Coconut Grove Branch Library
🏢 Miami-Dade Public Library System — Miami, Florida
Coconut Grove Branch Library
The A-frame Coconut Grove Branch is the only library in the county with a grave at its door — that of Eva Munroe — on land tied to the pioneer women who founded Miami-Dade's first library.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 6 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 2875 McFarlane Road, Miami, FL 33133
Phone: (305) 442-8695
Website: mdpls.org
📖 About Coconut Grove Branch Library
The Coconut Grove Branch is one of Miami-Dade's oldest library traditions, with roots reaching back to the 1890s and the pioneering women of the Grove. Its earliest reading collection grew from the Pine Needles Club, an offshoot of the Housekeepers Club (later the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove) founded in 1891 by schoolteacher Flora McFarlane. The first books arrived in 1895 as a gift from Louise Carnegie, wife of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and by March 1901 the community had built and occupied what is considered the county's first library building. The branch is best known for a distinction no other Miami-Dade library shares: just feet from its front door lies the grave of Eva Amelia Hewitt Munroe, first wife of Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe, who died in 1882; her husband later helped provide the library land on the condition that her grave be maintained in perpetuity. Today the distinctive A-frame building continues that community spirit, even keeping a painted cabinet in the reading room stocked with clothing, snacks and hygiene kits for neighbors in need. It sits in the heart of the Grove on McFarlane Road, walkable to the bayfront and village center.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- The only Miami-Dade library with a grave on site — Eva Munroe's, steps from the front door
- Roots in the Pine Needles Club and the 1891 Housekeepers Club, with first books donated by Louise Carnegie in 1895
- Descends from what is regarded as Miami-Dade County's first library building, occupied in 1901
- Distinctive A-frame building with a community pantry cabinet of clothing, snacks and hygiene kits
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really a grave at the Coconut Grove Branch Library?
Yes. The remains of Eva Amelia Hewitt Munroe, who died in 1882, rest just feet from the library's front door — making it the only branch in the Miami-Dade system with a grave on its grounds. Her husband, Commodore Ralph Munroe, helped provide the land on the condition the grave be preserved.
How far back does library service in Coconut Grove go?
Its origins reach the 1890s through the Pine Needles Club, an offshoot of the 1891 Housekeepers Club. The first books were donated in 1895 by Louise Carnegie, and by 1901 the community occupied what is regarded as Miami-Dade County's first library building.
What is the community pantry inside the branch?
The main reading room holds a colorfully painted cabinet stocked with clothing, snacks and hygiene kits, offered free to patrons in need — an informal outreach effort run at the branch.