A history of Palm Beach,
since 1911
Postcards, papers and photographs of Palm Beach from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Native Americans previously inhabited the island of Palm Beach, with the Jaega people arriving at least 3,000 years ago. Evidence for their inhabitation of the island are three pre-Columbian archaeological complexes. These complexes include a burial mound, six unmarked Native American cemeteries, and a more recent burial site, which suggests interaction between indigenous people and Europeans.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Palm Beach’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewThe ship Providencia, shipwrecked…, 1878: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Palm Beach, decade by decade
1990s
12 historic places in Palm Beach
Palm Beach has 12 listings on the National Register, and they protect 62 historic buildings, because Royal Poinciana Way Historic District alone counts 26. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier, which fewer than 3% of listings reach.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
LandmarkListed 1972Henry Morrison Flagler House; Whitehall
LandmarkListed 1980Mar-A-Lago National Historic Landmark
Listed 1973Breakers Hotel Complex
Listed 1973Paramount Theatre Building
Listed 1983US Post Office
Listed 1984William Gray Warden House
Listed 1985Palm Beach Daily News Building
Listed 1986Vineta Hotel
Listed 1993Via Mizner
Listed 2005Palm Beach Town Hall
Listed 2010Palm Beach Hotel
Listed 2015Royal Poinciana Way Historic DistrictThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as The ship Providencia, shipwrecked off Florida coast (1878) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (5) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.