, with new schools, churches, and family-owned businesses. In 2018, The Richmond Heights Pioneer Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is comprised of the first 26 homes purchased in the Richmond Heights development.

These homes lie along Monroe Street, extending roughly from Carver Street at the north, to mid-block between Graham Drive and SW 152 Street to the south.