OLD NORTHWOOD HISTORIC DISTRICT

In 1884, The Reverend Elbridge Gale retired to the area later to be known as Old Northwood. He was the first to build a cabin on the west side of Lake Worth. Gale grew mango trees and one of his trees became the first grafted Mangonia to bear fruit. The well-known Haden variety was developed from the seeds of this tree. Gale’s home was known as Mangonia. During the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, the Pinewood Development Company led by David F. Dunkle purchased 400 acres and 173 contributing structures were built between 1921 and 1929 consisting of Frame Vernacular, Mission-style, and Mediterranean homes. Over 50 individual builders built at least one house in the area. Notable architects include John Volk, William Manley King, and T.B. Eissfeldt. One of the district’s most unique features is the network of alleys that allows access to garages and other services. Old Northwood remained a prestigious middle-class neighborhood into the 1960s. After two decades of blight, the Old Northwood Neighborhood Association was formed in 1987. Old Northwood became the first designated historic district in West Palm Beach in 1991 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.