On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Biscayne Park is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #208 of 638 in Florida. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Biscayne Park’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Biscayne Park’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1931.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.6 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Biscayne Park’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1903, Biscayne Park's first settler was a horticulturalist named Arthur Mertlow Griffing, who decided to move from Norwich, New York to the area, calling it "Griffing Tropical Nurseries and Groves". He grew crops such as tomatoes on his farm, and tropical plants in his nursery. In 1921, after working as a landscaper for Carl Fisher, he decided to become a real estate developer. That same year he began developing all of his land from his former farm and nursery into residential subdivisions, naming it "Griffing Biscayne Park Estates". Despite his farm and nursery being within the current village boundary, his home was on 7 acres (2.8 ha) of land located outside of Biscayne Park, in North Miami, which is now a strip mall called Colonial Shopping Center along Dixie Highway and 125th Street.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Biscayne Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1947North Miami sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Biscayne Park.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewConnecticut -New Haven County - -Windham County- -- Delaware -entire state- -- District of Columbia -- Florida -Alachua…, 1940
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Biscayne Park’s page.
In 1931, according to Wikidata. the census of 1940 counted 500 people here.
How does Biscayne Park rank for history?
Biscayne Park is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #208 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Biscayne Park?
15% of Biscayne Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.6 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1949.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2008
2008
