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Below you will
find lots of information about the history of our
City, the Main Street Program, and Homestead Main
Street. Read on to learn more about what we do
and who we are! |
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CITY OF HOMESTEAD
HISTORY |
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The City of Homestead is the second oldest city in
Miami-Dade County. The South Dade area opened to
homesteaders in 1898. In 1904 Flagler decided to
extend the railroad to Key West from Miami, enabling
area farmers to transport their fruits and
vegetables to Miami and other parts of the state.
Many of the railroad workers stayed in the area and
became city founders. In 1912 the Overseas Railroad
was completed and in 1913 the City of Homestead was
incorporated. The historic district developed from
the 1910s through the 1920s in the vicinity of the
main railroad depot.
Today Homestead encompasses 16 square miles, with a
population of approximately 38,000 residents.
Homestead is an integral part of the multi-billion
dollar vegetable, fruit and tropical foliage market
in Miami-Dade County and the United States.
Agri-business remains a significant job base. In
addition, the presence of two National Parks,
Biscayne and Everglades, attracts 1.5 million
visitors annually. Homestead's Historic Downtown
District is the home to three nationally designated
and four locally designated structures. The District
itself has recently been approved by the Florida
National Review Board for National Designation. This
rural town center is representative of the unique
character of small town America that the Main Street
program strives to protect and preserve.
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The National Main Street Program was initiated in
1977 by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation. Currently, Main Street is a nationwide
program committed to downtown revitalization in more
than 1,600 communities. In Florida, more than 50
communities are active in the Florida Main Street
Program.
The Main Street approach advocates a return to
community self-reliance and emphasizes the downtown
district’s traditional assets of personal service,
local ownership, unique architecture, and sense of
community. The program integrates four
organizational functions into a “Four-Point
Approach” and establishes a practical revitalization
strategy to produce fundamental and lasting
improvements to Homestead’s economic base.
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The Homestead Main Street
organization was formed after Hurricane Andrew devastated South
Dade. Founded in 1993, it was instrumental in bringing state
and federal grants to rebuild the downtown business district.
Through out the 90s, Main Street worked with the City, merchants,
and cultural groups to upgrade and promote downtown. Homestead
Main Street instituted the monthly Friday Fest and Hot Rods car show
at Losner Park. Homestead Main Street was also instrumental in
kicking off the Homestead Mardi Gras in 2007.
Homestead Main Street works closely with the City of
Homestead’s Community Redevelopment Agency and other organizations
such as the Seminole Theater and ArtSouth to initiate downtown
economic revitalization and
to bring an expanded cultural
element to the downtown area.
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Page Last Updated: 06/20/2008
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