Grandview Heights Historic District
West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
Marker Inscription
Grandview Heights Historic District In response to the heavy influx of new residents into South Florida at the turn of the century and the introduction of the automobile, local developers and real estate agents purchased the less expensive land outside of the West Palm Beach downtown area and developed the first speculative suburbs. Platted in the 1910-1920s as three subdivisions, Grandview Heights is one of the earliest attempts at southwestern expansion of the city. Originally stretching from Okeechobee Boulevard to Park Place, the property was chosen because of the relatively steep topography of South Florida. It was considered a desirable place to live because it was less than a mile from downtown, within close proximity to the City Terminals, West Palm Beach Canal, the Turning Basin, and had a view of the Everglades. Built for working and middle class residents, the quickly constructed homes were well made but affordable. The neighborhood consists of primarily Bungalow type homes that reflect mainly the Craftsman and Mission styles, both widely popular during the 1920s Florida Land Boom Era.
Erected by Grandview Heights Citizen Association and the Florida Department of State
The Story
As newcomers and automobiles poured into South Florida around the turn of the twentieth century, developers platted Grandview Heights in the 1910s and 1920s as one of West Palm Beach's first speculative suburbs. Sitting on comparatively high ground within a mile of downtown, it drew working and middle-class families to well-built but affordable Craftsman and Mission-style bungalows. The neighborhood is a snapshot of the 1920s Florida land boom.
Why it matters
It illustrates how the automobile and speculative real estate reshaped American cities into car-oriented suburbs in the early twentieth century.
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