PALM COAST, FLORIDA

Palm Coast was begun in 1969 by the International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) Corporation. The community was planned by William Levitt of Levitt & Sons, which ITT acquired in 1968. Levitt developed Levittown, NY, to provide affordable homes after World War II, and is considered the father of modern American suburbia. Palm Coast differed from the 35 other Florida projects developed by Levitt from 1964-1994 in that it was envisioned as an entire community, not just a subdivision or residential complex. Palm Coast initially included 48,000 home sites on over 42,000 acres. Public amenities included a boat landing, waterfalls, marina, golf course, and yacht and tennis clubs. The community’s first planned neighborhood included nine different Mid-Century Modern model homes, with names such as Santa Rosa, DeSoto, and Delmar. These homes featured concrete block construction with gabled roofs, some detailed by board and batten siding and faux brick. Palm Coast “pioneers” developed a social community as their homes became venues for a Bible school and medical care, and an open area became known as “Neighborhood Park.” By 1975, over 38,000 houses had been sold, and in 1999 Palm Coast was incorporated as a city.