The Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana has a unique history that reflects the town's transition from…read moretranquil fishing village to seaside community. The first bridge here was a wooden bridge built in 1925, replacing a primitive raft and chain pulley device used by locals to cross the Intracoastal. It was manually controlled by turning a massive iron "key" in a circle to swing the bridge open, which took around 15 minutes. A full-time bridge tender lived in a house on the west end. In 1950, the wooden bridge was replaced by a concrete drawbridge, which cost approximately $500,000 at the time. This second version served the town for more than six decades until being considered outmoded. The 1950 bridge was demolished in March 2012 to make room for the taller and broader span, which can better suit modern traffic and marine needs. The modern bridge has 21 feet of clearance above the water and 125 feet of horizontal clearance. It's nice that they included open railings so that you can (carefully) look out as you drive across. There is no toll to cross the bridge. [Review 479 of 2025 - 2119 in Florida - 24041 overall]

I'd read about this "castle" honestly a number of years back when it was up for sale. It was listed…read moreas a 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home in the historic district of Lake Worth. It sounded intriguing. We were in the area and I decided it was beyond time to see this place. Its claim to fame includes the fact that it was built by a contemporary of Mizner. The plaque on the wall outside says circa 1918, but I thought it was originally started in 1924 and took several years to build. In any case, at the time of the last sale, I'd read it was valued at over one and a half million dollars. I'm sure that number is greatly out of date. And it was extensively remodeled since then. The building stands out with its iron gates, protective statues on either side of the wooden doors, and a small tower. You can walk a very short block from the front door to the intracoastal waterway and a park. I'm so glad we finally got a chance to stop by and see this beautiful, historical house "castle".

Henry Flagler first laid railroad tracks to West Palm Beach in 1894. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad…read moreput down tracks to West Palm Beach between 1921 and 1924. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in West Palm Beach. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simplson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne. This train station, like all of the Seaboard Air Line Stations, was designed by architect L. Philipps Clarke. It opened on January 25, 1925 with the arrival of the Orange Blossom Express, a train that ran from 1925 to 1953 between New York and Miami in the winter. This was one of 40 stations built around this time frame for the railroad. The Mediterranean Revival style building was built by the largest firm in Palm Beach, Harvey & Clark. The train station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1973. In 1988 the City of Palm Beach purchased the building. After a 4.3 million dollar renovation the station was reopened in a ceremony attended by Florida's governor in 1991. Only two of the Seaboard Air Line Stations have been destroyed. The Boynton Beach station was torn down in 2006 and the Delray Station was destroyed by arson a few months ago. Thanks to the care taken by the City of West Palm Beach, this majestic station still maintains it's beauty today while serving Amtrak and Tri Rail travelers.

In 1885 the only life saving station on the east coast was built near this spot. The actual…read morelocation is now underwater. The station operated until 1899. The construction of the station was overseen by Charles. R. Carlin who was the assistant keeper at the Jupiter Lighthouse. While the station no longer exists there is a historical marker in front of the Lazy Loggerhead Cafe in Carlin Park, The two story building had a four sided lookout tower on the roof with a powerful spyglass on a tripod that enabled the men to see out on to the ocean. The first floor had a utility room and a 27 foot rescue boat mounted on a ramp that slid down on to the beach. The second floor had the crew quarters and lockers for the six surf men who were skilled in shipwreck rescue. The men supervised by Carlin worked September through May and during the summer months only Carlin manned the post. After Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida ship traffic declined and paid workers were replaced with volunteers. After the station ceased operation Carlin remained to organize volunteers during emergencies until his death. While trying to prevent a brush fire from consuming the station he fell from the roof to his death. The During WWI Life Saving Service combined with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard. You can learn more about the life saving station at the nearby Jupiter Lighthouse museum. There is a room that has a display dedicated to the station that includes artifacts and photos. They have a locker from the station as well as Carlin's telescope.

I enjoy exploring the architecture of the historic districts of West Palm Beach. There are twelve…read morehistoric districts mar\ked by blue historical markers. These historic districts were created when Henry Flagler brought the railroad to West Palm Beach. The Belair Historic District is between South Flagler Drive and South Dixie Highway. It is bounded by Plymouth Road on the south and Pilgrim Road to the north. Belair was developed from 1925 to 1935 as a neighborhood where the tradesmen and real estate salesmen who helped build and develop Palm Beach County lived. In 1885 South Carolina author James Woods Davidson acquired the area as part of a Homestead Act. He in turn sold the land to early pioneer, Englishman Richard Hone. Hone turned it into a pineapple plantation and he and his wife Mary lived in a frame vernacular home at 211 Plymouth Road. In 1902 Hone was shot to death at the age of 43 during a storm while writing a letter at his dining room table as his wife sat beside him. One of Hone's employees was caught a few days later and charged with the murder. He was hung for the crime in Miami. In 1985 the grave of Richard Hone and his infant sons Edward and Robert were discovered beneath the Norton Museum of Art where they still lay today. After the Hone murder, the property was sold in 1923 to William and Sophie Ohlhaber to grow coconut palms and ferns. George Curie platted the land for a subdivision and sold off in lots. The Ohihaber's owned the first house built, a mission-style home at 205 Pilgrim. In 1947 Hone's house was bought by Max Brombacher, Henry Flagler's chief engineer, and it remains in the Brombacher family today. Homes in this neighborhood were built after WWI during Florida's land boom years in the 1920's and early 1030's. Architectural styles include Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, and Wood-Frame and Masonry Vernacular style houses. Belair became West Palm Beach's fourth historic district in August 1993. Historic Marker F-1201 was installed in 2022 by the South End Neighborhood Association and the Florida Department of State. You can find it in the swale next to the lake Worth Lagoon.

city works man was disrespectful said if its 5 spaces away not right in front of house will…read moredetermine later sidewalks been broken 7yrs concerned about trip hazzard for old folks something must be done now.people are tripping as of july 17 problem is resolved. thank you all.

I grew up coming to the library for tutoring for SATs in high school since it's right across from…read morethe high school. And most recently on one of my trips I came here to do some work. They have a few private rooms that you can take test in or take meetings in in. I was able to get a private room while I was here, but it did take a while because all of them were occupied, but we finally said something to one of the workers and he was able to help us get a room really quickly. It seems like an interesting set up where some people just stay in there for a very long time watching shows or something. So we were grateful that we were able to get a room. They also had a free seed Library that you could get seats from so I took a few and I'm so excited that some of them are already growing in my garden. Definitely a great library just to do some work and get stuff done.

This is a great little library! Friendly staff, central location…read more Not as small as the Tequesta branch, but definitely smaller than Palm Beach Gardens. The children's section is nicely laid out and a decent size, with plenty of windows and light, and a large, adjacent activity room. I've enjoyed the children's classes I've attended; I can't believe how many they have scheduled for this fall! Everything is cozy and easy to find, with computer areas tucked away in the back. The used book area is a cozy corner where treasures can be found; I've picked up author-signed books and coffee table art books here.

Next to the picnic pavilion in Bryant Park in Lake Worth, you will find this historic marker which…read moreis part of the Florida Historical Marker Program. The Historical Marker Program is one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. It raises awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of churches, schools, buildings, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, and historically important sites like this one. Historic marker F-1143 was installed in 2020 by The Historical Society of Lake Worth, City of Lake Worth Beach. Before Lake Worth was incorporated it was known as Jewell thanks to Fannie James who with her husband Sam were the first African-American people to file claim for a homestead in the area. Fannie who was a former slave was the one who filled out a lengthy form, asking the First Assistant Postmaster General in Washington, D.C., to approve a new post office on the western shore of Lake Worth in what was Dade County. She had to choose a name and after considering several finally decided on Jewell, perhaps because the couple had received the nickname, the black diamonds from the white homesteaders in the area. On the form she declared the population to be 13. After the post office was approved in September 1889, Fannie became the postmistress for the next 14 years while also operating a dry-goods shop she and her husband ran on their 187-acre homestead built by Sam, a carpenter. At first mail was delivered by boat and then after the Florida East Coast Railway was completed between West Palm Beach and Miami, it came by train. In 1909, the northern part of Dade County became Palm Beach County. That same year Sam passed away at the age of 81. In 1910, Fannie sold the majority of her property to the Palm Beach Farms Company. She only kept the lot her house was on which was located within 100 feet of the current South Bryant Park Picnic Pavilion. On June 4, 1913, Jewell was incorporated as Lake Worth. Fannie passed away on May 6, 1915 at the age of 73 after she was struck by a car while driving her horse and buggy to West Palm Beach. Today Lake Worth has grown to a population of approximately 40,000 people. Although Fannie and Sam are long gone, their contributions to Lake Worth are remembered to this day and commemorated by this sign.