Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association

Ebenezer Woodbury Franklin Stirrup, born in 1873 on Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas, faced hardship early with the loss of his mother when he was ten. Subsequently, he joined the Sturrup family, taking on various labor responsibilities while having limited access to education. Driven by a desire to better his circumstances, he saved diligently from a young age. At 15, in 1888, he moved to Key West to live with his carpenter uncle, where he developed significant woodworking and construction skills over six years.

In 1894, Stirrup married his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte Jane Sawyer, and moved to Cutler, Florida. There, he worked in pineapple fields, often receiving land as payment due to the Homestead Act, which marked the start of his substantial landholdings. By 1897, he had established his residence in Coconut Grove on Evangelist Street, known as the Stirrup House. From this base, he performed day labor while also working at night on land clearance and constructing homes for the Bahamian community.

Stirrup believed that homeownership encouraged better citizenship. He built more than 100 homes for BlackAmericans in the area, providing many with the opportunity to rent and eventually own their first homes. His entrepreneurial spirit extended beyond real estate; Stirrup also owned a grocery store, bicycle repair shop, tailor shop, meat market, and dry goods store, significantly contributing to the local economy and community development.