Secretary Byrd Announces the Designation of the East Stuart and Downtown Stuart Historic district

Secretary Byrd Announces the Designation of the East Stuart and Downtown Stuart Historic district

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced today that the East Stuart Historic District and the Downtown Stuart Historic District in Stuart, Martin County, have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

"I am pleased to announce that the East Stuart and Downtown Stuart historic districts have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. "Both of these districts bring much needed recognition to the history of Stuart and mark the culmination of a successful multi-year preservation project in the community."

The community of Stuart began in 1894, as a small railroad stop along what became the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). A settlement soon developed with residents relying heavily on pineapple cultivation and commercial and recreational fishing. By the early 20^th century, the community experienced significant growth and in 1914, Stuart was formally incorporated as a municipality. The community saw further expansion as a result of the Florida Land Boom during the 1920s. Stuart transformed into a highway community as the automobile replaced the railroad and the horse as the principal means of transportation. The residents of Stuart led a campaign for the creation of a new county from the surrounding portion of Palm Beach County. The Florida legislature created Martin County in 1925 with Stuart as the county seat. From the beginning, Stuart was the largest community and the political and economic hub of Martin County.

East Stuart Historic District, St. Monica Episcopal Church. Photo Credit: East Stuart Historic District National Register Nomination

The East Stuart Historic District comprises the core of the historic Black community of East Stuart. Prior to World War II, East Stuart was the largest and the most important of the Black communities in Martin County and served as its residential, commercial, religious, and educational hub. East Stuart was one of the original five wards of Stuart when the city was formally incorporated in 1914. East Stuart was home to important Black institutions such as the Stuart Training School (STS). The present STS building, which dates to the 1930s, was the first masonry building constructed in East Stuart. For much of its history, STS was the only public high school for Black children in Martin County.
The district also contains several prominent churches, including St. Paul AME, Macedonia Baptist, Mt. Calvary Baptist, and St. Monica Episcopal Church. These congregations have long served as major support organizations and sources of community identity in East Stuart. Following World War II, the churches and the surrounding community became the planning grounds for countywide civil rights activities that resulted in the desegregation of white businesses in Stuart in the 1960s.
During the 1960s, one of the largest public housing projects in the county, the Stuart Housing Authority, was constructed in the heart of East Stuart. This project led to the destruction of several blocks of the community. Although most of the surviving residential buildings in East Stuart postdate World War II, there are several examples of rare surviving residences dating back to the 1920s.

Downtown Stuart Historic District, Historic Stuart Feed Supply, now the Stuart Heritage Museum. Photo Credit: Downtown Stuart Historic District National Register Nomination.

The Downtown Stuart Historic District represents a collection of resources that comprise the historic commercial and governmental core of Stuart. This district is the oldest section of Stuart and contains a mixture of commercial and residential properties dating primarily to the early to mid-20^th century.

This district was historically the white business district for Stuart, with distinctive commercial block buildings consisting of two primary facades along SW Flagler Avenue and SW Osceola Street. Among the major historic businesses still present are the Stuart Feed Store, the Lyric Theatre, the Stuart Bank, and the Feroe Building.

The Downtown Stuart Historic District also contains several governmental landmarks, including multiple city hall buildings and the historic Martin County Courthouse. The district contains a number of significant architectural landmarks in the community, including the unique vernacular wood frame Owl House, the Art Deco Martin County Courthouse, and the Post Office Arcade, which is an excellent example of Mediterranean Revival architecture.

Downtown Stuart Historic District and East Stuart Historic District Boundary Maps. Map Credit: Florida Division of Historical Resource, Bureau of Historic Preservation.

###

About The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is a list maintained by the National Park Service which includes historical or archaeological properties including buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts, that are considered worthy of preservation because of their local, statewide and/or national significance. Nominations for properties in Florida are submitted to the National Park Service through the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources. Florida has over 1,700 listings on the National Register, including 291 historical districts and 172 archaeological sites. There are more than 50,000 sites contributing to the National Register in Florida. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation/national-register.