Ralph Middleton Munroe (April 3, 1851 – August 20, 1933) was an American yacht designer and early resident of Coconut Grove in south Florida.
In 1886, Munroe decided to make Coconut Grove his permanent home, and purchased the future site of The Barnacle Historic State Park, which was at the time 40 acres of bayfront property. He paid $400 in cash in addition to one of his yachts, the Kingfish, which he valued at an additional $400. Two years later, in 1888, he sold his home in Staten Island to remain year round in Coconut Grove. His home, now The Barnacle Historic State Park, is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still standing in its original location.
Eva was Ralph Munroe's first wife, who he brought to Miami from Staten Island with their infant daughter so she could recover her health. This was before Cocoanut Grove was settled and before he built the The Barnacle House. They camped near the mouth of the Miami river. It didn't help. Both mother and child died IN 1882. Ralph buried both of them and moved back to NY. When Ralph returned several years later and settled in Cocoanut Grove, he moved the grave to its present location. The grave is located on the grounds of the Coconut Grove Library.
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