Palm Beach was established as a resort by Henry Morrison Flagler, who made the Atlantic coast barrier island accessible via his Florida East Coast Railway. The nucleus of the community was established by Flagler’s two luxury resort hotels, the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel. West Palm Beach was built across Lake Worth as a service town and has become a major city in its own right.
After over 100 years of graceful evolution, Palm Beach today is a fully developed community, world-renowned for its beauty, quality of life and small-town character. It is home to “Captains of Industry” and the world famous Worth Avenue. Approximately 9,000 citizens make Palm Beach their year-round home, and about 20,000 more have a seasonal home in Palm Beach where they enjoy the winter months. Together, these residents of Palm Beach donate more money per capita to charities than any other community in America.
PALM BEACH FACTS
– 1879, early pioneers planted about 15,000 pineapple slips to establish a pineapple farm on the island.
– The first school (Little Red Schoolhouse) was built in 1886 and is preserved today at Phipps Ocean Park.
– Millie and Jacob Gildersleeve, two of the earliest African American pioneers on the island, purchased property from Elisha Dimick in 1890, which later became Riviera Beach.
– When Flagler extended his railroad to Palm Beach, it ran onto a 1,000-foot long pier in the Atlantic, making it easy for ships to deliver cargo and passengers. The 1928 hurricane destroyed it.
– In the early 1900s, the west end of Worth Avenue was home to Alligator Joe’s Farm, where Joe entertained winter visitors with his collection of alligators he often wrestled.
– The Town of Palm Beach, Palm Beach County’s second municipality, was incorporated on April 17, 1911, after it was discovered in January that West Palm Beach was going to attempt an annexation of the island resort during that year’s legislative session
Nearby Amenities
Animals Safari
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
47 miles of awesome Atlantic coastline at your front door
Palm Beach International Boat Show
Palm Beach County Convention Center
Historic neighborhoods
Breakers Hotel
Four Arts Gardens
Mar-A-Lago
Whitehall, the Flagler Museum
Pan’s Garden, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach
Worth Avenue
The Big Kapok Tree on the property of the Royal Poinciana Chapel near Flagler Museum
Palm Beach International Airport and Amtrak
