Grandview Heights Historic District in West Palm Beach, Florida

Grandview Heights, established in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has the West Palm Beach’s highest concentration of historically significant architecture, such as Mission Revival, Florida Bungalow, Art Deco and Dutch Colonial Revival.

Renewal planning and restoration work during the past fifteen years have turned Grandview Heights into one of the most desirable neighborhoods in West Palm Beach due to its downtown location and eclectic, old south Florida atmosphere.

Right: Photo of Historic District plaque at Palm and Florida Streets in Grandview Heights.

Early History of Grandview Heights Neighborhood

The Grandview Heights Historic District which is now a desirable downtown area in the City of West Palm Beach was first homesteaded in 1873 and was a sleepy frontier outpost until Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway began regular rail service to West Palm Beach.

The railway broght both new residents and tourists drawn to the area's beaches and climate. By 1920, West Palm Beach's population had grown to 8,699. The Grandview Heights neighborhood was established in 1910 and its first residents were downtown shopkeepers and the craftsmen who built the luxury hotels of Palm Beach such as The Breakers. Most historic homes in the Grandview Heights neighborhood were completed by 1925.

Grandview Heights Historic District - Urban Renewal and Restoration

By the 1980's, the Grandview Heights district was in serious decline, deserted for the more fashionable suburbs near shopping malls. High crime rates and drug dealing followed and properties deteriorated and lost value as few of the remaining owners or landlords had the interest or money to maintain and preserve their historic homes.

In 1989, the City of West Palm Beach acquired approximately half of the properties in the Grandview Heights neighborhood and demolished the homes to make way for a planned downtown redevelopment project which eventually included the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, CityPlace shopping district and the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Today, Grandview Heights is a thriving example of community revitalization. Not only have residential buildings important to the history and character of West Palm Beach been saved and restored, but the historic district now also attracts tourists to the quaint and luxury accommodation offered in historic buildings such as the Casa Grandview luxury vacation home rentals.

Annual Historic House Tour of Grandview Heights Historic District, Florida

Each year since 1995 approximately a dozen different homeowners in Grandview Heights have opened their homes to the public for the neighborhood’s annual Historic Home Tour.

The Historic Home Tour offers visitors a unique opportunity to step inside historic homes in the neighborhood. Grandview Heights boasts historic properties in a variety of architectural styles, with Craftsman Bungalow and Spanish Mission styles dominating.

The afternoon event held in April includes a full buffet dinner and a live band, giving attendees a chance to mingle, discuss the day and enjoy the relaxed Grandview Heights ambiance.

Additional information and tickets can be purchased online at www.historichometours.com/Tour.aspx?TourId=73