Welcome Center - Grounds 2020
The grounds and nature trail tour begins at the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center is not original to the estate but was added after Bonnet House opened to the public. Restrooms are available in the Welcome Center.This trip along the nature trail will allow you to travel back in time. You will follow the footpaths of the Birch and Bartlett families and cross the paths of much earlier inhabitants of this area. To protect the plants and animals we ask that you stay on the trails and do not approach, touch or feed any of the animals you might see.Please watch your step. The trail may be uneven with tree roots, especially in the Coastal Hammock. Smoking is not permitted at Bonnet House except in the main parking area. Enjoy the trail and be sure to pause along the way to experience the wonders of Florida’s natural ecosystems.
Boat House
This property, on which Bonnet House stands, began as a sand bar shaped into linear ridges by ocean currents and wind action along the seashore. It extends in a north-south position parallel to the South Florida coastline and serves as a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway to protect the mainland. The Bonnet House Estate and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park are the only significant remnants of the coastal wilderness in Broward County.The trees on either side of the bridge are mangrove trees. They are part of a valuable ecosystem for various species of animals and aquatic life. Some of the creatures that live in the mangroves are the fiddler crab, mangrove crab, many types of fish, clams, and oysters. Mangrove communities actually support 75% of our game fish. About 181 bird species use mangrove swamps for food, shelter, or breeding grounds.The water here is brackish – meaning part fresh and part salty. Mangrove trees have the unique ability to thrive directly in and near brackish water. Bonnet House is home to three species of mangroves, namely red, black and white.At the end of the bridge you will see a hill rising before you. This hill is a secondary dune with an elevation of fourteen feet above sea level which is as high as it gets in this area. The path forward will take you to the Museum Shop where you will find a light lunch, snacks and a restroom facility. To continue your tour of the grounds, turn right and proceed along Melaleuca Drive towards the sign reading Tours with a left pointing arrow.
Melaleuca Drive
Two rows of Melaleuca trees flank this drive through the center of the property. The entrance visible in the distance to the north was moved to this location from the southern end of the property line in the 1940s after the opening of the Sunrise Bridge. Melaleuca was introduced to Florida around 1900. The trees are now considered invasive exotics. They grow three to six feet per year, and the seeds remain viable for about ten years. The oils in the leaves enable hot crown fires in the Everglades, and they have displaced many native trees forming a mono-specific forest.At the Tour sign, follow the path that goes up the hill at a slight angle, cutting through the Experimental Grove.
Experimental Fruit Grove
You have arrived at the Experimental Grove. In the early 1920s Hugh Taylor Birch traveled south to Coconut Grove to meet botanist and fellow nature lover David Fairchild who worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The two became friends and corresponded regularly throughout the 1920s and 30s.Fairchild inspired Birch to plant a large experimental fruit grove on the leeward side of the secondary dune. A row of gumbo limbo trees atop the dune protected the fruit trees from salty spray coming from the ocean. Sapodilla seeds were introduced by Helen Birch Bartlett. She brought them back from a trip to the Philippines. Birch also planted Rangpur lime trees (native to India), passion vines, avocado, rose apple and guava. The mango trees were from the Fairchild collection. This grove once extended north across Sunrise Boulevard, and remnants of its northern end can still be seen in Birch State Park.Continue up the path to the crest of the hill and turn to your right proceeding along the edge of the Desert Garden.
Desert Garden
The Desert Garden – sitting atop this barrier island’s secondary dune – was originally designed by Frederic Bartlett in the 1930s but had been altered over the years and largely destroyed by hurricanes by 2005. It has since been replanted with the help of images from home movies taken by the Bartletts. Today it looks as it did when Frederic first designed it.At the south end of the Desert Garden you will see a little Baobab tree. It was planted in 1992 when Evelyn Bartlett was over 100 years old. Baobabs are often called the tree of life because they provide shelter, clothing, food and water for humans and animals in the African savannah. At Walt Disney World, a gigantic Baobab tree is located at the entrance to Animal Kingdom.When you come to South Gate Gathering Area, turn to your left.
South Gate & Archaeological Site
The pedestrian entrance and ticket house were opened in 2014 to provide access from the neighborhood south of Bonnet House. The current entrance is just to the left of the original entrance to Bonnet House, closed off by the Bartletts when the property to the south began to be developed.This area is the site of an important archaeological site. In 1984, archaeologist Robert S. Carr conducted a dig along this southern portion of the secondary dune. His team discovered historic and prehistoric artifacts. They determined that prehistoric oyster shells form a shell midden here.The Tequesta were a small, peaceful, Native American tribe. These hunters and gatherers were one of the first tribes to settle in South Florida. They built many villages and relied mainly on fish, shellfish, nuts and berries for food. The Tequesta used shells and shark’s teeth for a variety of tools. The shells of the oysters were always thrown away at the same sites. That is how the shell midden grew here. From here, the tribe would have had access to this upland site through New River Sound to the west, access to fresh water from the coastal dune lake, and access to fish from the ocean to the east.A pile of conch shells uncovered here are of historic origin. Radiocarbon dating indicates that some shells were opened with the use of metal tools between 1370 and 1540 A.D. This site has been documented as the earliest known European contact site in southern Florida which supports Carr’s hypothesis that Ponce de Leon did not discover Florida. According to several historians it was John Cabot, the Venetian explorer, who sailed to the coast of North America in 1497 and claimed it for King Henry VII of England.Now proceed down the hill towards the fountain visible at the end of the Allee.
Allee
This area is known as the Allee. On both sides of the Allee lies the Bonnet Slough. This coastal freshwater marsh was once part of a coastal dune lake system that extended nearly six miles along the beach. This lagoon and Lake Helen in Birch State Park are all that remain of this system today, and they are fed solely by runoff from rain. Nineteenth century maps identified this water as “Bonnet Slough,” and the yellow-flowering lily that grows here came to be called the Bonnet Lily. Mr. Birch named the house after this flower. The story goes that as the alligators would come out of the water the lily pads bonneted their heads. In the early 1930s, Frederic Bartlett dredged the slough to create the present-day lagoon and ponds that provide food and habitat for fish, turtles, wading and other birds and aquatic animals.The whimsical blue and yellow structure to the south is The Pavilion. It was designed by Frederic Bartlett for parties and was used by the Bartlett family for afternoon lounging, playing cards or visiting with friends. It was built in 1936. The mural on the rear wall is a reproduction of a painting Frederic painted to hang here. The original artwork is now displayed in the Studio of Bonnet House.At the bottom of the Allee is the Dry Fountain. It was built in 1942 with materials Frederic recovered from a demolished estate in Palm Beach. The marble fountain is a dry fountain because it was never intended to supply water. Many weddings, photo shoots, movies and commercials have been shot on this site.Turn to your left and continue into the Coastal Dune Hammock and primary dune.
Coastal Dune Hammock
The word hammock is a Native American word meaning cool, high, dry place. Exposure to the beach front, its concentrated salts, wave action and wind directly affects the vegetation and wildlife on the primary dune. This natural coastal dune habitat grew on the dune reaching toward the Atlantic Ocean. The hardwood hammock that exists today is a result of two changes to the property that took place around 1930. At that time, a new road, State Road A1A was developed separating the house from the ocean. Frederic Bartlett had a concrete block wall built along A1A and inserted steps and a gate to maintain access to the beach. Then the Bartletts planted two rows of Australian pines bordering the road along the entire length of their property. This barrier of trees served as a shield from the salt spray permitting the growth of the coastal hammock. Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma destroyed the closed canopy in 2005 taking down almost 50% of the trees. Today we see the resurgence of many native trees and shrubs such as gumbo limbo, paradise, mastic, sea grape, stopper, nicker bean, coco plum and marlberry.Continue your journey through the hammock to a small clearing that lies just ahead. Be sure to watch your step in this natural area as shifting sand can expose roots.
Chickee Bridge & Beach Road
When you reach the clearing, look to your left for an iconic view of Bonnet House’s eastern façade. Many newlyweds use this spot as a dramatic background for wedding pictures. The thatched Chickee Bridge was designed to look like a Seminole chickee or house. The Bartlett family had it built to span the slough and reach the beach. It is constructed of cypress wood and thatched palm fronds. The bridge was constructed by a Seminole construction company. Ada Tiger owned the Chickee Construction Company. Ada’s daughter Betty Mae Tiger Jumper was the first—and so far only—female leader of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.The wide, sandy path to the right leads to the Atlantic Ocean and Bonnet House Beach. You can explore this path and view the ocean, but please note there is no direct beach access. Many of the plants along each side are native Florida coastal hammock plants. These plants help keep the sand and soil in place and are salt and wind tolerant. When the property was bought by Mr. Birch the land up to the high tide mark was part of the purchase. Bonnet House Estate still owns 1,500 feet of the beach up to the high tide mark, and the 700 feet in front of Bonnet House is still private beach, though the museum welcomes the public to enjoy it. The beach dune visible across State Road A1A has been planted with sea oats, sea grape and palm trees to preserve the sand dune.Continue your journey ahead through the coastal hammock. While there is a fork, you may follow either path. The path closest to the Bonnet Slough can occasionally flood in the rainy season. The paths will rejoin and turn to the left following the north bank of the Bonnet Slough. The Island Theater will be on your right.
More Coastal Dune Hammock and House of Refuge
As the path continues north you enter more coastal hammock. The land towards the ocean here once contained a House of Refuge. Many seamen were “saved” from the waves in the 1800s only to leave their bones forever on the hot sands of the deserted coast. In 1876, five Houses of Refuge were constructed along the coast from Jupiter to Miami to save shipwrecked sailors. They were spaced 25 miles apart and provided beds and supplies for up to 25 people. The position of the station keeper was important. He and his family were on duty 24 hours a day, patrolling the shore in both directions after storms, looking for sailors in need. Paid $400 a year, the keepers had to be of good character, physically sound, proficient as seamen and sufficiently educated to handle the business of the station. House of Refuge Number 4 was once located on this property.
Island Theater
The Island Theater was designed by Frederic Bartlett to show home movies. The charge for admission was said to be two matching seashells. Today the Island Theater is used for meetings and educational programs. It sits on its own little island surrounded by a moat. The current structure is a recreation of the original. Continue past the Island Theater. The path will climb a hill back to the top of the secondary dune.
North Greenhouse & Restrooms
At the top of the hill, the North Greenhouse will be to your right. This structure accommodates part of the Bonnet House Orchid Collection. You may see volunteers tending to the orchids, but the greenhouse is not open to the public outside special orchid collection tours. Continue past the North Greenhouse. Restroom facilities are on the right. Though this facility was designed to look primitive, it was built after Bonnet House became a museum and has modern conveniences and running water.
Rosie's Palace
The path will turn to the left. On the right near a four-way intersection sits Rosie’s Palace. This barn was the home of Mr. Birch’s white mule named Rosie. Building supplies for the house were brought in by barge and Rosie dragged the materials up to the building site from the water. Construction of the Intracoastal Bridge at Sunrise Boulevard was started in the 1930s but not open until 1940. The 1935 Case tractor was purchased when Rosie finally retired. Proceed through the four-way intersection and past the green garage to your left.
Shell Museum Complex and Caretaker's Cottage
The buildings behind the green garage once housed servant’s quarters. Today, they serve as staff offices.To your left, close to the Main House, Frederic Bartlett designed a complex of three small rooms and presented it as a gift to his wife Evelyn in the late 1930’s to house some of her favorite things – orchids and seashells – and to provie an intimate place to gather with friends.The two-story building to your right is the Caretaker’s Cottage. The Caretaker’s Cottage originally consisted of just two rooms. The parlor was downstairs, the bedroom above. A kitchen was unnecessary because meals for the staff were prepared by the cook and served in the Cook’s Pantry in the Main House. Later, an addition was added to provide more living space. Today, this addition is the Museum Shop.The Museum Shop is a must see, stocked with wonderful gifts and art from Bonnet House. You can also ask for materials on weddings, special events and upcoming classes.Thank you for taking the Grounds Walking Tour. Please take a moment to fill out the survey about this experience.
