Historic Delray Beach

The Colony Hotel Through The Years

2011-09-06T23:57:00.002-04:00

Preserving Historic Delray Beach

2011-09-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

Please Follow Us On Facebook

2011-09-03T14:09:00.000-04:00

There is a lot coming your way, Historic Delray! The Centennial is almost here!!
We will be posting their (www.delray100.com) updates on our Facebook page....so be sure to sign on and "Like" us!

Happy Birthday, Dear Delray!!!

Historic Video

2011-09-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

A fascinating look back at Delray Beach....and its history of segregation/integration.

Part 1

Part 2

Congratulations to Craig Robelen

2011-06-01T20:39:00.002-04:00

Mr. Robelen is a major benefactor of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust. Congratulations!!

You're Invited!

2011-05-18T22:36:00.002-04:00

Come help Preservation Generation kick off National Preservation Month and

“Celebrate Delray’s Treasures” at Art & Jazz on the Avenue this Thursday, May 19th, from 6-10 pm.

Stop by their table to learn more about the group and the exciting preservation events

happening this month in Delray Beach.

Participate in an interactive trivia game and enter to win great prizes from businesses along Atlantic.

They will be located at the intersection of Atlantic and NE 2nd Avenue.

Just look for the vintage Studebaker! Hope to see you there!

Celebrate National Preservation Month In Delray!

2011-05-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

There are some great events celebrating Historic Preservation Month in Delray this May! Check them out!!

Delray Beach Preservation Trust
Preservation Generation

and visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website to see what's happening across the country!

Preservation Nation

The History Of The Delray Beach Library

2011-04-11T15:51:00.004-04:00

Click on this link to read the wonderful article about the history of the Delray Beach Library at HistoricPalmBeach.com!

This postcard is a picture of the library as I remember it from the 60's and 70's. (This picture doesn't show the divider wall they put in, that screened the windows. I believe it was some kind of terra cotta openwork.) Remember the glass top tables full of sand and seashells? I loved those!!!

The picture of the children is from a 1949 gathering at the library. You might find an old friend if you look carefully!

Be sure to check out HistoricPalmBeach.com for even earlier pictures and the "rest of the story!"

Historic House Becomes Bed And Breakfast

2011-03-25T15:05:00.000-04:00

You don't want to miss this wonderful article by Paula Detwiller! Congratulations to the owners and to architect Roger Cope, for a job well done!!

There will be a Grand Opening House Tour and ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 30th from 5-7pm. For more information, please click the link above.

Preservation Generation Featured In Delray Beach Magazine

2011-03-15T14:05:00.005-04:00

On a very brief stopover in Delray last week, I happened to pick up a copy of Delray Beach Magazine, and found that the new Preservation Generation group was featured. I haven't been able to find a website for the magazine to link to, so I scanned the article and have posted the scans here. Click (and once the picture opens, click again) to enlarge the images for reading/viewing!

Congratulations to Ann Margo Peart and her amazing group for making history a "happening" in Delray!

For more information on Preservation Generation, and their March 23rd Happy History Hour at Boston's On The Beach, please visit their website by clicking here.

Boston's building as it was originally....the Casa Las Olas Hotel

Making Preservation Fun

2011-02-17T12:23:00.001-05:00

There is a great new group in Delray Beach that is making learning about historic preservation fun! It's called Preservation Generation, and it is a group of young adults in their 20's-40's who gather once a month at a historic building in Delray that is now a bar or restaurant for a Happy History Hour. The cost is $10 per person and includes hors d'ouevres and a drink. So far the group has met at the Falcon House (to benefit The Delray Beach Preservation Trust) and Tryst (to benefit Sandoway House)...

This month they will meet (Wednesday, February 23rd, 5:30-7:30pm) at City Oyster, to benefit
The Delray Beach Historical Society.

For more information, please visit www.preservationgeneration.org ! Come join the fun!!

Delray Then and Now: The Film

2010-10-14T20:48:00.002-04:00

Order yours now....It is AMAZING!

Delray Then And Now

2010-10-12T19:42:00.002-04:00

Delray Beach: Then...and Now

2010-09-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

October 11th.....an amazing event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce as a benefit for the Delray Beach Preservation Trust. More details will follow....but you don't want to miss this! Tell your friends!!
Double click either image to enlarge and/or print!

Florida's Most Endangered

2010-09-15T14:59:00.002-04:00

Those of you who live in Delray Beach (or who grew up there) will recognize several of the places on this video...Watch the whole thing and see the successful outcomes of past projects!

Historic Gulf Stream

2010-08-29T14:10:00.001-04:00

You will definitely want to read this amazing article by August Mayhew!
Click here to go to The New York Social Diary.com.

Mr. Mayhew beautifully captures (both in words and images) the spirit of old Florida....Gulf Stream, Delray Beach and Palm Beach. His columns, in the Palm Beach Daily News (The Shiny Sheet) and in the online New York Social Diary are not to be missed!!

Great New Site

2010-05-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

Check out the new Delray Beach site that highlights historic preservation!

Visit Delray Beach Website

2010-04-11T20:47:00.001-04:00

Check out the new Visit Delray Beach website and Facebook group....They're great!

Isn't it marvelous to see "Historic Districts" featured on their website's homepage? :)

Here's to the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce and this great effort....

Come visit!!!!!!!

The Way To Stay In Old Delray

2010-03-24T14:57:00.001-04:00

It's getting harder and harder to find "Old Delray." Our family was so sad to see the Seagate go.....Yes, I know something modern, sleek and chic is in its place....but it's not what we are looking for. I am happy to say that I think we have found something to replace it though....

Just a little farther south....pass the Linton bridge and before you get to Boca Raton, you pass through Highland Beach. To me, it's really just South Delray Beach.....and there you find the Holiday Inn Highland Beach. Right on the water, with a real "old Florida" feel.....and friendly Floridians to help you. Those of you who have been to class reunions are probably familiar with it, but if not, give it a try. Ask for Lou Frazer when you call.....A long time Delray-ite, Lou can fix you up with whatever you need. We are looking forward to our mini-family reunion there this July! Thanks, Lou!

See the Holiday Inn movie/virtual tour by clicking here! Stay In Delray

Visit the hotel's website by clicking here. Holiday Inn Highland Beach

Email Lou

More On The Morikami

2010-02-19T20:48:00.001-05:00

I highly recommend reading Augustus Mayhew's column, which is a part of the New York Social Diary.

New York Social Diary

Click on this link, which takes you directly to his latest piece, which features my former neighbors, George and Harriet Cornell, as well as my dear friend, Joann Peart!

The Cornells and Morikami

Save Preservation Funding

2010-02-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

Save Historic Preservation! Click Here!

This link will let you write your Congress members ..... It's quick and easy!

Drive Through The Marina District

2010-02-10T14:00:00.002-05:00

Found this great video on You Tube and thought you might enjoy it!

The Importance Of City Support

2009-10-28T09:40:00.001-04:00

I cannot say enough about the multitude of preservation volunteers in Delray Beach.....It has been an honor to be part of their effort....even from far away Virginia. I want to encourage each and every one of you who have an interest in historic Delray Beach to get in touch with the groups that are working so hard in this important area. In upcoming weeks, we will be featuring these different groups and what they do, but for now, check out the links bar on your left.

Also, make sure to write and thank the Delray Beach City Council for their recent wise decision in expanding the scope of historic district boundaries.

I will share with you the letter I wrote them before their meeting, and to that, I add a big THANK YOU for what they did!

Dear City Commissioners of Delray Beach:

I sincerely apologize for the group email, but I have just been made aware of your meeting tomorrow, and wanted to make sure I was able to write to you and once again commend you for your work in historic preservation in our dear hometown. Although I now live in Virginia, my yearly visits to Delray are such a blessing, and I am honored to be a part….however far away I am…..of its historic preservation. This is an area where I am very involved, and recently have taken on some new projects…including a new blog. I plan to feature your meeting on www.historicdelray.org as well as on www.passionatepreservationist.com . Then, I plan to forward information to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for although they know about some of what is happening in Delray, I don’t think they know the whole story….and we need to highlight your good work!

One of the things I am working with some NTHP folks on is preservation of properties that are new qualifiers for historic status. Post war South Florida architecture is amazing….and often the “go-to” example for preservationists. The challenge with properties from this time period however, is that many of the decision makers are the “same age” as the properties…and have trouble seeing them as historic. In this day of “eternal youth” people go to all kinds of extremes to not recognize their “place in history.” For example…..this year I turned 50. Although I certainly feel young, if I were a building, I would qualify as “historic!” That’s not an easy thing to accept….and yet, if we do not treasure this remarkable time period, we will eventually remove an important thread from our architectural fabric, and won’t have any good examples to share with our children and grandchildren.

The Miami Marine Stadium….a key piece from this time…..has a great new restoration effort centered around it. I have featured it on the blogs….because it is catching on like wild fire! When Delray chooses to protect more and more of its history, it is going to be the standard setter for other historic preservation efforts in Florida, and you will have every right to be very proud of the work you have done.

If you would ever like to come to Richmond, VA and see the properties in the “protected” neighborhoods, whose prices have stayed high, even in the real estate downturn, you just let me know. I would love (with my friends at the Historic Richmond Foundation) to show you around!
Best always,

Florida Site On National Trust Endangered List

2009-10-04T13:27:00.008-04:00

Please take a moment to view the videos (thanks, Jimmy!)and then click on the link to read more about the endangered Miami Marine Stadium. This was an amazing place to see a concert...and a great example of Florida mid-century architecture. * The National Trust site has great links that will allow you to email the Mayor of Miami or contribute in other ways. This was a place many Delray-ites enjoyed over the years!

Click here to learn more at the National Trust for Historic Preservation website

*Note: Historic South Florida is full of amazing mid-century architecture. The problem with its preservation is that many of the decision makers are also "mid-century" (and I can say this because I am as well!), and in this world of botox, facelifts and midlife crises, no one wants to think of anything built in the 1940's, 50's or 60's as historic....but.....it is. We need to get over that!

The Coastal Star

2009-09-26T18:55:00.003-04:00

I haven't been this excited since The Delray Beach News Journal was being published! Check out The Coastal Star at your nearest (Palm Beach County) newsstand, or get yours delivered to your door by mail. A dear friend sent me a subscription and I love it!

http://www.thecoastalstar.com/

Coming Soon!

2009-06-20T22:23:00.001-04:00

Hi! Sorry for the long absence, but we have had illness and two deaths in our family over the past year and there hasn't been time to blog. More coming soon!

Surf's up!

Celebrating The Magnificent Mercer-Wenzel's

2008-08-31T15:05:00.005-04:00

There was recently a wonderful article in the Sun-Sentinel (with the picture above) about Bruce Wenzel and Delray's premier department store, Mercer-Wenzel's. It's a must read and you can access it at this link:

Sun Sentinel article (archived)

Historic Florida

2008-08-08T15:27:00.006-04:00

As time goes by, we will be covering other parts of historic Florida on occasion.....highlighting them for your reading enjoyment and alerting you to things that might need your assistance as historic preservation grows in the Sunshine State!

Every contribution helps.....a letter to the editor of the local paper can do just as much as a financial contribution to a preservation society. Of course, doing both can do twice as much!

More soon!
Liz

Travel South On A1A

2008-08-08T13:27:00.006-04:00

There are a lot of great historic sites up and down A1A. One of my all time favorite places to spend time is Ft. Lauderdale....and I spent a lot of time down there growing up in South Florida (1960's-1980's). My favorite place to stay is, of course, the Lago Mar.....and I highly recommend it to all. http://www.lagomar.com/

Just a stone's throw up the beach is the beautiful Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and the historic Bonnet House. (As in "bonnet" like you wear on your head....) These are must visit places and anyone interested in historic preservation will be crazy for the work done at the Bonnet House.

http://www.bonnethouse.com/

This is the history of the house (with the pictures above, borrowed from their website)

The History
By the time early settler Hugh Taylor Birch purchased the Bonnet House site in 1895, the grounds had already witnessed 4,000 years of Florida history. A shell midden left by the Tequesta people indicates that human activity on the site dates back to 2,000 B.C. while further archaeological evidence suggests that the grounds saw one of the first sites of Spanish contact with the New World.
Bonnet House’s modern history began when Birch gave the Bonnet House property as a wedding gift to his daughter Helen and her husband, Chicago artist Frederic Clay Bartlett in 1919. The newlyweds began construction of Bonnet House in 1920, eager for a winter retreat where Frederic could pursue his artwork and Helen could compose music and poetry. Tragedy struck in 1925 when Helen died from breast cancer. Frederic’s visits to Bonnet House then became sporadic until 1931 when he married Evelyn Fortune Lilly. With this marriage, a renaissance occurred on the site as Frederic and Evelyn entered a prolific period of embellishing Bonnet House with the decorative elements that delight visitors to this day.
Frederic died in 1953, but Evelyn continued to return each winter. In 1983, Evelyn Fortune Bartlett gave Bonnet House to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Her contribution—at the time, the largest charitable gift in Florida history—ensured that the site would be preserved for the enjoyment and education of future generations.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is accredited by the American Association of Museums. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1984 and declared a historic landmark by the City of Fort Lauderdale in 2002. In 2004, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included Bonnet House in its Save America’s Treasures program. Due to the threat posed by inappropriately massive nearby development, the National Trust and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation designated listed Bonnet House as one of America’s 11 most endangered sites in 2008.

Progress For Preservationists

2008-06-22T11:52:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to the residents of the Lake Idea area (my former neighborhood). They have taken huge preservation steps which will benefit all in the long run. Those who don't believe in historic preservation usually have a hard time seeing that; but once they see how it translates into dollars and cents in the real estate market, they often change their tune! Read this great article to learn more:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/south/epaper/2008/06/18/s4b_delraymeeting_0618.html

Neighborhood Associations

2008-03-26T20:58:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of great neighborhood associations at work in Delray Beach, making sure the historic fabric of the city doesn't unravel!

Take a look at this great website:

www.lakeida.net

Great work!!!

Keeping Up To Date

2008-02-27T13:07:00.005-05:00

I have found that the Palm Beach Post is the "go-to" place for the latest in South Florida historic preservation issues. For those of you, like me, who may reside elsewhere for part (or all) of the year....you can check it out online at http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ .

They have been writing about the future of Cason United Methodist on "historic Swinton Avenue." Get a cup of tea (or a glass of Florida orange juice!) and have a look!

(Another fun read is The Shiny Sheet online.... http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/)

The "Historic" Friendly Skies of South Florida

2008-02-07T09:31:00.002-05:00

I had the occasion to travel to Norfolk, Virginia recently, to pick up a dear friend at the airport. It is a great airport....not too big, with parking right in front of the different wings of the terminal. It reminded me so much of the old Palm Beach Airport. I spent a lot of time there growing up!

There is a great website you should check out, that lets you visit lots of old Florida airports:

http://golldiecat.tripod.com/

What memories....

Historic Florida

2008-01-20T16:12:00.001-05:00

Hi! I wanted to introduce you to a very special Floridian...... Janet DeVries. Janet is the Library Museum Archivist & Historian at the Schoolhouse Children's Museum in Boynton Beach, and the archivist for the Boynton Beach Public Library. She is also the author of Around Boynton Beach: A Postcard History (see photo). She and Dottie Patterson of the Delray Beach Historical Society have just completed a new book: Delray Beach In Vintage Postcards. It's available at Amazon.com ( http://www.amazon.com/Delray-Postcard-History-Dorothy-Patterson/dp/0738553301/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200864131&sr=8-5 )

Check out Janet's website: www.myspace.com/nostalgiclady and also learn more about Historic Boynton Beach at http://www.boyntonbeachhistoricalsociety.org/ .

Warm Thoughts Of Historic Hotels

2008-01-17T21:56:00.005-05:00

On cool days like today, I often think about dear old (warm) Delray. Most of the historic Delray Beach hotels are now gone, but the Colony is still right there on Atlantic Avenue. Imagine a place where you can stay in modern comfort and yet still enjoy classic "old world Florida!"

Check it out!

http://www.thecolonyhotel.com/florida

Here is the Colony through the years.....

2007-10-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

Growing up in Delray in the 1960's and 1970's, the only movie theatre option we had was the Delray Drive In.... which was fun, but sometimes one longed for the comfort of real seats in a proper building. But, Delray Beach did have a movie theatre in the 1920's.... and it was quite lovely!

More Delray coming soon...

2007-09-14T20:06:00.000-04:00

Summer is over.......And we will be getting back to blogging on Historic Delray starting on October 15th! Check back soon.....

Floridians in the Mountains

2007-07-23T12:34:00.000-04:00

One of the time honored Delray Beach traditions that I am aware of is spending time in the North Carolina mountains. (And Floridians are not alone....plenty of people from Georgia, South Carolina and the warmer parts of North Carolina do it, too!)

Although Highlands was our family's destination each summer, lately we have favored Blowing Rock....and are looking forward to a brief visit there this summer. That and having company here at home as well as getting ready for school to start means that I will be taking a little time away from the Historic Delray website .....but I will be back, with a lot of photos, postcards and interesting articles.

In the meantime....enjoy your summer vacation/family reunion....and be sure to say "hey" to your fellow Floridians if you run into them in NC!!! (It's funny how walking over the Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain is a lot more nervewracking in your 40's than it is when you are a child!)

Remembering The Fourth of July

2007-06-28T11:12:00.000-04:00

I have such great memories of the Fourth of July in Delray: picnics or cookouts with our neighbors (the Adams), trips to Lake Ida to watch the fireworks....and very special memories from our recent trips to Delray, where we watched the fireworks from the balcony of our room at the Seagate, as they burst into glorious color over the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

It's time to step away from the computer for a few days, to enjoy the beautiful summer.....so here's to a wonderful 4th of July in Delray Beach and wherever YOU happen to be this summer.

See you on July 5th....or soon after.....

No Air Conditioning?

2007-06-27T23:10:00.000-04:00

Delray Beach, up to and including much of the 1960's.... the days of no air conditioning in many places! Yes...even in Delray Beach..... There were houses with tall ceilings, churches and businesses with fans, dips in the ocean and ice cold limeades at Love's Drugs. There were a lot of ways to stay "cool"....and from what I remember as a young child, it really wasn't that bad! I guess it is all what you are used to....but I am glad we have it today!!

Enjoying The Past In The Present

2007-06-25T17:28:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to check out the list on the right side of the blog....Delray Memories. Those with three exclamation points after them are things that can still be done today. Check them out!!!

Seagate Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

2007-06-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

Pool at the "original" part of the hotel.....

An aerial view of the beach club and hotel circa 1960's

Mourning the Seagate

2007-06-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

One of the first pools I ever swam in as a child was the Seagate's..... And although our family spent most of its time at the Ocean Club, the Seagate held a very special place in our hearts, and we were members for years. It was a place that kept its "old Florida" charm, and although there were changes to accomodate the new, it always felt like home. Even when we sold our Delray house a few years ago, we knew we had the Seagate Hotel to go along with the Beach Club... casual, relaxed, and very low key. A two-four week stay at the Seagate Hotel (of which we had many) was just the thing for total rejuvenation!

The decision to tear down the historic buildings that made up the Seagate Hotel and Beach Club just breaks my heart, and Delray loses an important historic hotel as well.....

God bless the folks who own the Colony Hotel and Beach Club.... More about that another day!

Delray Beach Preservation Trust

2007-06-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

There is a wonderful new group in Delray Beach...devoted to being preservationists for progress.

Delray has had its ups and downs in historic preservation, but things are getting better each day, because more and more people are realizing the importance of proper preservation! There are some great citizens working hard to ensure Delray's future includes her past, and I for one, am very grateful to them.

THIS is the way to do it right... Check it out at http://www.dbptrust.com/

Great Books on Delray Beach

2007-06-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite books on Delray Beach is Images of America: Delray Beach by McCall Creedle-Rosenthal.

Full of marvelous pictures and fascinating stories, it is a terric overview of this history of our hometown...and it is available at Amazon.com for a terrific price. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Delray-Beach-FL-Images-America/dp/0738515701/ref=sr_1_5/103-2600861-6281433?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182455890&sr=8-5

Historic Delray Under the Sea

2007-06-20T12:52:00.001-04:00

For any of you "old Delray"-ites, all I have to say is this : "The Wreck."

Check out this amazing video tribute....

Modern Day Surfing and the Sea Lice Song

2007-06-20T12:43:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about Delray Beach is, was and always will be the variety of things to do..... as long as you don't do any of them in the water between Mother's Day and Father's Day. Any of you who have experienced Delray's sea lice at that time of year will know what I mean and will absolutely love the song that is with this video of some great kiteboarding... Enjoy!

Extreme Delray "The Sea Lice Song" & "Open Air" from tomleeman www.extremedelray.org on Vimeo

Surf's Up

2007-06-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

My attempts at windsurfing were very successful....and it's something I wouldn't mind doing again. Regular surfing (when I could sneak my brother's surfboard out of the garage) was not my forte....but even my sad attempts were fun!

Seems that the surf is still up in Delray.....and there is an "awesome" video on You Tube right now from a day in May where the waves were 10'-12'. It's long, but it's worth watching the first few minutes if you are (were) a surf bum... Later, dude!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga-4PiOqHVQ

(Note for our young viewers....there is a questionable word and gesture right at the beginning of this video, but I guess that's a surfer thing....)

Remembering Rosella's

2007-06-20T09:46:00.001-04:00

There are some things that have left Delray that I miss more than others.....One of the things I miss most, and will miss forever, is the wonderful Rosella's. Originally located on Atlantic Avenue and then on 8th Street (ok.....I know it is now George Bush Blvd....but it will always be 8th Street to me!), and always owned by the wonderful Federspiel family, Rosella's was the place for Delray's best doughnuts, birthday cakes and (my favorite!) the world's best gingerbread men!! I wish I had a photo of the bakery to share with you, but I know you can picture it in your mind's eye. Every time I see a gingerbread man in a bakery case, I can't help but think of Rosella's...and the many childhood and adult memories of the sights and smells that awaited one behind those glass doors.

Look....It's the Library!

2007-06-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

Remember the Delray Library in it's "original" state? Then they added the open brick wall in front of the jalousied windows and a big addition somewhat later. (Click on the picture for a larger version...)

Now it's even larger and more modern....with its own website:

http://www.delraylibrary.org/

If you really want to check it out....crank up the sound and watch this great video, as featured on You Tube!

Remembering Skipper Chuck

2007-06-19T09:09:00.001-04:00

For those of us growing up in South Florida in "the old days" of 1957-1979, I know you remember starting your morning like I did....watching The Skipper Chuck Show! (This is when Channel 4 in Miami was still CBS....)

I was so sad to learn of the passing of the great Chuck Zink (January 5, 2006 at the age of 80, following a stroke)....and I wanted to take a moment to remember him here.

As Skipper Chuck would have said.."Peace, love and happiness" to you all!

Delray's Golden Age

2007-06-17T20:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my blog on beautiful Delray Beach, Florida...my hometown. Although I live away from Delray now, it is always in my heart and on my mind....and my family spends quite a lot of time there on vacation! It saddens me so to return after being gone for only a little while, to see how many buildings have come down, and what has gone up in their places.

Delray Beach is significant in the historic fabric of Florida, and it can't afford to lose any more of that history.... Click on the links at the right to see what's happening.

Above are the pictures of the month for those of you who were in Delray in the 1940's, 50's or 60's.... I know they will bring back some great memories! (If you click on the individual pictures, they will enlarge for enhanced viewing!)