The oldest municipality in the county, West Palm Beach was incorporated in 1894. People settled on the shore of Lake Worth in the 1870s and many began farming. More people arrived when Henry Morrison Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad from St. Augustine to West Palm Beach in 1894. By the 1920s, the population and construction began to boom. To preserve older structures, the City Commission has designated 13 historic districts since establishing its preservation program in 1991.
Some neighborhood associations organize annual house tours.
And the Grandview Heights Citizens Association has organized a house tour for Sunday, April 16. In 1991, City Commissioners designated Old Northwood the city s first historic district. The district is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the area was homesteaded by Rev. Elbridge Gale, a retired horticulture professor who grew mangoes. The area was developed between 1920 and 1930 during the Florida land boom.