Palm Beach is a remarkably small town to be so famous; its population is only a little over 10,000. Nor is it an old town: the oldest extant building dates from about 1885, and the town itself was not incorporated until after 1900. What has granted Palm Beach its fame is the same combination of elements that made Bath famous in the 18th century: a very few clear-sighted men—they can be counted on the fingers of one hand, wealthy families attracted to what these men had to offer, and some remarkable architecture built when wealth and vision intermingled. This book records that architecture. The contents are strategically arranged, so that the visitor can drive or walk the area and see the buildings sequence of location. Within this compendium of photographs and descriptive text, you will find more than 150 Palm Beach buildings written and photographed by a resident active in historic preservation. The book does not attempt to evaluate, but rather to exhibit the richness and diversity of this extraordinary place. The work of famous architects is featured, notably that of Addison Mizner, Marion Wyeth, Maurice Fatio, Howard Major, John Volk and the designer Joseph Urban. Also covered are the famous Breakers Hotel, the Bath and Tennis Club, the Everglades Club, and the shops of Worth Avenue.

An architect who excelled at transforming an architectural fantasy into a practical, livable home, Addison Mizner was one of the most original and influential designers America has produced. The houses, clubs, and shops he built for the wealthy of Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, evince a brilliant grasp of how to blend a building with the environment, how to adapt it to the climate and how to situate it in order to make the best use of the elements of sea, light, and air. This lavishly illustrated volume recaptures the genius of Addison Mizner. It contains over 180 photographs — both interiors and exteriors — depicting more than 30 residences, including Mizner's own, plus those of Harold Vanderbilt, Rudman Wanamaker, A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., Edward Shearson, Mrs. Hugh Dillman, and many more. Also covered are such landmark Mizner creations as the Everglades Club, Via Parigi, the Singer Building, The Cloister at Boca Raton, the Riverside Baptist Church at Jacksonville, and many others. A superb appreciation by author and journalist Ida M. Tarbell offers fascinating glimpses into Mizner's early life and background, and how it prepared him to develop architecture that "belonged" in the Florida landscape. Inspired by the beauty and charm of the villas and palaces of the Mediterranean, Mizner designed in a Spanish Colonial style far better suited to the subtropical sun and climate of Florida than the transplanted houses of the North at first so common in the state. A new Introduction by Mizner scholar Donald W. Curl offers an additional appreciation of the architect and his innovative and imaginative conceptions, which continue to win new admirers among connoisseurs of classic design. Reproduced from a rare edition much sought after by collectors, this inexpensive volume will be welcomed by architects, students and historians of architecture — and anyone interested in the life and achievements of Addison Mizner.

An Illustrated History of Palm Beach is a nostalgic journey through the history of the town of Palm Beach as told through the photographic collection of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. From an early pioneer community, Palm Beach evolved over the past 150 years into today's sophisticated resort, starting with the grand hotels of Henry Flagler, the Royal Poinciana and The Breakers, and elegant mansions of the Gilded Age. An Illustrated History of Palm Beach is a primary source look into the development of one of America's most prosperous and enchanting communities.

This book offers three tours that showcase the history of Palm Beach through its architecture. The tours are arranged in chronological order and are illustrated with historical photographs from the archives of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. The first is a driving tour that covers the history of Palm Beach from the Pioneer Era to the present day. The tour spans a distance of 10 miles, going as far north as the Lake Worth Inlet and as far south as Phipps Ocean Park. It also includes three optional walks. The second offers a biking tour that follows the length of Lake Trail, which was the only real road on the east side of Lake Worth until Henry Flagler arrived and built his two resort hotels and related infrastructure in the mid-1890s. The tour spans a distance of five miles and is the best way to understand the Pioneer Era of Palm Beach. The third features a walking tour through the midtown business district between Royal Palm Way and Worth Avenue, also known as the Royal Park Addition. The tours are a great way to explore the rich history of Palm Beach and appreciate its architectural heritage.

In 1894, Palm Beach leaped to world prominence as a winter playground with the completion of Henry Morrison Flagler's Royal Poinciana Hotel. In 1920's Palm Beach's extravagant lifestyle reached its height, and grand sprawling Mediterranean-style mansions abounded. By the 1980s, financial prosperity and an economic boom, which was accompanied by an onslaught of redevelopment, threatened Palm Beach's world famous architectural heritage. Palm Beach details the meticulous restorations of more than twenty great houses and public buildings on the "American Riviera." These houses were restored from 1988 to the present, and each house has won the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's coveted Ballinger Award. The cycle of building and restoration chronicled here encompasses one of America's enduring architectural landscapes, as well as the dynamics of its social history. Public and private structures designed by some of the style-setting early architects are depicted, including works of Addison Mizner, Joseph Urban, and Maurice Fatio, as well as those of anonymous designers, whose feats of imagination rivaled the most celebrated professionals. The photography has been taken to respectfully document the superb restorations of these houses, many of which have never before been published.

A comprehensive examination of American vernacular buildings.

The books in the Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series demonstrate the University Press of Florida’s long history of publishing Latin American and Caribbean studies titles that connect in and through Florida, highlighting the connections between the Sunshine State and its neighboring islands. Books in this series show how early explorers found and settled Florida and the Caribbean. They tell the tales of early pioneers, both foreign and domestic. They examine topics critical to the area such as travel, migration, economic opportunity, and tourism. They look at the growth of Florida and the Caribbean and the attendant pressures on the environment, culture, urban development, and the movement of peoples, both forced and voluntary. The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series gathers the rich data available in these architectural, archaeological, cultural, and historical works, as well as the travelogues and naturalists’ sketches of the area prior to the twentieth century, making it accessible for scholars and the general public alike. The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series is made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, under the Humanities Open Books program.