Autumn 2024
MANAGER’S MESSAGE
by Jessica Cabral
We’re delighted to kick off our event season with fall’s arrival, and it promises to be an excellent one with some of your favorite bands performing in the Barnacle Under Moonlight Concert Series and our pup-friendly Holiday Barkzaar coming November 10.
We have some exciting updates to share! We’re embarking on significant construction projects in the park, including replacement of the Micco pavilion with a new, storm-resistant building that will enhance our programming and improve accessibility for all visitors. While we’ve made great memories in the old pavilion and will miss it, we’re eager for the improvements that will better serve us in the future. Demolition of the existing structure is set for late 2024, followed by new construction. We appreciate your support during this transformative season and can’t wait to celebrate with you when the new facility opens!
A STROLL THROUGH THE PARK
by Amy Exum
It may not be sweater weather for us Floridians, but it’s still a busy season filled with exciting events. There’s no better way to embrace those fall feelings than by attending one of the upcoming concerts. While our season was originally set to kick off with a performance by the beloved local band Mama Fuma, inclement weather forced us to reschedule (dates coming soon.) That being said, with hurricane season upon us, the park has been actively preparing, from securing the Egret to making necessary arrangements around the grounds.
As November approaches, so does one of our biggest fundraisers of the year—Give Miami Day! Be sure to mark your calendars and spread the word to friends and family. If you’re not yet a member, now’s the perfect time to join, or gift a membership this holiday season. Memberships start at just $20 and include a free ticket to a Moonlight Concert. If you share our love for the park, consider giving your time by volunteering. There’s always plenty to do to keep the park and society thriving, and we welcome anyone with a passion for preserving this treasured piece of history. We hope to see you at the park soon!
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BARNACLE
SAWDUST AND SHAVINGS
by John Palenchar
Sawdust and shavings have been building up in the Barnacle Boathouse over the past few months, thanks to two projects—the restoration of a Mike Galt-built “DANDY” solo canoe, and a project taken on by Mike Chapman, a new side door for the Boathouse.
The solo canoe needed new gunwales and in-wales which had to be shaped using a round-over router bit, while the new door required milling a decorative edge into the door’s rails (horizontal members) and stiles (vertical members). This resulted in large quantities of sawdust, some of which required a shovel to collect!
Canoe Project
The canoe project is complete and the canoe is for sale, as we have no current need of it at the Park. It is a “classic” lightweight solo canoe, designed and built for wilderness canoeing or just quiet solo paddling. It is currently being stored in the Boathouse attic. Interested parties should contact John Palenchar at john@palenchar.net.
Boathouse Door Project
Mike Chapman has set aside the Abaco dinghy restoration project in order to address a more pressing project—the disintegrating side door of the Barnacle Boathouse. After much discussion and examination of many historic photos (many of which show different doors on the boathouse), a five-panel door was chosen, one of which still hangs on the Carriage House (Park Office) and would be most contemporary with the 1926 boathouse reconstruction. At this writing, the main pieces (rails and stiles) have been shaped with the proper “Colonial ogee curve.” Next, a “rabbet” will be cut into the stock to accept the door panels, and, finally, mortise and tenon joinery will be used to assemble the various pieces.
As usual, Mike has researched the construction methods used (100 years ago!) and is building the door in the “traditional” manner!
Here are a couple of photos of progress so far.
THE NATURE OF THINGS AT THE BARNACLE
by Suzanne Koptur
Mellow Mallows
Fig. 1 – Cultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis – clockwise - red, yellow, Chinese lantern (variety schizopetalus), and blue/pink.
Fig. 2 – Two spectacular native Hibiscus species: scarlet rosemallow, H. coccineus (top), crimson-eyed rosemallow, H. moscheutos (bottom – photo by Allen Boatman).
To the north side of the main house there is a stand of beautiful red-flowered Hibiscus that regularly produces flowers despite the presence of marauding herbivorous iguanas. A beautiful feature of tropical floras, Hibiscus are cultivated around the world, and most Hibiscus in Florida are varieties of one species, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. At least six other non-native species have been collected in Florida, but that’s all we’ll say about these here.
These plants like well-drained soil and full sunlight and produce the most flowers in those situations, with adequate water and fertilizers. Hibiscus plants grow fast but can be kept to 4 to 6 ft tall with pruning to maintain size and shape. Recommendations are to trim them in spring (April or late March) as too much before a winter cold spell can be harmful, and it’s best to avoid trimming new growth in summer as that is where the flower buds are produced. In the garden, plants should be set at least 3 ft. apart, and 3 ft. from buildings as the plants expand in all directions. Hibiscus can be grown in containers but need more watering as root systems are contained in a small area.
However, Florida has numerous native Hibiscus species (Figure 2) that thrive in wetlands as well as in some native plant gardens. The most spectacular is the scarlet rosemallow, Hibiscus coccineus, with a bright red, wide open flower over six inches wide. In the Keys one can find the state-endangered Hibiscus poeppigii, with small pink flowers, occurring in coastal barrens and state-endangered. Hibiscus grandiflorus occurs throughout Florida, in swamps and creeksides, with light pink flowers with dark red centers. Several other native species have dark red centers, and different colored flowers: the hollyhock-like halberdleaf rosemallow (H. laevis) in the NW Florida panhandle has light pink flowers with dark red centers; comfortroot (H. aculeatus) occurs throughout the panhandle and has white or yellow flowers with dark red centers; lindenleaf rosemallow (H. furcellatus) occurs in counties along the east coast in the central part of Florida and has pink or purple flowers with dark centers. The largest flowered species, crimson-eyed rosemallow (H. moscheutos) occurs only in the northern parts of Florida as well as further north, and its huge creamy white (sometimes pink) flowers with crimson centers may be 10-12 inches across.
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The News Packet was created to inform members and public about The Barnacle Society, The Barnacle Historic State Park, and events and activities there. Published quarterly by The Barnacle Society, it is part of our continuing program to support and preserve the home of Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe. The News Packet represents the method of mail and news delivery before the turn of the 20th century. A small boat sailed to Fowey Rocks Light and received a “packet” of newspapers and mail from passing coastal ships bound for Key West or Jacksonville.
Suzanne Koptur, Editor
BOARD MEMBERS
Officers
Amy Exum, President
Sweet Pea Ellman, 1st VP
TBD, 2nd VP
Graham Coords, 3rd VP
Olivier deLavalette, Treasurer
TBD, Recording Secretary
John Palenchar, Corresponding Secretary
Directors
Ashley Castillo, Walt Walkington, Mary Scott Russell, Marc Stone, Pam Shlachtman, Debra Wellins
MISSION STATEMENT
The Barnacle Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, citizen-supported organization created to generate public awareness, education, and financial support for the preservation and maintenance of The Barnacle Historic State Park.
PARK HOURS
Friday through Wednesday 9 AM to 5 PM Closed Thursdays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.