Historical Development Facts
Mid-Town Commercial Development
North End Residential Development
The earliest North End subdivisions were platted at the far north end of Palm Beach near the Inlet in the early 1920’s.
Approximately 25 different developers representing individual landowners and companies, some with familiar names such as Phipps, Rafalsky, Walton, Gais, Boca Ratone Company, Inc., Palm Beach Company, and Onondaga Realty Corp.
The development of the North End was undertaken in a piecemeal manner, as one-by-one owners of east-west oriented tracts (approximately 45 tracts in 1919) sold to land developers.
There are 36 interior lateral subdivisions in the North End (between Lake Way and Ocean Drive).
There are approximately 70 east-west lateral streets in the North End ranging from 14 feet wide to 46 feet wide.
Mid-Town was platted in 1913.
S. County Road was originally platted as Poinciana Drive.
178 lots of 3,125 sq. ft. (25’ x 125’) were originally platted along Worth Avenue.
An equal amount of lots of equal size as Worth Avenue were originally platted along Peruvian Avenue. The area was platted for residential villas, which as of 1919 dotted the recently platted streets.
As of 1919, the corner of Worth Avenue and Cocoanut Row was a parking facility for the Everglades Club.
As of 1920, Worth and Peruvian Avenues were largely undeveloped except for a few stucco villas. Much of these avenues were comprised of groves of trees and vacant land.
The southeastern corner of Worth Avenue and Ocean Blvd. was home to Gus’ Bath outdoor pool in 1919 (site of current Winthrop House residential development at 100 Worth Avenue and South Ocean Boulevard).
As of 1924, Billow’s Hotel occupied the northeastern corner of Worth Avenue and Ocean Blvd. This was the first large-scale commercial establishment on Worth Avenue.
By 1924, arcaded commercial shops started appearing on the westernmost portion of Worth Avenue near the Everglades Club.
As of 1924, a standalone restaurant was located at the corner or Peruvian Avenue and Cocoanut Row.
By 1925, Mizner’s vias were beginning to anchor the west end of Worth Avenue.
By the later 1930’s and early 1940’s, Worth Avenue had taken shape as a shopping avenue much in the form it is still today.