Ransom School "Pagoda"

The Ransom School Pagoda is a school building from the early 1900s in Coconut Grove with distinctive Asian architectural features. The structure was built from local pine wood with brick and limestone elements, and sits on more than 30 piers made of natural oolitic limestone.

Paul Ransom founded a school camp here in 1896, which was later transformed into America's first boarding school that operated across two seasons. The school model used this location during both years, which was innovative for the time.

The building's design combines Asian influences with local construction methods, showing how Miami's schools were built in the early modern era. This unusual style was striking for an educational facility in southern Florida at that time.

The building sits on a hilltop overlooking Biscayne Bay and is easy to reach from the main road nearby. Visitors can view the historic structure and explore the surroundings of Coconut Grove in the same visit.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and now serves as the head administrator's office and event venue. This second purpose has preserved the structure while keeping it active in the community.