Historic 1916 Courthouse Restoration

The 1916 Historic Courthouse on Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach is well on its way to being restored to its former grandeur. Many County residents may not know much about this building that is nestled between the Governmental Center and the new courthouse. The neoclassical architecture of the building that held all County government offices and the jail just seven years after the County incorporated in 1909 added to its grandeur and the building was described by a news reporter at the time as the “handsomest in the state.”

If you moved to Palm Beach County in the ‘70s, you may not have even seen the original historic courthouse building since a wraparound addition was constructed in 1972 to provide additional space, and the “wrap” covered the historic courthouse. Inside the historic courthouse, first floor office walls were painted above the chair rail and paneled with oak below. The offices had maple floors, hallways with mosaic tile floors and marble on the lower portion of the walls, and the building’s exterior was fireproof brick and limestone with granite trim. During the restoration process, which earnestly began in January this year, workmen are restoring the original wood flooring and wood windows, replacing the porticos that were graced by beautiful white columns, and salvaging windows that will be replaced in the building. Two elevators will be installed, and an outdoor plaza will allow for open space for everyone.

In addition to a few County offices, The Historical Society of Palm Beach County will be housed in the restored courthouse and will feature the first-ever countywide history museum and educational resource center when the building opens in 2007. This will be no monotonous museum that one passes through looking at artifacts under glass casing. Rather, the story of Palm Beach County will be told through state-of-the-art interactive exhibits that reflect history from our region’s earliest Native Americans to the County’s present cultural diversity. Mizner artifacts from the 20’s and 30’s will be part of the collections depicting transportation, agriculture, pioneers, hotels and recreation, medicine, communications and law. A highlight of the building will be the restoration of the original old courtroom, which played a significant role in the County’s legislative and judicial history. Tours of the museum will be provided and there will be no admission charge for Palm Beach County residents. There are even plans to offer the museum for public access after hours for special events, such as weddings, high school debates, field trips, etc. It will be a wonderful place for children and adults to visit and glean insight into our County’s rich history.

It’s a fact that most of our County’s residents are not native Floridians. It is expected that all residents will want to visit the museum and we look forward to a grand opening. When you walk through the doors of the restored 1916 Courthouse after its opening next year, hopefully you will now feel a very special part of Palm Beach County’s history.

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