The Great Gables Guide
an essential guide to Coral Gables
http://www.GreatGables.com

Coral Gables is a unique community, first settled by the Gregory family in the 1870s. Pastor Solomon Merrick and family purchased the back woods property for $1,100 sight unseen and moved here from new England in 1896. They began with two acres of guavas and a small wooden home. The Merricks planted pineapples, grapefruit and other tropical crops, expanding their business and acquiring more land over the years.

When the time came to improve their home, they designed and built a magnificent stone structure around the old building and named it "Coral Gables."

The Merricks were a very creative clan. Mother Althea Fink Merrick was an art teacher at college before coming to Florida. Her brothers were noted artists, illustrators and architects. The Merrick children were greatly affected by these influences. Son George loved to write poetry and appreciated fine art and architecture from around the world.

By 1920, George Merrick had acquired enough land to begin planning a utopian community. His dream was to bring the splendor of Mediterranean style and grace to the unspoiled natural setting of South Florida. He envisioned a magnificent hotel, a great university, a venetian pool, a grand City Hall, magnificent country clubs and golf courses, 40 miles of waterways, parks and fountains, notable entranceways and majestic streets.

George Merrick sold the first lot in the new suburb of Coral Gables in November, 1921, signaling the beginning of one of the most notable land developments in United States history. From all over the country and around the world, people flocked to Coral Gables to buy a peace of the dream. By 1925, George had invested one hundred million dollars in infrastructure in Coral Gables and he was just hitting his stride.

Today, the Merrick home is a historic landmark and the City that bears its name has endured and thrived, a reflection of the vision and plan that George created, an enduring legacy to a talented poet, art lover and city founder.