Gazebos have been fixtures in gardens for centuries, appearing in Egyptian gardens 5,000 years ago and becoming increasingly widespread over time as the most prevalent outdoor garden structures. In the United States, they did not gain popularity until the mid-1800s, but on Seven Mile Island small outdoor structures like these were erected by property owners in the early 19th century as open-air summer houses for relaxing on warm days and enjoying conversation with vacationing friends and family. Early gazebos there were often built from large and small branches from the island’s many trees. In early 1900, Mr. John Boxon, an early summer resident of Avalon, built a somewhat large gazebo on the east side of Second Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets.