This historical solo drama by Sandra Riley is based on the life of African-Bahamian pioneer Mariah Brown.  Born in North Eleuthera, Bahamas, Mariah emigrated to Key West, Florida with her three daughters prior to 1885 and worked as a washerwoman.  When Charles and Isabella Peacock discovered her there and offered her a job, Mariah moved her family to Cocoanut Grove.  Her Bahamian friends soon followed, and the Peacock Inn became the hub of a flourishing settlement.

Mariah participated in community efforts with Isabella Peacock, Flora McFarlane, Kirk and Mary Munroe, and Commodore Ralph Munroe to establish local churches, schools, and libraries in Cocoanut Grove.  By 1890, Mariah had purchased her own property and built a house, which still stands amid refurbishment - over one hundred years later - on Historic Charles Avenue, only one block from the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Today, The Coconut Grove Collaborative, Coconut Grove Historic Cemetery Assoc., UM School of Architecture, Villagers, Village West Homeowners & Tenants Assoc., Ecumenical Network and other organizations are actively pursuing the preservation of the Island District that grew from the seeds planted on Charles Avenue by Mariah Brown.  

Past Performances

EXPLORING AUTHENTIC MIAMI WITH MARIAH BROWN
June 27, 28 & 30, 2003
The Ransom Everglades Pagoda
3575 Main Highway

COCONUT GROVE CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 18, 2004
The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove
2985 South Bayshore Drive

PLAY CELEBRATES WEST GROVE PIONEER
May 22 & 23, 2004
Coconut Grove Playhouse, Encore Room
3500 Main Highway

COCONUT GROVE CELEBRATES EARTH DAY
April 21-22, 2007
Historic Vizcaya Village Garage
3250 South Miami Avenue

Photos

Actress Laverne Lewis, Leona Cooper-Baker, Lilian Hutchinson, Playwright / Director Sandra Riley, Executive Director Travis Neff, and Enid Pickney		Mariah Brown's great-granddaughter Delores Williams Anderson, and her son Charles Bethel Jr. with actress Laverne Lewis (center)

Rebuilding Mariah Brown's House

It is with the spirit of community that our organization has become a part of the Historical and Community Assets Oversight Committee to frame a vision and provide a direction for the completion and stewardship of the restoration of the Mariah Brown House, which was begun by the Coconut Grove Cemetery Association.  The combined support of the Coconut Grove Collaborative, Village West Homeowners & Tenants Assoc, University of Miami School of Architecture, Land Trust, Ecumenical Network, Villagers, and other organizations have advanced the ongoing preservation efforts of Charles Avenue and the Island District.

In the future, residents of Coconut Grove may see the Mariah Brown House evolve into an interactive museum, which would serve as an educational resource for Miami-Dade County Schools and a tourist attraction for national and international visitors.  An important project such as this has had the support of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez and City of Miami Commissioner Mark Sarnoff, because small museums like this one (and the Bethel House in Perrine) remind residents of their heritage and cultural roots. They are wonderful teaching tools for our children and community visitors.