HISTORY OF OVERTOWN
The Conception of Overtown
In 1896, Overtown was created as part of the Incorporation of Miami during the Late 19th century. Originally known as Colored Town, it is the second oldest city in Miami. Its original purpose was to house the African-American and Caribbean immigrant population working on the railroads. With roots that run deep into the area’s history, the town was a product of the Jim Crow era segregation laws. During this time, Dana A. Dorsey, a carpenter from Georgia who would eventually become one of the first African-American millionaires, bought land in Overtown to create homes for its residents.
The Harlem of the South
As the years passed, and Florida experienced the land boom in the 1920’s, Overtown became so well known as a center for Black music, art, and culture that it was often called the Harlem of the South during this period. Attracting a varied range of influential Arican-American figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, and Zora Neale Hurston. Still divided due to Jim Crow laws, many of these influential figures found themselves performing in areas like Miami Beach and going to Overtown to spend their time and perform at venues like the Lyric Theatre.
The Expansion of Interstate 95
As the 1950’s approached, Overtown’s landscape would change drastically as the City of Miami approved the expansion of the Interstate 95/395, which would run straight through the heart of Overtown without much warning to the residents living in the area, giving some as little as three weeks to find a new home. This change disrupted the culture and history of the community as people lost the homes that their fathers and grandfathers built years prior and without compensation, the people of Overtown found themselves displaced and subsequently populated the areas of Miami Gardens, Liberty City, and Brownsville.
I-395, Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation
Pre I-95 construction in Overtown, Florida. Courtesy of: The Office of Community & Civic Engagement in conjunction with University of Miami School of Architecture Center for Urban and Community Design
Updated map of the I-95 extension through Overtown, Florida. Courtesy of: The Office of Community & Civic Engagement in conjunction with University of Miami School of Architecture Center for Urban and Community Design
I-395, Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation
The Age of Erasure
While Overtown has a rich cultural heritage, it has also experienced massive amounts of poverty. Following the years after the expansion of the I-95 and the displacement of the residents who once lived in those houses came the expansion of Downtown Miami into the area now home to a considerable amount of highrise buildings and high end development that effectively changed the landscape and population make up of the area. As the growing city next door raises property value and developers buy plots in Overtown, the former town has been reduced to a fraction of what it once was, leaving a considerable amount of homelessness in its wake.