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Matheson Hammock Park instantly conjures vivid memories and image – a cherished haven of history and natural beauty. But for most people, it’s best known as a place for just good fun.
From its iconic man-made atoll pool, picnic spots, and a bustling marina with boat ramps, it’s a beloved Miami-Dade landmark. But what if I told you this is only half the story?
Across Old Cutler Road lies Matheson Hammock West – a hidden gem too often overlooked. It’s time to turn our attention to this “sleeping beauty” and imagine its transformation into a vibrant, natural wonderland complementing Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s offerings with year-round programming to teach and inspire.
What was Matheson West’s original purpose? Its early days remain shrouded in mystery, with no definitive records to tell its story. Intrigued, I set out to piece together its past, uncovering tantalizing clues about its history. What I found may just spark a new
chapter for Matheson West, inviting our community to reimagine its future and wake it from its long slumber.
• In 1929, Doug Barnes was the first Parks director hired to take over the “Roadside Beautification Project.” Commodore William John Matheson “contributed significantly” to make this possible by pledging to donate 84 acres of land along Old Cutler Road.
• On Feb. 15, 1930, Commodore Matheson deeded 84 acres to Dade County with the following restriction: “that said property shall be perpetually and forever held and kept by the party of the second part (Dade County) for the use and benefit of and in trust for the public as a botanical park.”
• Present tax rolls indicate that 58.67 acres of the original Commodore William J. Matheson land grant is located on the west side of Old Cutler, now part of Matheson West, and 21 acres on the east side, now where the picnic grounds are along Old Cutler. That leaves five acres that I presume was ultimately dedicated
to the Old Cutler Road right of way.
• Matheson Hammock Park opened in 1936-1938. I have been told that the original entrance was from Red Road (SW 57th Avenue), that there was a roadway that crossed a wooden bridge over Snapper Creek and entered West Matheson across what is now Banyan Drive. That roadway is still plated as SW 96th Street and officially extends only into the middle of the park. It now is a pedestrian trail that shows evidence of old paving.
• Supposedly, the wooden bridge was removed when the South Florida Management District widened the canal. There is no physical evidence of old bridge abutments but a 1930 aerial photograph shows a bridge at SW 96th Street that crosses Snapper Creek before Banyan Drive was constructed. There is some physical evidence of bridge abutments at SW 98th Street (now Banyan Trail). That street originally was an artist colony.
• Somewhere along the 96th Street roadway there was a parking lot. Visitors could walk from the lot to the existing coral rock building in the extreme southern end of Matheson West where there were horticultural displays and educational events. A 1938 aerial photograph shows the coral rock building and ancillary structures. It was most likely expanded when the county turned the entire park into a nursery in the 1970s. Fairchild Garden just received a grant to restore the coral rock building for use as an orchid nursery and educational facility.
• Although the roadway in from Red Road is only plated to the middle of the park, William Lyman Phillips, the signature landscape architect of the day, designed a row of Royal Palms, the “Palm Allee,” that continued from Red Road along a path in a straight line all the way to Old Cutler. Evidence of the path and many of the Royal Palms exists today.
• The original pathway stops at Old Cutler directly across from the present entrance to Matheson East. There is an existing small coral rock building at this location on the west side of Old Cutler. Supposedly, this was a contact (or ticket)office for entrance into the park. It is curious why the office is in that location. In any event, determining the function of the building would help explain whether Matheson West was primarily accessed from Red Road or from Old Cutler.
It would also be helpful in understanding the flow of visitors and how the horticultural experiences in Matheson West might have fit in with the overall park master plan. It makes sense that the original roadway referred to in Paragraph 9 of the Matheson Deed was, in fact, the “Palm Allee.”
I found this link that tells the history of William J. Matheson. It is in five parts so there is a link at the bottom of each section that takes you to the next one. The history of William J. Matheson absolutely is astonishing. The county came close to not having the
Matheson West land, and thus Matheson Hammock Park, because Matheson’s company, The Biscayne Company, executed the deed on Feb. 15, 1930, and Matheson died on his yacht returning from the Bahamas on May 15, 1930.
As my final point, I firmly believe that our community would greatly benefit from Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden serving as the steward of Matheson Hammock West, complying with the original deed restrictions and transforming it into an even more expansive and breathtaking paradise for all Miami-Dade County residents.
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