construction at the original plant site, coronet village, included approximately 75 houses for both white and black plant and mine employees. because public roads and highways were somewhat primitive and private automobiles were not very common, having employees live near to the processing plant was desirable. the pembroke mine also had a fairly extensive employee housing village. less extensive employee housing facilities were also constructed at the other mining sites. both the coronet and pembroke village sites were generally self-contained small towns with a company store, recreation facilities, and water and sewage infrastructure. these small self-supporting company villages were fairly common in the florida phosphate industry from the early 1900s until about 1960.