East Hill, Pensacola

Nestled between 16th and 17th Avenues and East Belmont and La Rua Streets is the unassuming but richly historic Miraflores Park.

The park and the local Boy Scouts of America Council joined in 1934 when the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the cottage-style scout building that stands on the southern edge of the park. The CCC used bricks from local Pine Barren Creek clay made by the McMillan Brick Company and the interior contains yellow pine covered walls, representing two important early Northwest Florida industries. The park’s open space was ideal for troop rallies and merit badge earning events. During this time, the local scouting troops also planted many of the pine trees that can be seen there today. The building, once named after the Elebash family of Pensacola has a plaque in memoriam of two eagle scouts named Jack Tilford and Jimmy Jerauld.

Since its inception as a public space around the turn of the century, the park, originally named Havana Square, was homage to the rich Spanish history in Pensacola and its colonial holdings. On June 12, 1965 the city of Pensacola adopted Miraflores, Peru as its sister city in the People-to-People program, and Havana Square was renamed to commemorate this relationship. The dedication ceremony included the unveiling of the monument and bronze bust donated by the city of Miraflores, delegates of which personally attended the event. The bust represents poet Ricardo Palma, a native Peruvian and national icon. This bust became news in Pensacola only a few years later in 1968 when it was stolen and missing for almost a year until a city employee rediscovered it in a ditch while cutting tall grass. It was replaced, undamaged, and there it remains on its marble pedestal.

Abandoned by the Boy Scouts and left vacant for many years the building went into disrepair, until the 1970s when the Bream Fisherman’s Association (BFA) became stewards to the building. This group made many restorations to the structure and continue to use the Boy Scout Cottage as its meeting location.