Item C44
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: October 18. 19,2000
Bulk Item: Yes ~ No
Division:
Public Works
Department:
Engineerinq
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval to grant the right for the African Memorial Committee to
provide a monument location on the Eastside of West Martello.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The African Memorial Committee has requested a location for their
monument on the Eastside of West Martello. They have met and received approval from the Key
West Garden Club. The Memorial Committee agreed to move the nursery area of the Garden Club
and build a new storage building and shade house. All costs associated with the move and the
monument will be paid for by the African Memorial Committee.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Recommend approval to grant the Key West Garden Club
permission to allow the African Memorial Committee the right to provide a monument on the
Eastside of West Martello property.
TOTAL tOST: Unknown
BUDGETED: Yes
Account #
N/A
NO
Cost to' County: None
REVENUE PRODUCING: YES
NO l AMOUNT PER MONTH
YEAR
APPROVED BY: Coun
Item Prepared by:
Stephen W.
DOCUMENTATION:
Included ----X- To follow
t Pierce, Division Director
Not required --.FUJlI
AGENDA ITEM #
DISPosmON:
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WEST MARTELLO TOWERS I JOE AUEN GARDEN CENTER
P.O. BOX 2277
KEY WEST. FLORIDA 33045
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!T/ME:
,. R(:''''EIVED - .
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To Whom It May Concern, .
3 October 2000
The Key West Garden Club Board of directors met on 27
September 20'00 to consider the request of the African's
Memorial Committee to move the Garden Club nursery. The
Memorial Committee has placed the remains of the African
Cemetery in the area that the nursery now occupies at West
Martello.
The motion was made and passed to consider moving the
nursery to accommodate the Memorial Committee. The
following requirements must be completed prior to moving
the nursery.
_ Approval by the Monroe County BOCC to allow the Key
West Garden Club to move the nursery to County
property located on the western side of West Martello
_garden proper.
_ 'Building permits approved by City of Key West.
_ Funding for the new nursery to be provided by The
African Memorial Committee prior to the move.
_ New nursery completed before vacating old nursery.
Patricia Rogers,. President
cY~G<<c v~
For The Key West Garden Club Board of Directors
I
MEL FISHER
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,MAR!rIME tlERITAGE SOCIm INC.
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200 GREENE S1REET, KEY WEST, FL 33040
(305)294-2633 FAX (305) 294-5671
MONROE COUNTY
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
, SEP 1 2 ZOOO
Mr. Stephen Piazza
Constroction Manager
Monroe County, Florida
5100 College Rd.
Key, West, FL 33049
'. '
TIME:
RECEIVED BY:
"
September 1.1; 2000
Dear Mr. Piazza,
. ' ,
Enclosed is a binder of~erials relating to the 294 AfrieaDs'buried ~ Higgs beach in,
1860. Also included is a site plan of the East side of the Martello tower, showing the area
'we would like to use for the ~posed memorial. .
Our group, the "Afri~ Memorial Committeet Will be meetIng with the Key West
Garden Club'at 10:00 AM, Friday September 15th inside the West Martello. It would be
great if you could meet with us at that time, and explain, at least from')rour end, what we
,need to do to make an of this planning a reality. ',' ,,:' ' .
, ..
If you have any ~uestions regarding any of this, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Sincerely:
~~~.
Corey MalcOm .
Director of Archaeology
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TIle Me! fisher Marttlme Heritage Sod~~:=~~~~~.:!~r.fprof1t.SOl (c) :5 ~~izatlOn. dedicated to ex~lbltion. education. 'archeology
Y'___ . l~"" 0 manUme history In the New Wond. . .
1
VIEL FISHER
MARITIME HERITAGESOCIm' INC.
200 G~ENE,STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040
(305)294-2633 "FAX (305) 294-5671
Mr. Dent Pierce, Director
Monroe County Public Works
S 100 College ad.
Key West, FL 33040
. MONROE COUNTY
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
J,UL 3 1 2000
TIME: .
RECEIVED BY;
, July 25, 2000
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Mr. Pierce,
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I am writing concerning an unmarked cemetery located at HiggS beach in Key West~ ~ 1860 over 1400
Africans were brought to the ,island after being rescued by the US Navy fr~ aboard slave ships bound for
Cuba. It was Our government's intent to eradicate the slave trade, and reqmt the Afri~ to their
homeland. ~g their time here, nearly 300' Qfthese people ~ed. '.
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Th~e is a wealth of~istorical docUmentation concerning these events. On~ of the most significant is a .
map made in 1861 by the AnnyCorpsofEngineerswhich marks the location of the "Afri98D Cemetery." ,
This spot is within tract 27 of Whitehead's survey of the i~land, and itls easy to compare the location with
similar maps from todily. It is clear that the graves are Within the Higgs beach park, very near the' ,
Martello t9Wer., Accom.panying this letter is a bmder ofl!istorica1research, and copies of the maps. ,
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, Our organization is working with a groUp of interested citizeits to ~elop a memorial to the people buried
. under Higgs beach. It is our understanding that improvementS to the area scheduled to begin soon, and we
would like to see a well-design,ed memorial as a part of this work. Any information you could provide as
.to where, and how to direct our input on' this matter would be appreciated.,: . - ,
".
.' .'
" If you have any questions abOut the ~vents of 1860, or the" Africans'Memorial Committee," please feel
free to contact me. '
: Sincerely,
~~r~~
:..
, Corey Malcom
Director of Archaeology
./
The Me! flc;her Maritime Heritage SoCiety Is an Independent not.ror.proflt.501 (el 3 organlzatJon. dedicated to exhibition. education. arche~logy.
preservation and re,search or mantlme history In the New World.
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MONr.OE COUN1'f .
CONSTRUCTioN M?\NAGEMENT
SEP ZOOO
TIME:
RECEIVED B'I:
50 feet
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TOTAL P.01