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Dana Albert "D. A." Dorsey (1872 – February 29, 1940) was a businessman, banker, and philanthropist who became one of the first African–American millionaires in Florida and the
The first black-owned hotel in Miami was his Dorsey Hotel, and he was the owner of the Negro Savings Bank. Dorsey was a firm believer in education and he donated a large quantity of land for
Dana Albert Dorsey is often described as Miami's first Black millionaire. Through his constant reinvesting of his rental income into building more rental property, he was able to be the key player in providing for a new library that would be named after him. With that rental income, Dorsey was able to invest in the land, and at one time owned 21 acres of what is now Fisher Island near Miami Beach.Sarah E. Eaton
Dorsey Memorial Library: Designation Report
City of Miami, n.d. Just fifteen days before his death, Dorsey donated the land on which the library was to be constructed. In addition to the land donation, the ladies of the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association and the Friendship Garden Club worked to raise funds needed to begin construction. Dorsey's donation came with an eighteen-month timeline, so the City of Miami also donated $7,000 to meet said deadline. The Dorsey Memorial Library, which opened in 1941, was the second to serve the African–American public and is located in Overtown. It was the first city-owned building constructed specifically for library purposes, and was used for the next two decades. The building is a simple, one-story rectangular block with two wings. One wing was designated for adults and the other for children. The library began its initial inventory with some 2,000 volumes. In 1961, the Dorsey Library was relocated to newer and larger quarters and was renamed the Dixie Park Branch Library. In keeping with the policy of naming branch libraries after their geographic location, in 1983 the County Commission changed the name at that time to the Culmer/Overtown Branch Library. The Dorsey Memorial Library is important for its historical roots. It is a testament to the segregation that existed in Miami. The building was crucial in the education of many African–American citizens who lived in the Overtown area (initially called 'Colored Town') during a time when there were few educational options. Since the government's facilities for African–Americans were poorly maintained, if created at all, it was left to the African–American community to see to its own educational, recreational and spiritual needs. In 2003, the Dorsey Memorial Library was deemed a historical place by the City of Miami. When it was deemed historical, it was noted that the building was in poor condition with the potential to continue to deteriorate without continued maintenance. On March 2, 2016, a public nuisance lawsuit against the City of Miami was filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court for the City of Miami's failure to maintain the Dorsey Memorial Library. The citations stated that the building was a potential fire or windstorm hazard. On January 17, 2018, city leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the restoration of the building.
Dana Dorsey Street 02.jpg, Dana Dorsey Boulevard
Dana Dorsey Street 03.jpg, Dana Dorsey Boulevard, looking north, Miami, Overtown
Dana Dorsey House 04.jpg, Dana Dorsey House in Overtown Miami
Dana Dorsey Baseball Field 08.jpg, Dana Dorsey Memorial Park - Baseball Field
Dana Dorsey Memorial Library 05.jpg, Dana Dorsey Memorial Library in 2017
Dana Dorsey Memorial Library 01.jpg, Dana Dorsey Memorial Library in 2017 - Before Restoration
Dorsey Memorial Library - Reconstruction 2018 05.jpg, Library with partially completed roof and windows - June 2018
Dana A. Dorsey Papers at Florida International UniversityMiami Herald profile Dana Albert DorseyMiami Public Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Dana A. 1872 births 1940 deaths People from Quitman, Georgia Businesspeople from Miami History of Miami American bankers American philanthropists African-American business executives 20th-century African-American people American women business executives African-American bankers American carpenters American businesspeople in real estate African-American Bahá'ís
American South
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...
.
Childhood and education
Dana Albert Dorsey was born inQuitman, Georgia
Quitman is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Georgia, Brooks County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 4,064 in 2020. The Quitman Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ...
. He was the son of former slaves
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
and the first child in his family who was not born into slavery. He received only a fourth-grade formal education, teaching himself after that.
Carpenter, businessman, philanthropist
Dorsey came to the Miami area ofSouth Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...
around 1896. He worked as a carpenter
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
for the Henry Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...
Florida East Coast Railroad
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México.
Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...
. During that time, he recognized the need to provide housing for black workers. He purchased one parcel of land in Overtown at a time, on which he designed and constructed one rental house per parcel, reinvesting the rental income to build more and rent more, eventually expanding as far north as Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
.
In 1917, he and his wife Rebecca sold land to the City of Miami for a park for African–Americans (during an era of segregation Segregation may refer to:
Separation of people
* Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space
* School segregation
* Housing segregation
* Racial segregation, separation of human ...
). Dorsey Park is located on Northwest 17th Street and First Avenue.
In 1919, Dorsey was forced to sell Fisher Island to the automotive pioneer Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher (January 12, 1874 – July 15, 1939) was an American entrepreneur in the automotive industry, highway construction and real estate development.
Early life
Carl G. Fisher was born in Greensburg on January 12, 1874. In h ...
, who was developing Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...
. In 1926, Fisher traded 7 acres of the island to William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II (October 26, 1878 – January 8, 1944) was an American motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.
Early life
He was born on October 26, 1878, in New York City, the secon ...
in return for a yacht. Vanderbilt's improvements led to what is today one of the wealthiest and most exclusive residential enclaves in the area.
Dorsey was a trustee at Mount Zion Baptist Church in OvertowThe first black-owned hotel in Miami was his Dorsey Hotel, and he was the owner of the Negro Savings Bank. Dorsey was a firm believer in education and he donated a large quantity of land for
black school
The History of African-American education deals with the public and private schools at all levels used by African Americans in the United States and for the related policies and debates. Black schools, also referred to as "Negro schools" and " ...
s.
Legacy
When Dorsey died in 1940, flags were lowered to half-staff all over Miami. He was buried inLincoln Memorial Park
Lincoln Memorial Park is a historic African-American cemetery in the Brownsville neighborhood of un-incorporated Miami-Dade, Florida.
History
Lincoln Memorial Park was first used as a graveyard in 1924 on land owned by a F.B. Miller (a white rea ...
, Miami's African American cemetery during segregation.
He donated to Dade County Public Schools the property at NW 71st Street and 17th Avenue on which Dorsey High School (today known as the D. A. Dorsey Educational Center) was later built. The D. A. Dorsey Educational Center has a rich and positive tradition in the Liberty City area of Miami as a fully operational adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...
center.
The Dorsey Memorial Library
Dana Albert Dorsey is often described as Miami's first Black millionaire. Through his constant reinvesting of his rental income into building more rental property, he was able to be the key player in providing for a new library that would be named after him. With that rental income, Dorsey was able to invest in the land, and at one time owned 21 acres of what is now Fisher Island near Miami Beach.Sarah E. EatonDorsey Memorial Library: Designation Report
City of Miami, n.d. Just fifteen days before his death, Dorsey donated the land on which the library was to be constructed. In addition to the land donation, the ladies of the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association and the Friendship Garden Club worked to raise funds needed to begin construction. Dorsey's donation came with an eighteen-month timeline, so the City of Miami also donated $7,000 to meet said deadline. The Dorsey Memorial Library, which opened in 1941, was the second to serve the African–American public and is located in Overtown. It was the first city-owned building constructed specifically for library purposes, and was used for the next two decades. The building is a simple, one-story rectangular block with two wings. One wing was designated for adults and the other for children. The library began its initial inventory with some 2,000 volumes. In 1961, the Dorsey Library was relocated to newer and larger quarters and was renamed the Dixie Park Branch Library. In keeping with the policy of naming branch libraries after their geographic location, in 1983 the County Commission changed the name at that time to the Culmer/Overtown Branch Library. The Dorsey Memorial Library is important for its historical roots. It is a testament to the segregation that existed in Miami. The building was crucial in the education of many African–American citizens who lived in the Overtown area (initially called 'Colored Town') during a time when there were few educational options. Since the government's facilities for African–Americans were poorly maintained, if created at all, it was left to the African–American community to see to its own educational, recreational and spiritual needs. In 2003, the Dorsey Memorial Library was deemed a historical place by the City of Miami. When it was deemed historical, it was noted that the building was in poor condition with the potential to continue to deteriorate without continued maintenance. On March 2, 2016, a public nuisance lawsuit against the City of Miami was filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court for the City of Miami's failure to maintain the Dorsey Memorial Library. The citations stated that the building was a potential fire or windstorm hazard. On January 17, 2018, city leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the restoration of the building.
Gallery
References
External links
Dana A. Dorsey Papers at Florida International University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Dana A. 1872 births 1940 deaths People from Quitman, Georgia Businesspeople from Miami History of Miami American bankers American philanthropists African-American business executives 20th-century African-American people American women business executives African-American bankers American carpenters American businesspeople in real estate African-American Bahá'ís