History of the Town of Palm Beach

This page tells the story of the Town of Palm Beach, on the island, from primary sources: the Town, the Flagler Museum, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, The Breakers, the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, The Royal Poinciana Plaza, the Worth Avenue Association and the U.S. Census Bureau. Where two sources give different dates, we show both. Where a story is told only by secondary sites, we leave it out and say so at the end.

Flagler’s hotels and Whitehall

The Town says Palm Beach took its name, by early settler accounts, from the Providencia, which washed ashore in January 1878 with coconuts bound from Havana to Barcelona; the settlers planted the coconuts. It also says Palm Beach owes its existence and character more to Henry Flagler than to any other person. Flagler’s Royal Poinciana Hotel was completed in 1894 and was the largest wooden structure in the world, the Town says, and the Florida East Coast Railway arrived in 1896.

• The Town says Palm Beach took its name, by early settler accounts, from the Providencia, which washed ashore in January 1878 with coconuts bound from Havana to Barcelona; settlers planted the coconuts. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Town says Flagler's Royal Poinciana Hotel was completed in 1894 and was the largest wooden structure in the world; the Florida East Coast Railway arrived in 1896. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach

The sources differ on The Breakers. The Breakers says it was founded in 1896 by Henry M. Flagler. The Town says Flagler opened the Palm Beach Inn in 1896 and that it became The Breakers in 1901. Both agree Flagler opened the hotel in 1896; the 1901 renaming is the Town’s account. The Breakers says it reopened in 1926 after fires in 1903 and 1925, rebuilt to designs by Shultze and Weaver modeled on the Villa Medici. Its address is One South County Road.

• The Breakers says it was founded in 1896 by Henry M. Flagler and reopened in 1926 after fires in 1903 and 1925, rebuilt to designs by Shultze and Weaver modeled on the Villa Medici. The Breakers Palm Beach: About Us
• The Breakers says it was founded in 1896; the Town says Flagler opened the Palm Beach Inn in 1896 and it became The Breakers in 1901. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Breakers lists its address as One South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480. The Breakers Palm Beach: About Us

The Flagler Museum says Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age estate, was completed in 1902 and is a National Historic Landmark. Other sources disagree: the Worth Avenue Association’s legacy page says 1901, and a Discover The Palm Beaches blog says the late 1800s. We use the Museum’s 1902. The Museum says Jean Flagler Matthews, Flagler’s granddaughter, established the Flagler Museum on June 5, 1959, and each June 5 it opens free for Founder’s Day. Visiting details are on our arts and culture page.

• The Museum says Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate, was completed in 1902 and is a National Historic Landmark. Flagler Museum: home page
• The Flagler Museum and the Town say Whitehall was completed or built in 1902; the Worth Avenue Association's legacy page says Flagler built it in 1901; a Discover The Palm Beaches blog says it was built in the late 1800s. Flagler Museum: home page
• The Museum says Jean Flagler Matthews, Flagler's granddaughter, established the Flagler Museum on June 5, 1959; each June 5 the Museum opens free for Founder's Day. Flagler Museum: Founder's Day

1911: the Town incorporates

The Town’s history page says the Town of Palm Beach was incorporated on April 17, 1911, when 35 men met at the Palm Beach Hotel and voted to incorporate what was only the second recognized municipality in Palm Beach County. The reason, it says, was the discovery in January 1911 that West Palm Beach was going to attempt an annexation of the island during that year’s legislative session.

• The Town says the Town of Palm Beach was incorporated on April 17, 1911, when 35 men met at the Palm Beach Hotel and voted to incorporate what was only the second recognized municipality in Palm Beach County. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Town says incorporation followed the discovery in January 1911 that West Palm Beach was going to attempt an annexation of the island during that year's legislative session. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach

The Town’s key dates also track the bridges: they list the original Royal Park Bridge in 1911, the original Flagler Memorial Bridge in 1938, the second Royal Park Bridge in 1959 and the current Royal Park Bridge in 2005.

• The Town's key dates list the original Royal Park Bridge (1911), the original Flagler Memorial Bridge (1938), the second Royal Park Bridge (1959) and the current Royal Park Bridge (2005). Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach

Mizner, Worth Avenue and the Everglades Club

The Preservation Foundation’s timeline says the Everglades Club, designed by Addison Mizner, opened on Worth Avenue in 1919; the Worth Avenue Association says it was built in 1918. We show both. The Association says Worth Avenue was shaped from its earliest days by Mizner’s Mediterranean Revival architecture, with quiet courtyards and vias, and that the Association itself was formed in 1938. Today’s street is on our Worth Avenue page.

• The Preservation Foundation's timeline says the Everglades Club, designed by Addison Mizner, opened on Worth Avenue in 1919. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Timeline
• The Preservation Foundation's timeline says the Everglades Club opened in 1919; the Worth Avenue Association says it was built in 1918. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Timeline
• The Association says Worth Avenue was shaped from its earliest days by Addison Mizner's Mediterranean Revival architecture, with quiet courtyards and vias. Worth Avenue Association: The Association
• The Worth Avenue Association says it is a not-for-profit formed in 1938 to promote, preserve and enhance the Worth Avenue business district. Worth Avenue Association: The Association

The Society of the Four Arts says it was founded in 1936. Its renovation page calls its O’Keeffe and Rovensky buildings Addison Mizner’s 1928 designs, while the Worth Avenue Association credits the Four Arts building to Maurice Fatio. We follow the Four Arts’ own wording.

• The Society of the Four Arts says it is a nonprofit founded in 1936, with programs mostly concentrated from November through May on a 10-acre campus along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Society of the Four Arts: About
• The Worth Avenue Association says the Four Arts is housed in a building designed by Maurice Fatio; the Four Arts says its O'Keeffe and Rovensky buildings are Addison Mizner's 1928 designs. The Four Arts about page says the Gubelmann Auditorium has 700 seats; its renovation page says the rebuilt hall will have about 650. The Society of the Four Arts: About the Renovation Project

Town Hall, the Memorial Fountain and Bethesda-by-the-Sea

The Town’s key dates say Palm Beach Town Hall opened in 1925 and was restored in 2009; the Town lists it at 360 South County Road. The Town says Addison Mizner’s Memorial Fountain was built in Town Square in 1930, and the Preservation Foundation says it was completed in honor of Henry Flagler and E.N. “Cap” Dimick, with Charles Perrochet as landscape architect. Beyond the year, the designer and the honorees, no page we read describes the square’s layout or the fountain’s restoration.

• The Town's key dates say Palm Beach Town Hall opened in 1925 and was restored in 2009. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Town lists its contact address as 360 South County Road, P.O. Box 2029, Palm Beach, FL 33480, phone 561-838-5400. Town of Palm Beach: Official Website
• The Town says Addison Mizner's Memorial Fountain was built in Town Square in 1930. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Preservation Foundation says the Memorial Fountain, designed by Addison Mizner, was completed in honor of Henry Flagler and E.N. "Cap" Dimick, with Charles Perrochet as landscape architect. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Timeline
• The Town and the Foundation publish only the year (1930), the designer (Mizner) and the honorees; we found no page describing Town Hall square's layout or the fountain's restoration. Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach

The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea says its congregation began in 1889 on the shores of Lake Worth, and construction of its present church, at 141 South County Road, began in 1925. The church marks its centennial with a concert on Friday, April 23, 2027 at 7:00 p.m.

• Bethesda says its congregation began in 1889 on the shores of Lake Worth, and construction of its present church began in 1925. The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea: Our History
• The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea is at 141 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480, (561) 655-4554. The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea: Our History

Parks, the Plaza and the Preservation Foundation

The Preservation Foundation says E.R. Bradley’s Beach Club closed in 1945 and Bradley willed the casino grounds to the Town for what is now Bradley Park. It says Phipps Ocean Park was the Phipps family’s 1948 gift, running from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway with 1,200 feet of oceanfront, and that the Little Red Schoolhouse, founded in 1886 as the first schoolhouse in Southeast Florida, was moved there in 1960. The Royal Poinciana Plaza says it was built in the 1950s to a design by John Volk, and Palm Beach Par 3 says its course was designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1961 and redesigned by Raymond Floyd in 2009.

• The Preservation Foundation says E.R. Bradley's Beach Club closed in 1945 and Bradley willed the casino grounds to the Town for a public park, now Bradley Park. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Timeline
• The Preservation Foundation says Phipps Ocean Park was the Phipps family's 1948 gift and runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway with 1,200 feet of oceanfront. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Extraordinary Spaces @Phipps Ocean Park
• The Preservation Foundation says the Little Red Schoolhouse was founded in 1886 as the first schoolhouse in Southeast Florida and was moved to Phipps Ocean Park in 1960. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Little Red Schoolhouse
• The Plaza says it was built in the 1950s and stands today as a landmarked property. The Royal Poinciana Plaza: home page
• The Plaza says John S. Phipps asked architect John Volk to design a shopping plaza "in any style you wish; however, it must endure for fifty years." The Royal Poinciana Plaza: Our History
• Palm Beach Par 3 says its course was designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1961 and redesigned in 2009 by Raymond Floyd: 18 holes from 81 to 211 yards between the ocean and the Intracoastal. Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course: home page

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach says it was founded in 1980; its headquarters is at 311 Peruvian Avenue. It established Pan’s Garden in 1994, which it calls Florida’s first all-native botanical garden. On Wednesday, January 27, 2027 at 5:30 pm it hosts Coral & Coconuts: Palm Beach Streets & Landmarks, an exhibition and book signing that is open and complimentary to the public. The Town’s key dates close the century with “2010: Worth Avenue restored” and the Town’s Centennial Year in 2011.

• The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach says it was founded in 1980; its headquarters is at 311 Peruvian Avenue, (561) 832-0731. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: home page
• The Preservation Foundation says Pan's Garden, established in 1994, is Florida's first all-native botanical garden, a half acre of native plants, open every day 10 am to 4 pm. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Pan's Garden
• The Town's key dates list "2010: Worth Avenue restored" and "2011: Town of Palm Beach celebrated its Centennial Year." Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach

The Town today

The U.S. Census Bureau gives a total population of 9,245 for Palm Beach town, Florida, in the 2020 Decennial Census, and a land area of 3.8 square miles. We did not read a newer estimate on a Census page. The Town says it runs under a council-manager form of government, with an elected Mayor, Danielle H. Moore, a five-member council and a professional Town Manager; the Town Manager’s Office lists Kirk Blouin in that role. Town Hall’s administrative offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

• The U.S. Census Bureau gives a Total Population of 9,245 for Palm Beach town, Florida (2020 Decennial Census) and a land area of 3.8 square miles. U.S. Census Bureau: Palm Beach town, Florida profile
• The population figure on this site is the 2020 Decennial Census count (9,245); we have not used a newer Census estimate for Palm Beach town. U.S. Census Bureau: Palm Beach town, Florida profile
• The Town says it operates under a council-manager form of government with an elected Mayor, Danielle H. Moore, and a five-member council, and a professional Town Manager who oversees daily operations. Town of Palm Beach: Town Government
• The Town Manager's Office lists Kirk Blouin as Town Manager, phone (561) 838-5410. Town of Palm Beach: Town Manager's Office
• The Town lists Town Hall administrative office hours as Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, closed on town-observed holidays. Town of Palm Beach: Hours & Schedules

What we left out

• Stories on Worth Avenue Association legacy pages about famous residents, court cases and politics: they are not primary history, and we do not repeat them.
• Whitehall dates other than the Museum’s 1902, shown above only as the conflict they are.
• The history of Royal Poinciana Way itself: no Town page describes it.
• Worth Avenue’s clock tower and its 2010 streetscape: no height, cost or completion date was published on a page we read.
• A count of the Worth Avenue vias: the Association publishes none.
• Preservation Foundation walking tours: its events listing shows no public walking-tour schedule for 2026-27.

• We found no Town page describing Royal Poinciana Way itself (history, streetscape or length); the street appears on the Town's North End meter list and as the address of Bradley Park and the Royal Poinciana Plaza. Town of Palm Beach: Park in Palm Beach
• We found no primary page describing the Worth Avenue clock tower or the 2010 streetscape (cost, scope, height). The Town's only line is "2010: Worth Avenue restored." Town of Palm Beach: History of Palm Beach
• The Worth Avenue Association directory has a "The Vias" category showing Via Mizner, Via Parigi, Via Amore and Via Bice listings, but no Association page gives a count or full list of the vias, or which are on the National Register. Worth Avenue Association: Directory, The Vias
• The Preservation Foundation's events listing shows lectures, dinners, exhibitions and garden events, but no public walking-tour schedule for 2026-27. Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: Events

History FAQ

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Town of Palm Beach (official site)