Henry Flagler, the Gilded Age developer of the east coast of Florida, was re-enacted by Robert Dawson during a National Society of Colonial Dames fundraiser on Mar. 30 at the Coral Reef Yacht Club.
Speaking in first person, Dawson told the story of Flagler’s 19th century rise to being one of the richest men in America and how the construction of his railroads and grand hotels from St. Augustine to Key West transformed the state.
The coffee raised funds for the local NSCDA’s project of supporting the U.S. military by sending letters and boxes of books and food to troops stationed in the Mideast. Hundreds of boxes have been assembled and mailed by NSCDA’s Miami Committee, with many letters of appreciation received from the soldiers.
Anna Ehlert chaired the fundraiser, working with committee members Phyllis Parsons, Betsy Tilghman, Ellen Oppenheimer, Molly Baumberger, Becky Roper Matkov, Pam Admire, Carol Ann Lane, Sarah Gerber and NSCDA-Miami president Edith Huntley Stickney.
Since 1891, the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America has promoted an appreciation for the people, places and events that led to the formation and development of the United States of America. The NSCDA is an unincorporated association of 44 corporate societies with more than 15,000 members whose ancestors resided in an American Colony before 1750. The NSCDA has been a leader in the field of historic preservation, restoration and the interpretation of historic sites.
The NSCDA owns or supports over 80 historic sites, including Gunston Hall in Virginia, the Ximenez-Fatio House in St. Augustine and its headquarters, the Dumbarton House in Washington, DC.
