Introduction

All Roads Lead to Palm Beach

A Look at the Provenance of Historic Architectural Elements

In the early twentieth century, Palm Beach had not yet become the renowned winter destination it is today. Early developers were confronted with jungles and swamps as they ventured into uncharted territory, yet they also saw the opportunity to create something entirely new and unprecedented. To create their dream estates, these prolific architects drew inspiration from their European hometowns and travels abroad. There are numerous examples of architectural pieces from old European estates finding a new home in Palm Beach. Donald Curl accredits this trend to Addison Mizner, noting that El Mirasol featured chandeliers sourced from an old Spanish castle in its living room, while El Solano utilized 300-year-old paneling and furniture in its dining room.₁ Mizner, along with the architects who followed in his footsteps, aimed to evoke a sense of Old World elegance, crafting estates that seemed like they had always belonged in Palm Beach. This exhibit traces the history of these architectural elements, exploring their origins and how they came to be part of Palm Beach’s lore.

¹ Donald Curl, Mizner’s Florida American Resort Architecture (New York: The Architectural History Foundation, 1984), 70.

Credits

Curated by Amanda Capote, Archives & Programming Associate, and Katie Jacob, Vice President

Archival Images & Artifacts from the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Archives unless otherwise stated.