Sometime after its construction in 1916 for the Florida Federation of Women Clubs by J.F. Umphrey of Homestead. The Florida Federation of Women Clubs acquired 960 acres from Mrs. Henry M. Flagler and 960 acres from the State of Florida for its Royal Palm State Park. In 1921 the State gave them another 2,080 acres. The women operated the Royal Palm Lodge where lodging and meals were available, as a means of financing the upkeep. 
They also grew Royal Palms for sale 156 of them ended up on Florida City's Palm Drive in 1922 and others in Homestead on Krome Avenue. After the Everglades National Park was established in 1947, the park service used the lodge as its headquarters after it moved out of the Redland District Chamber of Commerce building. Later the lodge was sold and moved into Homestead where it was used as a boarding house.  It was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.