The Stewart House
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 30° 34.500 W 081° 26.720
17R E 457297 N 3382587
Located at 5449 Waldron Street, American Beach
Waymark Code: WM17E9G
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/05/2023
Views: 2
The Stewarts' vacation college at 5449 Waldron St. was built in 1941 by Ralph and Marie Taylor Stewart. Waldron Street is one of the highest points on American Beach and was named after the Reverend J. Milton Waldron, one of the founders of what was then called the Afro-American Pension and Benefit Bureau in 1901. This single-family vacation cottage reflects the Frame Vernacular style that was common for the place and time. The house has a rectangular plan protected by a front-facing gable roof. The exterior walls are covered with asbestos shingles. The fenestration consists of wood and aluminum, and features double-hung sash windows with two over two lights. The entrance to the home was an enclosed porch with a small front stoop. Ralph Stewart Sr. was the first actuary for the Afro-American Life Insurance Company ("The Afro") and retained the position until his passing in 1954. During the US period of legislated racial segregation, the Pension Bureau of "The Afro" developed at American Beach as an ocean-front resort for African Americans. Ralph Stewart Sr., a graduate of Tuskegee institute, was instrumental in recruiting alumni and faculty from Tuskegee to invest in homes and property on American Beach.
Marker Number: F-1146
Date: 2021
County: Nassau
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: Friends of American Beach, Inc., and the Florida Department of State
Website: Not listed
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