Rock Harbor

In 1938, Rock Harbor was described as, “A tiny village with a 30-foot Observation Tower over its post office. The tower is a square stucco structure anchored by cables to the bedrock; from its railed upper platform is a view of the Atlantic, Florida Bay, and the Gulf. Eastward is the ocean shore, where there are racks for fish nets. All around the tiny settlement are extensive lime groves that bear most of the year; to the W. is a mango grove.”

The observation tower belonged to C.O. Garret and once stood near what today would be the northbound lane of the Overseas Highway at approximately Mile Marker 98. The structure served as a roadside attraction, but also an early site of a general store and the Rock Harbor Post Office. The post office would move a mile or two up the road, near Mile Marker 100, and become housed in one of a series of buildings that included a Standard Oil station, restaurant, and the Curry home.