LIVING HISTORY
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says the city is special because of its early settlers.
“They had so much vision and worked hard to build this city,” she said,
“and they were always willing to help each other. If the Methodists were
building a church, the Baptists went over to help, and vice versa.”
Another thing that makes Vero Beach distinctive, she said, is its restriction
on building heights. Indian River County set a three-story height limit
in the 1950s. In 1968, Vero Beach voters agreed to reduce building heights
in the city from five stories to three.
Groups such as Main Street and the Heritage Center are working to
enhance the historic downtown. Nearby residents are also seeking ways
to preserve the historic qualities of their neighborhoods, Original Town
and Osceola Park. The city has adopted a historic preservation ordinance,
and preservationist Anna Brady has updated historic resources surveys of
both neighborhoods.
“It is incredibly important for future generations to have authentic history
that they can see,“ Brady said.
Now, of course, Vero Beach has grown from its historic core, with the
addition of shops, schools and subdivisions in all four directions. If Alex
MacWilliam could see what the city has become, “I think he’d be very
pleased,” Glenn said.
“I think he’d be amazed too. When we were growing up, Beachland
Boulevard didn’t exist. There were just two little dirt roads.”
FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION
View of Vero Beach down two-lane U.S. 1 in the early days.
About the author
Janie Gould, creator of the award-winning Floridays
show on WQCS radio/88.9 FM, is a lifelong resident of
Vero Beach. She sits on the boards of the Florida Historical
Society and the Heritage Center of Vero Beach and is a past
president of the Indian River County Historical Society. She
is a member of the Indian River County board of Children’s
Home Society.
IRC HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ARCHIVE CENTER, MAIN LIBRARY
Retail merchants in Vero Beach such as Maher’s and Berggren’s
thrived in Vero’s early years. This scene is on Osceola
Boulevard, now the eastbound side of the Twin Pairs (State
Road 60).