Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association

Charles and Isabella Peacock, early settlers in Coconut Grove, relocated from England in 1875 with their three sons. They formed a close bond with Commodore Ralph M. Munroe, who settled in the area from New York. Encouraged by Munroe in the early 1880s, the Peacocks established the Bay View House, the first hotel on Biscayne Bay, in 1882 or 1883. Initially known by various names like Bayview House or Bay View Villa, it was later renamed the Peacock Inn. The hotel, often filled with visitors from New York or Boston, boasted approximately 30 rooms and a separate cottage annex. Although some texts erroneously refer to it as the “Coconut Grove Hotel,” the Peacocks eventually sold the property in 1902. Sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1926, but the land was repurposed as Peacock Park, serving as a lasting tribute to the Peacock family’s contributions to the area.