Ernest Benjamin (E.B.) Walton
Prior to his distinguished career as a Florida developer, builder, and designer, Ernest Benjamin (E.B.) Walton (1881-1976) was born in Nebraska and graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania with a degree in civil engineering in 1907. Walton worked for Pencoyd Iron Works near Philadelphia as a structural steel draftsman and served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War I (and later as an engineer in World War II). One of his first major projects was the Glenburnie Inn in Lake George, New York.
Walton moved to West Palm Beach in 1917 and soon established his contracting firm E.B. Walton Inc. His first projects were in the El Cid neighborhood of West Palm Beach. He later developed the subdivisions and streets in Palm Beach: Monterey Road, Colonial Lane, Sanford Avenue and the East Shore Addition-Plantation Road and Southland Road. He also developed the North Shore Addition which included Seagate, Dolphin, and Reef Road. In 1945, he developed Mount Vernon Motor Lodges throughout Florida including West Palm Beach.
Walton developed over 200 projects in Palm Beach and worked with architects such as John Volk, Maurice Fatio, Belford Shoumate, and Wyeth, King, & Johnson. Depending on the project, Walton served as designer, builder, or developer. His work is recognizable for its clear interpretation of Mediterranean Revival. Walton’s company was passed down to his son E.B. Walton II and grandson, E.B. Walton III.
