This is a historic site on the ocean in Delray Beach. At this site once stood a house of refuge…read morebuilt by the federal government to provide aid to victims of shipwrecks. The house that resided here was number 3 of 5 built along the south east coast of Florida. Ten years later five more were built north to St. Augustine. Orange Grove was the only refuge house built in Palm Beach. It began operating in 1876 and was named for the sour orange grove where it was built. It was a two story wood frame house built of pine with a wrap around porch. The first floor was four rooms for the keeper of the house and the second floor contained enough supplies to last twenty guests ten days. Supplies included food, bedding, clothes, and medicine. A separate building on the property held two lifeboats so people could be rescued from the ocean. Keepers had to note the weather, look for people in need after storms, and collect marine life specimens for the Smithsonian, The pay wasn't very good so the keepers usually had a second job. Most keepers had families with them to keep them company in what could be a lonely place. Local Seminoles would stop by to bring meat and trade with the keepers. At Orange Grove the first keeper Hannibal Pierce's wife, Margretta Moore Pierce gave birth to the first white girl to be born between Delray Beach and Biscayne Bay. The babies name was Lillie Elder. Margretta found the refuge house too lonely and returned to her home at Hypoluxo Island. Hannibal followed her after the second and last keeper Steve Andrews replaced him. Steve was from England and lived at the refuge house with his wife Annie who ran the first post office in the area at the house. In 1894 Congressman William Seelye Linton stayed at the house with a group from Michigan when they were looking for land to buy. Linton plotted the Town of Linton which became the city of Delray Beach. The house ceased operation in 1896. After that it housed pioneers and settlers in the area. It was the last place barefoot mailman Ed Hamilton slept before he disappeared forever the next day while delivering the mail. In 1927 the house burned down. Now all that remains is a marker giving a brief history of the home . This site was such an important part of Delray Beach history. I loved pausing for a moment to imagine what life was like here a hundred years ago. Only one refuge house remains Gilberts Bar (no. 2) in Stuart. It is a historical museum where you can learn about Florida's pioneer and seafaring history. I hope to visit one day to learn more about the refuge houses.

Unbelievable Acres is an offbeat botanical garden attraction. When he was a young man Gene Joyner…read morestudied the rainforests of South America and collected their seeds. In July of 1970 he planted a rainforest in Florida on 2 1/2 acres of a former cow pasture owned by his father in West Palm Beach. Today it is one of Florida's largest private collections of tropical fruit trees. Mr. Joyner lives in the garden in a house he had built. For 35 years Mr. Joyner worked with Palm Beach County's Agriculture Extension Service and for more than 30 years he wrote gardening columns for The Palm Beach Post. He trained dozens of master gardeners, helped start plant societies and collected hundreds of plants in Central and South America and introduced new species to the local market. Unbelievable Acres has 2000 varieties of plants, 160 varieties of fruit trees, 40 types of citrus, 35 types of banana and plantain trees, orchids, bromeliads, palms, and ferns, jaboticaba, black sapote, jackfruit, and carambola trees. Winding through the garden is a mile of trail. The garden includes the Florida State Champion Cannonball Tree which is used for medicinal purposes in the Amazon. Unbelievable Acres is as authentic to a rainforest as Gene Joyner could make it. This is not a manicured garden like you will find at nearby Mounts Botanical Garden. Plants drop here and there and it is unmanicured. There are no straight lines and everything is random as you would see in a rainforest. Through the years the garden has been hit by several hurricanes and for the most part has been left in its natural state. The garden is a non profit open on the second Saturday of the month. Admission is $10 cash. Mr. Joyner was there to great me when I arrived and his sister was on hand helping to collecting the entrance fee. Wear good sneakers and watch where you are going. According to their website the garden is looking for volunteers to help clear paths. As you walk around you will frequently hear the planes from the nearby Palm Beach Airport fly overhead. Mr. Joyner is a wealth of gardening knowledge. It was an adventure to visit him and Unbelievable Acres.

What a treasure . It was Gene joyner's birthday And he is the owner of Unbelieble acre botanical…read moregarden . He is open every 2 Saturday of the month so I was lucky to be off . He traveled extensively and collected many rare trees and plants . I wish I lived closer to visit more often . If you are into botanical gardens this is a must see. He has lived at this place 75 years.

I love this little marker buried in a residential neighborhood and standing in front of a classic…read moreold church. It points out the local history of the immediate vicinity. There was a time I lived in Delray Beach and never knew all of this, so it's nice to see all of this added. The marker has the same text on both sides, reading "Old School Square Historic District is named for its focal point, the Old School Square Complex at 51 North Swinton Avenue which is made up of the circa 1913 Vernacular style Delray School designed by J.M. Cromer, the city's first separate high school, and the original gymnasium. Both the high school and gymnasium were designed circa 1926 in the Mediterranean Revival style by architect Sam Ogren, Sr. Ogren also designed several Mediterranean Revival structures along NE 1st Avenue, otherwise known as Banker's Row. Two-story Mediterranean Revival residences of the 1920s are on the west side of Banker's Row while one-story Minimal Traditional cottages of the 1930s line the east side. Architectural styles throughout the historic district include Vernacular, Bungalow, and Mission and Mediterranean Revival styles dating between 1902 and 1945. The Old School Square Historic District contains approximately 15 blocks around the town's geographic center. District boundaries span south to SE 2nd Street and north to NE 4th Street with NE and NW 1st Avenues to the east and west. The City of Delray Beach locally designated the Old School Square Historic District in 1988." This is marker F-669 and it was erected in 2009 by The City of Delray Beach and the Florida Department of State. You can park in the church parking lot to read the marker. [Review 987 of 2024 - 1863 in Florida - 22015 overall]

I love how the city of Delray beach embraces its history. They have several historic districts with…read moremarkers through the city so you can learn more about how the city was created out of pineapple plantations and has now transformed into a premier vacation destination. Delray Beach's largest historic district is the Old School Square Historic District. It was created from the Delray Elementary built in 1913 on the corner of Swinton and Atlantic Avenues for grades one through twelve and the 1925 Delray High School which was built just north of the elementary building. The last graduation in the high school building was held in 1949 and by the mid 1980's, the Palm Beach School District had abandoned both buildings. The Delray Beach Historical Society gathered together concerned citizens and spearheaded an effort to restore the buildings in order to help a struggling downtown. Old School Square was locally designated in 1988 by the City of Delray Beach. In 1990 the elementary school opened as the Cornell Museum of Art and the Crest Theater opened in the former high school in 1993. Other historic buildings in this district include the 1902 turn of the century frame architecture Sundy House that was home to Delray Beach's first mayor, John S. Sundy, who served for seven terms. The building is now a bed and breakfast and restaurant/event space. Two of the cities oldest churches also reside in this district, the 1904 St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the 1903 Methodist Church. The restoration of the buildings did revitalize Atlantic Avenue as was envisioned. On the street there are many restaurants, shops, and galleries. Just off Atlantic is the Pineapple Arts District and a brand new food hall. On any given weekend you can see the street full with locals and tourists dining on the street at outdoor cafes. Still some signs of struggle remain. Doc's All American, a historic hamburger and hot dog stand remains closed while the city figures out a way to bring it back or develop something new. If you visit right now there is a giant Christmas tree that you can walk through set up in Old School Square while the during the weekend, Old School Square is the site of an excellent weekly farmer's market in the winter. I love the architecture and history of this section of Delray Beach. There is always something going on. It is one of my favorite places in south Florida to visit.

This was truly an incredible experience. My friend and I went and a tour guide showed us…read moreeverything. She was very engaging and asked us a lot of questions to consider. I learned so much, asked a lot of questions, and was very inspired to continue learning after the visit. Highly recommend!

The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is located in the former home of the late Solomon D. Spady, a…read moreprominent African American educator and community leader in Delray Beach from 1922 to 1957. The museum is operated by Epoch is a non profit organization. The name is an acronym for expanding and preserving our cultural heritage. Epoch purchased the house in 1997 and renovated it. They museum opened in July 2001 and it is the only African American cultural center in Palm Beach County. Epoch offer several events at the house throughout the year. The Ride and Remember Bus Tour takes place once a month and leaves from the Spady House and visits all 5 of the historical districts in Delray Beach. They also have a Youth Cultural Empowerment Camp, a Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast, and a Kwanzaa and Juneteenth celebration. Dates and times can be found on the events calendar on their website. The Spady House is open to visitors Tuesday through Thursday from 11-4 PM.

What an interesting find, located right near the park parking lot and fenced city machinery yard…read more It's the first schoolhouse built in Palm Beach County. You can't walk in, but you can walk around it, admiring the garden and redwood structure.

I happened on this by building chance and when I saw the sign on the side of the road and I stopped…read moreto take a look. The schoolhouse was founded in 1886 as the first school house in southeast Florida. The first students were taught by the reverends 16 year old daughter Hattie Gale. It was originally located one mile north of Royal Poinciana Bridge and it served the children of Lake Worth. During the height of it's enrollment in the 1890's 35 students attended at one time. It ceased to operate as a school house in 1901 and was used instead as a tool shed where it fell into disrepair. The Gardener's Society of Palm Beach rehabbed it in 1960 and moved it to where it resides today in Phipps Ocean Park. Today the school house is used as part of a living history program which was started in 1990's. Fourth grade classes in the surrounding counties can come to visit for a free field trip to see what a school day was like at the turn of the century. On the day I came by the schoolhouse was closed and I believe it is only open to school children which I think is a shame because as a teacher I would really like to visit. I wish they would consider opening it to the general public on a weekend once in awhile. There is a screen over the windows making it difficult to see inside but from what I could make out there were desks and displays on the walls. I love history so I enjoyed seeing this building even if i couldn't look inside. I think it is wonderful that this piece of history was preserved for the school kids of today.

Fabulous to see the history of this delightful residential community in Delray Beach. It was an…read moreinteresting wander, exploring this part of the city. The marker is next to a bus stop and reads, "Recorded in 1923, Del-Ida Park was one of Delray Beach's earliest planned neighborhoods. Del-Ida Park's unusual diagonal arrangement of streets, triangular lots, and public parks are unique when contrasted with the grid pattern layout of the remainder of the city. This imaginative street layout was designed to create a sense of space and maintain a park-like atmosphere. Architectural styles throughout the neighborhood reflect the popular culture of South Florida and the land boom and bust that occurred during the initial development of the 1920s through to the 1940s. Although dominated by the Mediterranean and Mission Revival styles, Minimal Traditional and Frame Vernacular styles are also prevalent and provide a predominantly one-story, low-scale streetscape. Additional development of the 1950s and 1960s provide prime examples of the Ranch and Contemporary styles typical of South Florida. Del-Ida Park lies between NE 4th and 8th Streets with North Swinton Avenue to the west and the Florida East Coast Railroad to the east. The City of Delray Beach locally designated the Del-Ida Park Historic District in 1988." It is marker number F-665 and it was erected in 2009 by The City of Delray Beach and the Florida Department of State. You can pull over onto the median to read the marker.

The Del-Ida Park Historic District is the first subdivision created in Delray Beach. It was plated…read morein 1923 during the Florida land boom. It is 58 acres and the neighborhood boundary streets are Northeast Fourth St., Northeast Eighth St., North Swinton Ave., and Northeast Third Ave. There are 151 structures in the district. Houses in the neighborhood are from the 1920's. Architecture styles are Spanish Mission, craftsman bungalow, and the ornate Mediterranean Revival. There are also wood frame houses built in the 1930's and 1940's. An interesting feature that is unique to this neighborhood is the streets are on the diagonal creating triangular blocks. The community has three triangular shaped parks. The residents of this community are interested in preserving their historic homes. The district hopes to build off the momentum of the restoration of Old School Square and the Pineapple Grove Arts district. Committees have been created to improve landscaping and safety and to maintain the architectural details that make this historic district unique. This neighborhood was once advertised as "new blood for Delray" and residents hope to preserve the historic buildings that once made this the premier place to live in Delray Beach.

The Artwork of Reuben Hale is an incredible experience! Both locals and tourists will enjoy touring…read morethe house and gardens, and hearing stories from the director, Irma Hale (Reuben's daughter). The museum is impressive on many levels: the incredible art of Reuben Hale, in many media; the stunning architecture of the home and its renovations and additions by the Hale family; and the history of Palm Beach County neighborhoods and art scene in the last half of the 20th century. Do yourself a favor and book a tour at this most precious of gems in Palm Beach County!

Lavender house, also known as Hermann V. Von Holst House is a private residence on the U.S…read more National Register of Historic Places in the historic old Floresta neighborhood in Boca Raton. It is located on 875 Alamanda Street. The neighborhood the house is in was initially designed by Addison Mizner but he went broke in 1926. Chicago Prairie School architect Hermann V. Von Holst along with partners purchased the development and he finished building the houses. Lavender House was the residence Holst built for himself. He went on to serve on the Boca Raton City Council from 1934 to 1948 and the planning board from 1940 to 1953. Although you can't tour this house it's worth driving through this beautiful historic neighborhood. It looks like the current owners embrace the history of their home as it is beautifully kept. They occasionally post pictures of the interior on their Facebook page dedicated to the home.