In 2024, Plymouth Congregational Church completed a major restoration of the first schoolhouse in Miami, located on the church’s historic 11-acre campus in Coconut Grove.
Built in 1897, the schoolhouse remains one of Miami-Dade County’s oldest surviving structures and an important symbol of Coconut Grove’s pioneer era and early educational history. Originally constructed in part with lumber salvaged from shipwrecks, the one-room schoolhouse later served many roles throughout its history, including as a residence, art gallery, and community gathering place.
The restoration project was made possible through support from The Villagers, private donors, and the church itself. The work included preservation of the bell tower, replacement of the roof, and continued stewardship of its interpretive collection of artifacts and historical materials, including a copy of the homestead grant from President Ulysses S. Grant to the school’s first teacher, Flora McFarlane.
The schoolhouse also holds special significance as the site where the Housekeepers Club — later the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove — was founded in 1891.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the schoolhouse continues to preserve and share an important chapter of Miami’s pioneer history.