History of the City of Pinecrest, Florida

The history of the city of Pinecrest, Florida dates back to the early 1900s, when Miami pioneer and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler made use of the region as planning base during the construction of the Overseas Railroad to the Florida Keys.  By the 1930s, Pinecrest and the region continued to grow with new residents and tourist arriving as the popularity of the area increased as a tourist destination.  The Pinecrest community began to evolve around one of the first tourist attractions established in the vicinity:  Parrot Jungle and Gardens.  However, Pinecrest would not officially be incorporated until the late 20th Century.

Parrot Jungle was founded in 1936 and over the years became a world famous tourist attraction.  The idea for Parrot Jungle began when the attraction’s founders became motivated to develop a tourist sigh were birds could be observed flying free, without the limits of cages.  Parrot Jungle was built as a nature trail which wound through the coral rock canyons and hammock land, both of which were indigenous to the area.  All the natural plants that inhabited the area were left undisturbed.  Parrot Jungle opened in December 1936, welcoming about 100 visitors who each paid 25 cents admission to see and hear information about the area’s birds, trees and flowers.  On December 17, 2002, the Village of Pinecrest purchased the Parrot Jungle with the aim of developing the site; on March 8, 2003 the Pinecrest Village Council dedicated Pinecrest Gardens and officially opened it to the public as the Village’s newest municipal park.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Pinecrest area flourished with residential development.  Particularly noteworthy to Pinecrest’s history was the construction of ranch-style houses on 1 acre (4,000 m²) lots which was very popular during this time period.  The development of single-family structures on larger than normal lots served to lay the foundation for the Pinecrest community’s rural and lushly landscaped residential character.

Increasing growth with the arrival of new residents, as well as local issues that developed, during the 1990s inspired a movement to incorporate the area.  The Village of Pinecrest was officially incorporated on March 12, 1996, and the movement‘s pioneers were elected as mayors for the first three terms of the new city.