Sanborn Square
Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida
Marker Inscription
SANBORN SQUARE In the early 1950s, the site directly across from Boca Raton's Old Town Hall, formerly a bus station, sat empty. In 1953, owner of the land Eleanor Sanborn generously allowed the town's annual holiday celebrations to take place there. By 1955, she donated the land to the city in memory of her late husband, Boca Raton part time resident Dr. William E. Sanborn, a wealthy Detroit dentist. The small park became the city's town square, hosting numerous gatherings. As the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency was established and began making improvements to the downtown district, local residents voted in 1983 to expand Sanborn Square, removing the portion of Boca Raton Road that bisected the park. Benefactors Charles and Dorothy Schmidt made this improvement possible through a generous donation of additional land just north of Boca Raton Road. In 1985, the community celebrated the dedication of the new Sanborn Square. Today, Sanborn Square remains the heart of Downtown Boca. It is a green and shady oasis amidst all the activity of a vibrant and lively downtown district and is host to many events year-round.
Erected by Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum
The Story
In the early 1950s the lot across from Boca Raton's Old Town Hall — once a bus station — sat empty until Eleanor Sanborn lent it for the town's holiday celebrations, then in 1955 donated it to the city in memory of her late husband, Dr. William E. Sanborn. The gift became the community's town square. Voters expanded it in 1983, removing the road that once bisected the park, and it was rededicated in 1985 as the green heart of a growing downtown.
Why it matters
Sanborn Square shows how a single act of civic generosity can seed the public heart of a town, tracing Boca Raton's growth from a quiet outpost into a lively South Florida city.
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Related people
- · Eleanor Sanborn
- · Dr. William E. Sanborn
- · Charles Schmidt
- · Dorothy Schmidt
Themes & tags
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