History appears throughout the walk. e Stuart Heritage Museum occupies a 1901 general store built of Dade County pine, the oldest commercial building in the city. Its rooms hold photographs, household objects, business signs, shing equipment and artifacts from Stuart’s years as a railroad, pineapple-growing and trading community. A few blocks away, e Lyric eatre provides a more glamorous survivor. Built in 1925 as a silent movie house and opened in 1926 with a pipe-organ overture and a screening of Skinner’s Dress Suit, it now presents musicians, comedians, theatrical productions and speakers. e theater remains intimate enough to preserve its historic character, although its calendar frequently includes performers one might expect to nd in a much larger city. e Court House Cultural Center adds another layer. e building began as Stuart’s rst schoolhouse, later served as the Martin County Courthouse and received an Art Deco addition through a Works Progress Administration project in the 1930s. Saved from demolition by local residents, it now houses two galleries with changing exhibitions. e original marble staircase, terrazzo oor, judge’s vault and awning windows remain, giving visitors a chance to view the artwork inside a piece of local history. Beyond downtown, the Creek District carries the arts into working studios, murals, cafés and small businesses along Colorado Avenue and neighboring streets. Sunday reveals Stuart at its most sociable. Market on Main lls the waterfront area with local produce, baked goods, owers, prepared foods and artisan stalls. By a ernoon,
Rock’n Riverwalk brings free live music to the outdoor stage beside the river. Regulars arrive with folding chairs, families settle under the trees and boaters sometimes anchor within listening distance. Tourists are welcome, but the gathering never seems designed solely for them. It is a weekly ritual belonging to the community, which may be one of the strongest reasons a national readers’ poll responded to Stuart so warmly. Dining downtown deserves more than a vague promise of “fresh seafood.” At Riverwalk Cafe & Oyster Bar, a smart lunch or dinner might begin with oysters on the half shell, oysters dressed with sour cream, shallots and caviar, or tuna nachos with Asian slaw and ponzu. Fresh local sh appears grilled, blackened or jerked, while the dining room also gives serious attention to prime steaks and a wine list extensive enough to turn a quick decision into a committee
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Coastal Pearl Living - TREASURE 13
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