Lake Worth Beach

Lake Worth Beach is a coastal city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, situated directly south of West Palm Beach along the shores of the Lake Worth Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. Previously named simply Lake Worth, the city is located about 63 miles (101 km) north of Miami. Home to approximately 37,000 residents within 7 square miles, the city is bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the broad waters of the Lake Worth Lagoon, and to the west by the fresh waters of Lake Osborne. Long a destination for artists, retirees, and beach-goers alike, Lake Worth Beach has evolved from a quiet agricultural settlement into a culturally vibrant community recognized for its historic architecture, walkable downtown, and nationally celebrated arts events.

Name and Geography

The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Worth Lagoon, which was named for General William J. Worth, who led United States Army forces during the last part of the Second Seminole War. In the early 1800s, the body of water that is now referred to as Lake Worth Lagoon was a freshwater lake; at that time, the only inflow was ground seepage from the Everglades, and the only outflow was through a swamp that became Lake Worth Creek as it approached the Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet. Up until around the time of the Civil War, the Lake Worth Lagoon remained a landlocked freshwater lake, fed only by runoff from lakes and bodies of water to the west; storms would occasionally cause breaches allowing seawater to flow in from the ocean, but those breaches never lasted.

Lake Worth Beach is situated south of West Palm Beach, southeast of Lake Clarke Shores, east of Palm Springs, and north of Lantana, while a small section of the city also partitions the town of Palm Beach. The Lake Worth Lagoon itself spans 20 miles from North Palm Beach to Ocean Ridge, where ocean water flows in through two inlets and mixes with freshwater flowing through three major flood control canals that drain over 350,000 acres of land.

History

Early Settlement

From 1889 to 1903, Fannie A. Jones James maintained the Jewell Post Office at the Florida East Coast Railway for the few households between West Palm Beach and Lantana. James and her husband, former slave Samuel James, homesteaded 186 acres stretching from present Dixie Highway to Lake Worth, and from Lake Avenue to 12th Avenue South. The couple made a claim for their land under the Homestead Act in 1885, and their holdings grew over time to more than 700 acres, encompassing areas that would become the College Park neighborhood and lands between present-day Dixie and Federal highways.

In 1911, a year after Samuel James died, Fannie sold most of her land to the Palm Beach Farms Company. The owners of Palm Beach Farms Company — Frederick Edward Bryant, his brother Harold J. Bryant, and William Greenwood — formed Bryant and Greenwood, which marketed the land throughout the U.S. and Canada, offering five-acre farm tracts in the Everglades for $250 each, with a 25×25-foot lot thrown in free at the Townsite of Lucerne on the shores of Lake Worth.

After Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway south from West Palm Beach to Miami in 1896, a land development scheme was created to plant a townsite between the railroad and the lake; purchasers of agricultural lots, most located in modern-day Greenacres, would also receive a small 25 by 25 ft lot within the city of Lake Worth, and the developer Bryant & Greenwood promoted the area to markets across the United States and Canada.

Incorporation and Early Growth

The population increased from 38 in July 1912 to 308 only five months later. The town of Lake Worth was incorporated in June 1913, and its first elected mayor was James Love, a carpenter and member of the Socialist Party of America.

Two years after the Osborne Colored Addition was platted, a wooden automobile traffic bridge over Lake Worth was completed in 1919, the same year the Brelsford family of Palm Beach deeded a 1,000-foot parcel of land on the barrier island to the town. The town benefited along with the rest of South Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, with Lake Worth's population more than quintupling from 1,106 in 1920 to nearly 6,000 in 1930. Following the approval of a $100,000 bond issue in 1920, the Mediterranean Revival-style Lake Worth Casino and Baths was constructed, and its opening drew many tourists to the area.

During segregation, African Americans lived in the Osborne Colored Addition, platted in 1917, and described as probably the only neighborhood in Palm Beach County to be legally designated as "colored." A concrete wall was added in 1954 to separate Osborne, west of Dixie Highway at the southern end of town, from the Whispering Pines neighborhood to the west. In 1994, the city renamed the plat Osborne Addition; the Florida legislature unanimously amended state law to allow local governments to remove derogatory racial terms more easily.

The 2010 census recorded a population of 34,910, which increased to 42,219 in the 2020 census. In March 2019, city residents voted to change their home's name to Lake Worth Beach, Florida.

Historic Districts and Landmarks

Today, Lake Worth Beach is a city featuring several historic neighborhoods, such as the National Register of Historic Places-listed College Park and Old Lucerne, while the downtown area also has dozens of buildings that are part of the Historic Old Town Commercial District.

The College Park and Old Lucerne (Parrot Cove) neighborhoods are notable for being historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Old Lucerne Historic Residential District is the section of Lake Worth Beach where Samuel and Fannie James lived, with a total of 346 structures in the district, of which 218 are classified as contributing and 128 are classified as non-contributing.

One of the city's most storied landmarks is the Gulfstream Hotel. Located at the gateway to downtown, the hotel was originally conceived under the name El Nuevo in 1923, when investors secured $225,000 from two local banks and applied for the building permit — at the time the largest permit in the city's history. Originally built in 1923 as El Nuevo Hotel, the hotel was renamed the Gulf Stream Hotel in 1924. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The great Okeechobee Hurricane that ripped through Palm Beach County in 1928 hit the hotel hard, damaging the fifth and sixth floors; the Gulfstream survived the storm but then was directly hit by the stock market crash in 1929, when its original investors went bankrupt. It remained closed for seven years until it reopened in 1936. The hotel closed its doors again in 2005 in what was a blow to the seaside city's downtown district. Restoration St. Louis' acquisition of the property marked a new start for the aged property, which is undergoing a $100 million restoration project.

Lake Worth Beach, founded in 1912, is also dotted with landmarks like the 1920 Lake Worth Pier and the 1924 Lake Worth Playhouse. The newly reconstructed Lake Worth Casino building, reopened in March 2013 with wrap-around terraces and views of the Atlantic Ocean, beach, and surrounding areas, has also become a focal point of the waterfront. Because of the name, many expect to find an actual casino with gambling in this facility; however, there is no gambling. The name was kept as a historical reminder for the residents of Lake Worth.

Arts and Culture

Lake Worth Beach is a historic city in The Palm Beaches that balances cutting-edge art and high-tech cultural offerings. Its revitalized downtown is home to the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County and the Lake Worth Playhouse, as well as the city's annual holiday parade and street painting festival.

The annual Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival is one of the city's signature events. Now in its 32nd year, the Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival continues to celebrate the arts as the largest festival of its kind, drawing participants to the streets of downtown Lake Worth Beach each February. The event brings the community together with breathtaking street art, live entertainment, delicious food offerings, and a festive atmosphere, and admission is free for all visitors. As of June 30, 2021, the City of Lake Worth Beach assumed full ownership and all logistical aspects of the Street Painting Festival, and the founding members of the festival's board officially retired after three decades of dedication.

Over 600 artists use the pavement as canvas to transform downtown Lake Worth Beach into a temporary outdoor museum of original art and masterpiece reproductions. The festival takes place along Lake Avenue and Lucerne Avenue in the heart of the downtown, which visitors can explore for an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants.

Transportation and Accessibility

There are two main public transportation options that wind through Lake Worth Beach: Palm Tran and Tri-Rail. Palm Tran is a bus system that runs through all of Palm Beach County, including Lake Worth Beach; Tri-Rail is a commuter rail line that runs all the way from Miami, through Lake Worth Station, and up to Riviera Beach.

The nearest airport to Lake Worth Beach is Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), which is only 8 miles away. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Miami International Airport (MIA) are both relatively close as well.

For those arriving by water, visitors can stroll down the Municipal Pier for sightseeing and fishing, and Lake Worth is also one of the best places to kayak in the area, with eco tours, paddleboard rentals, and kayak rentals available in Lake Worth's lagoon. Lake Worth Beach Park is home to a boardwalk that also connects to the Lake Worth Pier, and just across the Lake Worth Lagoon lies a second walkway, the Snook Islands Boardwalk.