History of downtown West Palm Beach

This page tells the story of downtown West Palm Beach, Florida, from primary sources only: the City of West Palm Beach, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County, the Downtown Development Authority and the US Census Bureau. Where a story is told only by secondary sites, we leave it out and say so at the end.

1894: Flagler’s town

The Historical Society says West Palm Beach was the brainchild of Henry M. Flagler, founded as a commercial and residential center to support his hotels, and that the first lots were sold at auction on February 4, 1894, at the Royal Poinciana Hotel.

It says the original town was laid out in a grid of forty-eight blocks, with streets named alphabetically after local plants, running from Lake Worth on the east to Clear Lake on the west and from Althea (now Second Street) on the north to Fern Street on the south. Our Clematis Street page walks that street block by block as it is today.

• The Historical Society says West Palm Beach was the brainchild of Henry M. Flagler, founded as a commercial and residential center to support his hotels, and that the first lots were sold at auction on February 4, 1894, at the Royal Poinciana Hotel. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach
• The Historical Society says the original town was laid out in a grid of forty-eight blocks, with streets named alphabetically after local plants, running from Lake Worth on the east to Clear Lake on the west and from Althea (now Second Street) on the north to Fern Street on the south. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach

This panoramic map from 1915, held by the Library of Congress, shows West Palm Beach, the lake and Palm Beach about two decades after the first lot auction.

Incorporation: November 5, 1894

The City says West Palm Beach was incorporated on November 5, 1894, two years before Miami, and had 1,000 residents in 1895. The Historical Society adds that residents voted to incorporate as a municipality at a meeting held at the “calaboose” (the jail) and that by 1895 the town had more than a thousand people. Palm Beach County says the 1894 incorporation makes West Palm Beach the oldest municipality in the county. The Downtown Development Authority’s own line for downtown is “unapologetically original since 1894.”

• The City of West Palm Beach says it was incorporated November 5, 1894, two years before Miami, and had 1,000 residents in 1895. City of West Palm Beach: History
• The Historical Society of Palm Beach County says residents voted to incorporate as a municipality at a meeting held at the "calaboose" (jail) on November 5, 1894, and that by 1895 the town had more than a thousand people. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach
• Palm Beach County says West Palm Beach was incorporated in 1894, making it the oldest municipality in the county, and that the county was carved out of Dade County in 1909 as Florida's 47th county. Palm Beach County: Interesting Facts and Figures
• The Downtown Development Authority describes downtown West Palm Beach as "unapologetically original since 1894." West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority: home page

1896: two fires

The Historical Society says two fires in early 1896, weeks apart, destroyed much of the business district. After them, building codes required stone, brick or brick veneer construction.

• The Historical Society says two fires in early 1896, weeks apart, destroyed much of the business district, after which building codes required stone, brick or brick veneer construction. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach

1909: county seat

The Historical Society says the state legislature passed Senate Bill Number 18 in April 1909, establishing Palm Beach County with West Palm Beach as the new county’s seat of government. Palm Beach County says it was carved out of Dade County in 1909 as Florida’s 47th county, and that its first government meetings were held in an old four-room schoolhouse at the corner of Clematis Street and Dixie Highway. The City still describes West Palm Beach as the county seat of Palm Beach County.

• The Historical Society says the state legislature passed Senate Bill Number 18 in April 1909, establishing Palm Beach County with West Palm Beach as the new county's seat of government. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach
• Palm Beach County says the first county government meetings were held in an old four-room schoolhouse at the corner of Clematis Street and Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Palm Beach County: Interesting Facts and Figures
• The City says West Palm Beach is the county seat of Palm Beach County and one of the three main cities in South Florida. City of West Palm Beach: History

The 1916 courthouse and the History Museum

The Historical Society says the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum is on the second floor of the restored 1916 Historic Courthouse, 300 North Dixie Highway, with the modern courthouse across the street. Its Children’s Education Area is on the fourth floor. The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, and closed on Sundays.

The Society’s home page says general admission is free. Entry is also free for its members, students, Museums for All recipients (SNAP benefits with an EBT card and photo ID) and NARM, MARP, ROAM and SERM card holders. Its upcoming special exhibit, America at the Crossroads, has a $12 entry fee for non-members. Metered street parking surrounds the building, more parking is at the 4th Street Lot (ParkMobile), and the accessible entrance is on the east side, with elevators to the second floor.

• The Historical Society says the museum is in the restored 1916 Historic Courthouse at 300 North Dixie Highway, with the modern courthouse across the street, and that its Children's Education Area is on the fourth floor. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Plan Your Visit
• The Historical Society lists museum hours of Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Plan Your Visit
• The Historical Society says entry is free for its members, students, Museums for All recipients (SNAP benefits with EBT card and photo ID) and NARM, MARP, ROAM and SERM card holders. It lists the museum closed on Sundays. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Plan Your Visit
• The Historical Society says its upcoming special exhibit, America at the Crossroads, has a $12 entry fee for non-members, and is free for members, students, Museums for All recipients and reciprocal card holders. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Plan Your Visit
• The Historical Society says metered street parking surrounds the museum, more parking is at the 4th Street Lot (ParkMobile), and the accessible entrance is on the east side with elevators to the second floor. Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Plan Your Visit

1920: Currie Park

The City says Currie Park, a 13-acre park on the Intracoastal at 2400 North Flagler Drive, was deeded to the City in 1920 by George Graham Currie, a former mayor, and was originally known as Bethesda Park. Today it is closed for a $35.5 million redesign and is expected to reopen in spring 2027.

• The City says Currie Park, at 2400 North Flagler Drive, is undergoing a $35.5 million redesign and is expected to reopen in spring 2027. City of West Palm Beach: Directions and Parking

1925: the Seaboard station

The station in this photograph is the 1925 Seaboard Air Line station, according to its photo record, which also says it is now the Amtrak and Tri-Rail stop. Tri-Rail lists its West Palm Beach Station at 203 South Tamarind Avenue. We have not read a primary history of the building, so we leave its story there.

• Tri-Rail lists its West Palm Beach Station at 203 South Tamarind Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401, with free parking for the commuting public. Tri-Rail: West Palm Beach Station

The Sunset Lounge and the Historic Northwest

The City calls the Sunset Lounge, at 609 8th Street, a long-time home for jazz and soul and “a cornerstone of West Palm Beach’s cultural history.” It says the venue’s past includes Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, James Brown, Count Basie and Ike & Tina Turner, and that it reopened as a live music venue with a sold-out show by saxophonist Boney James.

The City’s Community Redevelopment Agency says the Historic Northwest District lies just north of downtown, from Banyan Boulevard to Palm Beach Lakes and from Tamarind Avenue to Rosemary Avenue, and is designated as a historic zone. It names the Sunset Lounge at 8th Street and Henrietta, the Styx Promenade on 7th Street and the Heart and Soul Jazz Park at 825 N. Rosemary Avenue among its projects there.

• The City lists the Sunset Lounge at 609 8th Street, West Palm Beach, and describes it as a long-time home for jazz and soul that reopened as a live music venue. City of West Palm Beach: Sunset Lounge Events
• The City's Community Redevelopment Agency says the Historic Northwest District lies just north of downtown, stretching from Banyan Boulevard to Palm Beach Lakes and from Tamarind Avenue to Rosemary Avenue; it is mostly residential and designated as a historic zone. City of West Palm Beach: Historic Northwest
• The CRA names the Sunset Lounge at 8th Street and Henrietta, the Styx Promenade on 7th Street and the Heart and Soul Jazz Park at 825 N. Rosemary Avenue among Historic Northwest projects, and says it aims to make the district a cultural tourism hub. City of West Palm Beach: Historic Northwest

Mid-century downtown

A Tichnor Brothers postcard from around 1957 shows the downtown skyline of its day. We have not read a primary source on downtown’s growth in those decades, so the card stands on its own.

1967: the Downtown Development Authority

The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority says it was created in 1967 as an independent special taxing district to promote and enhance downtown for residents, businesses and visitors. Today it provides the free GreenMarket bike valet.

• The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority says it was created in 1967 as an independent special taxing district to promote and enhance downtown for residents, businesses and visitors. West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority: home page
• The City says free bike valet runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 143 N. Narcissus Avenue, at the corner of Narcissus and Clematis. It is provided by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and operated by Bike West Palm Beach. City of West Palm Beach: GreenMarket Hours, Location & Parking

1992 and after: protecting old buildings

The City’s Historic Preservation FAQs say West Palm Beach obtained Certified Local Government status in 1992. The City says its Historic Preservation Program now looks after 18 locally designated historic districts and 46 individually designated sites, and that exterior changes to historic structures must follow the Historic Preservation Ordinance and the City’s Design Guidelines. CityPlace says Eataly has opened inside the historic Harriet Himmel Hall.

• The City's Historic Preservation FAQs say West Palm Beach obtained Certified Local Government status in 1992. City of West Palm Beach: Historic Preservation FAQs
• The City says its Historic Preservation Program looks after 18 locally designated historic districts and 46 individually designated sites; exterior changes to historic structures must follow the Historic Preservation Ordinance and the City's Design Guidelines. City of West Palm Beach: Historic Preservation
• CityPlace says the neighborhood includes residential and office buildings such as The Laurel rentals and the 10 CityPlace and 15 CityPlace office towers, and that Eataly has opened inside the historic Harriet Himmel Hall. CityPlace: About Us

1995: the GreenMarket

The City says the first West Palm Beach GreenMarket opened in November 1995 with 13 vendors in the parking lot of the Old City Hall, and calls it the first weekly public farmers market in Palm Beach County. Its 32nd season began on Saturday, October 3, 2026; see the GreenMarket page.

• The City says the first West Palm Beach GreenMarket opened in November 1995 with 13 vendors in the parking lot of the Old City Hall, and calls it the first weekly public farmers market in Palm Beach County. City of West Palm Beach: History of the Market

West Palm Beach today

The City describes itself as a waterfront city on Florida’s Atlantic coast and the central city of Palm Beach County. The US Census Bureau’s QuickFacts gives the whole city, not just downtown, a population estimate of 127,189 for July 1, 2025, up 8.4% from the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 117,290; the 2020 Census count was 117,415. In 2026 the City’s RideWPB pilot ended on May 31 and West Palm Move took its place, a service the City says is separate from previous trolley operations.

• The City describes itself as a waterfront city on Florida's Atlantic coast, the central city of Palm Beach County, and one of the three largest cities making up the South Florida region. City of West Palm Beach: City of West Palm Beach Launches West Palm Move, a New Fixed-Route and On-Demand Transit Network
• The US Census Bureau's QuickFacts gives West Palm Beach city a population estimate of 127,189 for July 1, 2025 (Vintage 2025), up 8.4% from the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 117,290. The 2020 Census count was 117,415. US Census Bureau: QuickFacts West Palm Beach city, Florida
• The City says West Palm Move, a fixed-route and on-demand transit network run with Via, replaced the RideWPB pilot, which ended May 31, 2026. Fixed-route service began September 8 and on-demand service September 15. City of West Palm Beach: City of West Palm Beach Launches West Palm Move, a New Fixed-Route and On-Demand Transit Network

What we left out

We have not read a primary source on the history of individual Clematis Street buildings, a National Register listing for any downtown block, or the old downtown trolleys’ start and end dates, so none of it is here. If you hold a primary source on any of them, tell us. To see the past in person, start at the History Museum, then walk the rest of downtown.

History FAQ

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