winter 2025
MANAGER’S MESSAGE
Hello and Happy Holidays to you all. This season is a time to reflect and give thanks to all the wonderful people and events that make us who we are. We here at The Barnacle are very blessed to have so many people and events working to make this park the best it can be. All the Rangers, Volunteers, Associations, Schools, Businesses and visitors that I have the pleasure of working with everyday make this a truly wonderful Holiday season. Thank you all.
Walking through the park today you might notice we no longer have a pavilion. The demolition has been completed and the construction of the pavilion is about to begin. Many people are asking “When will the new pavilion be completed?” All I can tell you today is that the project is scheduled to be completed on the 18th of March 2026. We can only hope it comes close to meeting that deadline.
Award presented to Ransom Everglades Parents Volunteers
Ransom Everglades Parents Association Volunteers pause after working hard
We would like to thank all members of the Ransom Everglades School Parent Association Board for a day of hard work they donated to clear the way for a better visitor experience at the Barnacle Historic State Park. The Parent Association has been awarded the Exceptional Service & Dedication Award for helping us clear invasive plants and undergrowth from beneath some of our larger trees so that visitors to our park can enjoy more shaded areas and have a better view of the house and grounds. We appreciate and rely on the volunteer activities of groups such as this to help us maintain a beautiful place for all to enjoy.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Hope to see you walking in the park.
Daniel Kelsey, Park Manager
President’s Message
Greetings Barnacle family & friends!
The Barnacle Society moonlight concert series for 2025 ended with a favorite, the French Horn, drawing 225 concert goers to wrap the year. But don’t worry, we have more terrific concerts planned in 2026! Moonlight concerts are on the second Friday of each Month with gates opening at 6 and live entertainment from 7-9. It is a perfect way to wind down from the week, pack a picnic or grab your favorite take-out, and come throw a blanket on the lawn! You are welcome to bring your favorite beverages too just remember that you must take all your trash and recyclables with you when you leave.
Here are the dates for the first quarter of 2026:
January 9th Jennings and Keller Moonlight Concert - Jennings & Keller is an award-winning nationally touring duo based out of Florida. They offer up 21st Century Americana with influences in folk, jazz, ...
February 13th Keith Johns Moonlight Concert- Keith Johns crafts dynamic, beautifully orchestrated Indie Folk music
March 13th Invasive Species Moonlight Concert- Playing cosmic Americana and Grateful country rock.
April 10th Siempre Flamenco Moonlight Concert and dance performance-Paco and Celia Fonta present an authentic flamenco show dedicated to preserving the art of flamenco in a fresh, engaging and high energy performance.
March 29th Annual Meeting- Complimentary for Barnacle Members, save the date for Champagne and light bites on the lawn! More details soon.
There is so much more to share and we welcome you.
Thank you for supporting our efforts, we do it for you and couldn’t do it without you. See you soon!
Mary Scott Russell, President, The Barnacle Society
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BARNACLE
Junior Rangers Discover Maritime History at The Barnacle Boathouse
by Dan Kelsey
Kevin Floyd showing a wood plane to Junior Rangers in the historic boathouse
As a part of the parks Junior Ranger program, Park Service Specialist Kevin Floyd is bringing local history to life for students of the Coconut Grove Academy through hands-on exploration at Commadore Monroe's historic boathouse. The program offers children a unique opportunity to step back into the early 1900s and learn how boats were designed and built during a formative period in South Florida's maritime history.
During guided tours of the boathouse, Ranger Floyd introduces students to the tools and materials that early boatbuilders relied on long before modern tools. Ranger Floyd encourages students to look closely, ask questions, and imagine how builders solved problems using only the resources available at the time.
Through this Junior Ranger project, the park is fostering curiosity and appreciation for cultural heritage while inspiring the next generation of stewards. Thanks to Ranger Kevin Floyd's guidance, the students of Coconut Grove Academy are not just learning about history; they are discovering how the past continues to shape the waterways they see today.
front porch improvements
Next time you visit the park, check out the seating capacity on the front porch of the house. There are more rocking chairs, the better to enjoy the view! I took these pictures of a group of guests celebrating a baby-to-be, looking quite comfortable.
Taking a load off on the front porch of the historic house
Looks like there is room for you!
Sawdust and Shavings
by John Palenchar
There has been no shortage of sawdust and shavings in the Boathouse the past few months. While Peter Jelonek took on the repair of one of the main boathouse doors, Mark Monroe and I kept working on the production of eight new interpretive sign holders for the Park—all the while supplying support, as needed, to Mike Chapman who was busy building a brand new set of floorboards for EGRET at Shake-A-Leg, where Harry Horgan generously offered space for EGRET on her trailer.
As always, when the Boathouse is “open” we receive many visitors, which leads to delightful conversations about The Barnacle, the Commodore, and the history of Coconut Grove and Miami. Not only do we see folks from around the country and around the world, but many locals uttering the familiar mantra, “I’ve lived here all my life and this is the first time I’ve visited The Barnacle!”
EGRET FLOORBOARDS
Floorboards are a common feature of most wooden boats, keeping passengers’ feet out of the inevitable puddle of seawater that accumulates in the bilge. Mike Chapman has painstakingly fitted new floorboards throughout EGRET. The ones in the cabin area will hold her new lead ballast in place.
Cockpit floorboards treated and ready to install.
Starboard cabin floorboards fitted and ready for two coats of “Salty Dog” (a concoction brewed up by the Geo. Kirby Paint Co. in New Bedford, MA).
Mark Monroe and Peter Jelonek applying “Salty Dog” to floorboards behind the Boathouse.
BOATHOUSE DOOR REPAIR
Further investigation of a “sticking” door revealed that the bolts on the lower hinge had corroded away and all that was left was the bolt head!
What was left of the hinge bolts. No wonder the door was binding!
Old “backing plate” with rotted bolt holes. Note wood “plugs” in door holes.
Peter installing new backing plate. Repair almost complete. The door will swing free for another fifty-plus years!!
EGRET at SHAKE-A-LEG
We owe a big “Thank You” to Harry Horgan and the Shake-a-Leg staff for “hosting” EGRET over the past two and a half months. Harry took the opportunity to do some interpretive education, including a life-size cutout of Commodore Munroe and Capt. Nat Herreshoff—the two most prominent yacht designers of their era. This photo was taken at The Barnacle, where he hosted Capt. Nat for a few winters in a small cottage he built for him on the “north” side of the Boathouse.
Life-size cutout portrait of Capt. Nat Herreshoff and Commodore Ralph Munroe in front of Egret at Shake-a-Leg.
A closer view of the cutout of Herreshoff and Munroe.
A landlubber’s view of the boathouse
by Suzanne Koptur
I just had to see for myself, and now I understand why every Saturday and most Wednesdays my dear spouse has a standing appointment at the Barnacle Boathouse. It is clearly THE place to BE! Salty dogs of various ages gather to spin tales and sometimes put their hands and minds to work on boat repairs and other nautical projects, and a good time is had by all. Recently the crew has made some new display boards for photos that are held on the inside of the boathouse doors, making more information available to visitors and sharing some beautiful images of historic craft and times gone by.
A visitor, Lynn Zacevich (left), examines a beautiful key rack hand-crafted by Boathouse volunteers, on sale to support Boathouse activities and the maritime program. In the boathouse, from left to right: John Palenchar, Peter Jelonek, Dan Kelsey (off duty), Mark Monroe, and John Van Leer (seated). Van Leer built the Proa that has hung for years in the pavilion.
Historic craft that have graced the waters of Biscayne Bay
Aids to storytelling in this historic place.
Renew your membership
The support of our community helps ensure the future of The Barnacle. Your membership makes a huge impact in the maintenance of the museum, the grounds, and all the amazing projects in the Boathouse. Please take a moment to renew your membership, or to become a member if you have not done so already. Thank you for supporting The Barnacle!
THE NATURE OF THINGS AT THE BARNACLE
by Suzanne Koptur
The true Florida Holly
Flowers of Ilex cassine, the true Florida holly (photo by Jim Duggan)
The holiday season is here, and around the world (especially in temperate areas) people are “decking the halls with boughs of holly”. Seems like a good time to take a look at one of our attractive native species, sometimes confused with another exotic invasive species. The problem may arise from using the same common name, but the plants also both have bright red berries and glossy green leaves.
Ilex cassine fruits - and note the very few teeth on the margins of the simple leaves. Photo by John Bradford.
Many Florida residents know that Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthefolia, in the mango family, Anacardiaceae) is a nuisance invasive pest tree, and some people refer to this plant as Florida Holly. However, Florida Holly is also used as a common name for species of Ilex, many of which are native to Florida! The species we are most likely to encounter at The Barnacle is Ilex cassine, sometimes known also as dahoon holly. This holly can be found in many habitats including mesic hardwood hammock as we have at the Barnacle, though you might not recognize it as a holly at first.
Most hollies in this family (Aquifoliaceae) have leaves with points on their margins; true Florida holly has only a few teeth, sometimes only one or two per leaf! The flowers are pretty, small, and white, with nectar and pollen for their visitors. The showy part of the plant is really its fruits, that are BRIGHT red, certainly appropriate for decking the halls! Many birds also find them quite delicious and serve as seed dispersers for this and other hollies (including Brazilian pepper).
Not to be confused with this bad news tree:
Brazilian pepper, sometimes called Florida holly. Note compound leaves! Photo from The Ecosystem Gardener.
An early Christmas in Coconut Grove
Tom Septembre sent this to share with the park staff, but we think you all may enjoy it, too!
"Coconut Grove begins not with a meeting, speeches, or vote on incorporation, but with a Big Fat Christmas Party and feast, served up at the Peacock Inn! (Menu included.) All the 'bay settlers' (pioneers) are invited-- the whole family-- and they nearly all come." Christmas 1886.
--Paul Hampton Crockett
THOUGH WE tend to idealize the experience, prospects and adventures of the pioneers, it was often a hard, lonesome life. Dangers were many, but assurances were few. And if the provider in a family (being either the father, mother, or both) died, or became injured, there was no one available to help pick up the slack. Your neighbors might chip in, to the extent possible, but they were all in the same precarious situation as you were.
In the early days, there might have been a greater chance of being struck by lightning than receiving an invitation to come party down!
It is also easy to imagine that the special touches that had made Christmas what it was back home-- simple things, really, might have made a once-special day falling on the calendar seem especially bleak. The lack of music sometimes can be louder, and more harsh, than silence.
As recalled by Commodore Ralph Munroe in his autobiography published in 1930, 1886 was a special year for Coconut Grove. His neighbors might not have realized it yet, but he had. Charles and Bella Peacock were hitting their stride with their hotel-- the only room and board between Key West and Palm Beach. They were holding up their end of the bargain-- making the guests happy, and comfortable, and he was keeping his. The Commodore knew "everybody," or so it seemed; he treasured the relationships made along the way, none more than his friendships. He had begun something of a letter-writing campaign to tell those of his acquaintance about this semi-mythical realm called in shorthand "Coconut Grove," and invite them to come. Many came, and in fact, more than a few immediately fell in love with the climate, and exotic locale, and themselves became pioneers important to the progress and development of the Grove.
Why was the Commodore as deeply and widely beloved as he was? Because he was possessed of a rare sympathy for the trials and challenges faced by others. He was no saint, whatever that means, but he was good and kind in his very makeup. He was exactly the kind who, in a "flush" moment, feeling optimistic, would understand that a Christmas party that year would be so much more than even what it seemed. So he approached his innkeeping friends and they thought it a wonderful idea. They knew what it was to be starting out all over again, lonely and alone, and so had a sense of what it might mean to the many who had left behind the familiar, the loved, and comforting-- in order to get a chance at a "better life." Who couldn't use a celebration in a wilderness?
It might be necessary to "read between the lines" to get a sense of just how immensely pleased the Commodore was left by the whole situation as today's party slipped into tomorrow's memory-- how tickled, and proud. But here are his brief words penned on the subject in his autobiography:
"At Christmas, with the kindly help of the Peacocks, we had a 'community' tree, with presents for all the children of Bay Biscayne, and a dinner for old and young.
"It was a comprehensive party, scarce a half-dozen of the Bay settlers being absent, and was the first event of its kind to bring joy to the youngsters and fellow feeling to the rest."
"The Commodore's Story" pp. 164-65.
Now, what was the Christmas Dinner served to the settlers of the Bay Biscayne, that day? Thankfully, the menu was preserved by the Coconut Grove Womens' Club. It was called an "elaborate feast," highlighting fresh local game and tropical fruit grown in the area.
The menu:
• Appetizer: Grapefruit and sliced mango.
• Soups and Sides: Green turtle soup, baked land crabs, and French-fried dasheen (a starchy root vegetable).
• Main Course: Broiled mangrove snapper with grits.
• Dessert: Salad of palm cabbage, with coconut jelly and orange flower honey.
Who enjoyed the meal? Everyone seen in Munroe's photograph freezing in time the sweet moment, everyone in the area, except for the half-dozen unfortunates not able to make it.
When a book is finally written on "Great meals of Historical Importance," this party that rocked the Coconut Grove of 1886 will surely be given a place in it, as a meal happily feeding the body, surely, but also so much more.
Quite arguably, of this simple celebration, a community was born.
Christmas 1886 Peacock Inn - photo from the Peacock and Frow Collection of the University of Miami digital archives
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The News Packet was created to inform members and public about The Barnacle Society, The Barnacle Historic State Park, and events and activities there. Published quarterly by The Barnacle Society, it is part of our continuing program to support and preserve the home of Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe. The News Packet represents the method of mail and news delivery before the turn of the 20th century. A small boat sailed to Fowey Rocks Light and received a “packet” of newspapers and mail from passing coastal ships bound for Key West or Jacksonville.
Suzanne Koptur, Editor
BOARD MEMBERS
Officers
Mary Scott Russell, President
Sweet Pea Ellman, 1st VP
Kevin Black, 2nd VP
Graham Coords, 3rd VP
Rafael Felippe, Treasurer
Debra Wellins, Recording Secretary
John Palenchar, Corresponding Secretary
Directors
Peter Berman, Ashley Castillo, Olivier de Lavalette, Marc Stone, Pam Shlachtman, Walt Walkington
MISSION STATEMENT
The Barnacle Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, citizen-supported organization created to generate public awareness, education, and financial support for the preservation and maintenance of The Barnacle Historic State Park.
PARK HOURS
Friday through Wednesday 9 AM to 5 PM Closed Thursdays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.