The Village of Pinecrest is close to completing the preparation of its nomination proposal for inclusion of the Parrot Jungle Historic District (presently operated as Pinecrest Gardens) in the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Park Service administers the National Register, which is the official federal list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The Nomination Proposal will be submitted in May to the Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation, which will consider the eligibility of the Parrot Jungle Historic District for inclusion in the National Register.
The bureau will be evaluating the historic significance and integrity of the Parrot Jungle Historic District, which was locally recognized in 1990 with a historic designation by Miami-Dade County.
The Village of Pinecrest recently became the recipient of the Dade Heritage Trust 2010 Preservation Award and the 2010 Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Award for Restoration/Rehabilitation Outstanding Achievement for the renovations of Pinecrest Garden’s Original Entrance Building.
Pinecrest has labored to protect the historic and natural resources on this property since acquiring the former Parrot Jungle and Gardens attraction, which relocated as an entertainment venue to Watson Island in 2003.
In anticipation of achieving the important National Registry milestone, the Village of Pinecrest is asking members of the public to dust off their old family and vacation albums to help preserve the history of this beautiful location. Anyone wishing to share their photos of the old Parrot Jungle can do so by sending an electronic file to < photos@pinecrestfl.gov > or mailing in a CD to the Village of Pinecrest, c/o Historical Photos, 12645 Pinecrest Parkway, Pinecrest, FL 33156.
Ideally, the photographs should be accompanied with information regarding the people in the pictures and the approximate date taken. A series of photographs will be chosen from the entries received by the village and will be exhibited in Pinecrest Gardens during an upcoming event. The deadline for consideration for this commemorative exhibit is May 30. All the photographs submitted will be archived by the Office of the Village Clerk and kept as a photographic testament of the colorful history of Pinecrest Gardens.
Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner was among the first to dig through the family archives to discover a childhood picture posing with the feathered residents of the old Parrot Jungle. Fondly, she recalled “that summer day and how much fun I had running through the hidden paths and feeding the fish and birds.”
Village officials are eagerly anticipating responses to this request and are hopeful to receive photos documenting the many historically significant structures at the site.
