The Royal Poinciana Way Historic District is a historic commerce and residential district in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

. The district is bounded by the area from 207-283 Royal Poinciana Way, 95-118 North County Road, and 184-280 Sunset Avenue, with some exceptions. There are 36 buildings within the district, 26 of which are considered

contributing properties In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

. The Royal Poinciana Way Historic District became a listing in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(NRHP) on September 17, 2015. A

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

located at 95 North County Road has also been listed in the NRHP since 1983. Further, the town of Palm Beach considers the post office, Bradley House Hotel, and the Biltmore Apartments as town landmarks. Formerly known as Main Street, the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District served as the primary location for commerce and civic activity in the early history of Palm Beach. This was because Royal Poinciana Way is the location of where a pedestrian and rail bridge would be constructed in 1901, providing a direct route (and the only bridge to Palm Beach until 1911) for travelers to

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founde ...

's hotels in Palm Beach,

The Breakers The Breakers is a Gilded Age mansion located at 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, US. It was built between 1893 and 1895 as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. The 70-room mans ...

and the

Royal Poinciana Hotel The Royal Poinciana Hotel was a Gilded Age hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, Florida, United States. Developed by Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler and approximately 1,000 workers, the hotel opened on February 11, 1894. As Flagle ...

. The contributing structures in the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District were constructed between 1915 and 1954, with 12 architects being involved in the designing and planning of the buildings, including noted architects Martin L. Hampton, William Manly King, and Gustav Maass.

History

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

and his workers constructed the

in 1894 and The Breakers in 1896, both located just south of where the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District stands today. Flagler's

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a pr ...

would reach

West Palm Beach West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

in 1894, and by the following year, a rail bridge spanning Lake Worth was be completed, allowing tourists more direct access to his hotels in Palm Beach. The first rail bridge was located south of the Royal Poinciana Hotel. However, a second bridge with both train and pedestrian access replaced the original bridge in 1901 and would instead be located north of the Royal Poinciana Hotel. With this new bridge being the only direct route into Palm Beach until 1911, the area around it became the town's main street. Initially, much of the commercial and civic activity in Palm Beach occurred in the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District, while many of the earliest estates in the town were built in that vicinity. While housing development slowed in Palm Beach during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, tourism to the area increased as travelers opted to visit domestic destinations. With additional commerce needed to accommodate the influx of tourists, several buildings were constructed along the main street between 1915 and 1919, which are now the oldest buildings in the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District. The earliest constructed building, now part Via Testa at 221A Royal Poinciana Way, likely served as a jail. Another structure of note built in the 1910s was Campbell Building, constructed in 1918 and located at 277-283 Royal Poinciana Way (the northeast corner of Royal Poinciana Way and Bradley Place). On the first floor of this building was originally Palm Beach’s post office, a grocery store, and other retails shops, while the second floor included a dance floor, casino, and a restaurant. The Royal Poinciana Way area remained an important section of Palm Beach in the 1920s and many other structures were built in its vicinity as a result of the

Florida land boom The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble. This pioneering era of Florida land speculation lasted from 1924 to 1926 and attracted investors from all over the nation. The land boom left behind entirely new, planned ...

. An article in ''

The Palm Beach Post ''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' we ...

'' in 1924 described Royal Poinciana Way as "the heart of Palm Beach from which all other activities radiate like veins and arteries, with the post office and bank and the purveyor and the stock broker and the tobacco merchant and the bookshop, all adding their bits to the composite street." During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the wealthiest in Palm Beach were not adversely affected by the state of the economy. However, many others canceled their winter vacations, which caused a decrease in business activity on Royal Poinciana Way. Later in the 1930s, the street finally transformed into a "gateway" for Palm Beach. In 1937, Main Street became Royal Poinciana Way. That same year, as part of a

Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recove ...

(PWA) project, the street was widened and a median added. The landscape median included a row on royal palm trees on the north and south sides of the medians, while shrubs were planted throughout the center. On July 1, 1938, construction workers completed the Flagler Memorial Bridge, also a PWA project. This bridge replaced the old rail and pedestrian bridge from 1901 and allowed direct vehicular access to Royal Poinciana Way. Prior to then, only the Royal Park Bridge had allowed automobile traffic (since 1911). Palm Beach mayor James M. Owens served as master of ceremonies for opening of the bridge, while

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Charles O. Andrews Charles Oscar Andrews (March 7, 1877September 18, 1946) was a Democratic Party politician from Florida, who represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1936 until 1946. Early life Charles O. Andrews was born in Ponce de Leon, Florida ...

and former U.S. senator

Scott Loftin Scott Marion Loftin (September 14, 1878September 22, 1953) was a U.S. Senator from Florida who served as a Democrat in 1936. Loftin was born in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama. At the age of nine, he moved to Pensacola, Florida, with h ...

also gave speeches during the ceremony. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, tourism and development rebounded. Following the death of Colonel

Edward R. Bradley Edward Riley Bradley (December 12, 1859 – August 15, 1946) was an American steel mill laborer, gold miner, businessman and philanthropist. As well as a race track proprietor, he was the preeminent owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehor ...

in 1946, Bradley's Beach Club and Casino, a gambling facility and restaurant, was demolished in accordance with his legal will. Land from the former site of the club, located along the Intracoastal Waterway between Royal Poinciana Way and the Biltmore Hotel, was donated to the town of Palm Beach. Bradley Park was then established on the property. In the early 1950s, builders demolished many of the original cottages and instead constructed multi-family apartments and condominiums in their place. The decade also saw the addition of second floors to several structures. The newest contributing structure to the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District is a building at 244 Sunset Avenue, erected in 1952 and completed in 1954. On September 17, 2015, the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District was listed in the

Structures

Within the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District, there are a total of 36 structures, 26 of which are considered contributing, while 10 others are considered noncontributing as they were either constructed after 1954 and were altered significantly. The following structures are listed as contributing: North County Road *

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

at 95 North County Road. A

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonia ...

-style structure designed by Louis A. Simon and completed in 1937. The post office building has been listed as an individual entry in the National Register of Historic Places since July 21, 1983. *The Exchange Building at 100 North County Road. Initially designed by architect Bruce Kitchell in 1924, the Exchange Building was originally a two-story Mediterranean Revival architectural-type structure and had an arcade on the first floor. However, John Volk significantly redesigned the building in 1941, transforming its architectural style to Art Moderne. *Building at 101 North County Road. Also an Art Moderne-style structure, this building was designed by Gustav Maass and erected in 1936. *Building at 105 North County Road. A Mediterranean Revival building constructed in 1925. In the late 1920s, the tenants of the building included a gift shop and offices for Kitchell, the Chalker & Lund general contractors, a real estate agency, and a stockbroker. *Building at 106 North County Road. A one-story Masonry Vernacular-type structure designed by Volk and built in 1941.

*Building at 108-110 North County Road. A two-story Masonry Vernacular-type commercial building, also designed by Volk and erected in 1941. *The buildings are 112, 114, and 118 North County Road are each one-story commercial buildings, designed by Volk and constructed in 1941. Royal Poinciana Way *Building at 207 Royal Poinciana Way. A Mediterranean Revival-style building designed by William Manly King. The building has primarily housed restaurants since its construction in 1927. *Building at 211 Royal Poinciana Way. A portion of the Neoclassical Revival building located at 209-215 Royal Poinciana Way, constructed in 1921. The building originally housed an 800-seat movie theater, known as the Garden Theater. On its opening day, December 3, 1921, the theater screened ''

The Affairs of Anatol ''The Affairs of Anatol'' is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Wallace Reid and Gloria Swanson. The film is based on the 1893 play '' Anatol'' by Arthur Schnitzler. Plot Socialite Anatol Spencer ...

'', a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

and starring

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...

and

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

. *Testa's Restaurant, located at 221 Royal Poinciana Way. A two-floor Masonry Vernacular building designed by Lucius Draper Babcock and constructed in 1947. The building housed Testa's Restaurant. In October 2017, the building, along with Via Testa, were demolished. *Via Testa, two buildings at 221-A and 221-B Royal Poinciana Way. The former, a one-story commercial structure of Frame Vernacular architectural type building erected around 1915, originally served as the town jail. The building at 221-B Royal Poinciana Way was a small Masonry Vernacular structure built in 1925. A courtyard existed between 221-A and 221-B. A Mediterranean Revival style archway to the courtyard was erected in 1986. Via Testa, along with Testa's Restaurant, were demolished in October 2017. 283 Royal Poinciana Way 1

*Building at 233-235 Royal Poinciana Way. A two-story commercial and residential, Masonry Vernacular structure designed by Maass and constructed in 1945. Originally, the ground floor housed two storefronts, while the upper floor had eight apartment units. *Building at 249 Royal Poinciana Way. A single floor Masonry Vernacular commercial building planned by architect John Pearson and erected in 1949. *Building at 251 Royal Poinciana Way. This building, constructed around 1923, is a one floor Masonry Vernacular commercial structure. *Building at 253 Royal Poinciana Way. A two-story Masonry Vernacular building of commercial use, built in 1921. *Campbell Building at 277-283 Royal Poinciana Way. Named after S. Ross Campbell, who commissioned its construction, this Neoclassical Revival style building was completed around 1918. Originally, the first floor of this building housed Palm Beach’s post office, a grocery store, and other retails shops, while the second floor included a dance floor, casino, and a restaurant. Sunset Avenue *The Biltmore Apartments, also known as Mizner Court, at 184 Sunset Avenue. Designed by Kitchell in 1924, the three-floor Mediterranean Revival style building is used for both commercial and residential purposes, with stores located on the ground floor and apartment units on the second and third floors. 280 Sunset Ave

*Buildings at 214 and 214A Sunset Avenue, previously under various names including the Clinton Hotel, Orange Blossom Hotel, St. Charles Hotel, and Testa’s Hotel. The structure at 214 Sunset Avenue was a two-story Mission Revival style building constructed in 1920. Architect Julius Jacobs designed 214A Sunset Avenue in 1932, a dining room annex for 214 Sunset Avenue. Jacobs then combined the two buildings. As part of Via Testa, 214 and 214A Sunset Avenue were both demolished in October 2017. *Building at 244 Sunset Avenue. This two-floor Mid-Century Modern apartment building was constructed from 1952 to 1954. John Stetson designed the first floor, completed in 1952, while David B. Scoville designed the second floor, which was built in 1953 and 1954. This was the last contributing building to be constructed. *Buildings at 262 and 262A Sunset Avenue. The structure at 262 Sunset Avenue is a two-story American Foursquare building, constructed in 1920. Five years later, a garage, now an accessory building, is designed as 262A Sunset Avenue and is considered a contributing structure. *Building at 280 Sunset Avenue, previously the Bradley House Hotel and originally the Rosa May Apartments. A four-story Mediterranean Revival building designed by Martin L. Hampton and built in 1924 just east of Bradley's Beach Club and Casino. The building underwent a restoration and renovation in 2019 and 2020, reopening as the White Elephant Palm Beach hotel in 2020.

Notes

References

External links

Palm Beach County listings
a
National Register of Historic Places

Palm Beach County listings
a
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
{{National Register of Historic Places in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Palm Beach County, Florida Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Palm Beach, Florida Historic districts in Palm Beach County, Florida

History

Structures

See also

Notes

References

External links