North Palm Beach, Florida
Encyclopedia
North Palm Beach is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 12,064 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 12,645. The village won an award from the National Association of Home Builders as best planned community of 1956, and is home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
bought 2600 acres (10.5 km²) of land in northern Palm Beach County
that had been owned originally by Harry Seymour Kelsey and later by Sir Harry Oakes
. The land included most of today's North Palm Beach as well as Lake Park
, Palm Beach Gardens
and Palm Beach Shores
. MacArthur then began developing what is now North Palm Beach, which sat on former mangrove swamps and farm land. The area was punctuated only by Monet Road and Johnson Dairy Road to the north and south and US 1
and Prosperity Farms Road to the east and west.
Full scale development and incorporation as a village occurred nearly simultaneously in 1956, with extensive dredging creating waterfront cul-de-sacs, and the development of a new east-west artery, Lighthouse Drive, connecting Old Dixie Highway and the newly aligned US 1. US 1 was widened and became the main office and civic corridor. Sir Harry Oakes' castle-like home on US 1 became the clubhouse for the village golf course.
In 1958-1959, North Palm Beach elected Walter E. Thomas, Jr. as its first Mayor. Walter and his wife Jackie and four children (Ted, Larry, Jim, and Pam) were the 55th family to move in to the Village, arriving in 1957.
Lake Park West Road was also extended from Old Dixie Highway to US-1 and was renamed Northlake Boulevard, becoming the village's main commercial corridor. Twin City Mall, an enclosed shopping center, opened in 1970 at the corner of Northlake Boulevard and US-1 as Palm Beach County's second enclosed shopping mall. This Mall built onto the previous grocery store/strip mall completed in 1959. The mall contained a Sears, Jeffersons and GC Murphy's department stores, as well as the locally popular Karmelcorn and Orange Bowl eateries. The mall also sported one of the few movie theaters in the vicinity. The enclosed mall was demolished in the mid-1990s and has gradually been replaced by a mid-sized strip mall anchored by Publix
. The village has maintained relative prosperity due to the many waterfront homes with Atlantic Ocean access as well as the overall jump in development in northern Palm Beach County in the last 10 years.
In 2006, village resident Jack Nicklaus
redesigned the town's golf course and it reopened in late 2006 to rave reviews. Nicklaus charged the Village of North Palm Beach $1 for his services.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km²). 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (38.62%) is water.
of 2000, there were 12,064 people, 6,196 households, and 3,327 families residing in the village. The population density
was 3,388.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,308.4/km²). There were 7,325 housing units at an average density of 2,057.1 per square mile (794.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.22% White (93.4% were Non-Hispanic White,) 0.93% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.
There were 6,196 households out of which 15.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.58.
In the village the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 30.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,163, and the median income for a family was $69,104. Males had a median income of $41,709 versus $32,080 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $39,564. About 1.3% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
as a first language
accounted for 92.78% of all residents, while Spanish
consisted of 3.91%, French
was at 1.32%, German
made up 0.92%, Italian
0.66%, and Greek
was the mother tongue of 0.39% of the population.
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 12,064 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 12,645. The village won an award from the National Association of Home Builders as best planned community of 1956, and is home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
History
In 1954 for $5.5 million John D. MacArthurJohn D. MacArthur
John Donald MacArthur was an American businessman and philanthropist who established the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, benefactor in the MacArthur Fellowships.-Early life:...
bought 2600 acres (10.5 km²) of land in northern Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
that had been owned originally by Harry Seymour Kelsey and later by Sir Harry Oakes
Harry Oakes
Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...
. The land included most of today's North Palm Beach as well as Lake Park
Lake Park, Florida
Lake Park is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,721 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,080.-Geography:Lake Park is located at ....
, Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. , the population was 48,452...
and Palm Beach Shores
Palm Beach Shores, Florida
Palm Beach Shores is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 1,511.-Geography:...
. MacArthur then began developing what is now North Palm Beach, which sat on former mangrove swamps and farm land. The area was punctuated only by Monet Road and Johnson Dairy Road to the north and south and US 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
and Prosperity Farms Road to the east and west.
Full scale development and incorporation as a village occurred nearly simultaneously in 1956, with extensive dredging creating waterfront cul-de-sacs, and the development of a new east-west artery, Lighthouse Drive, connecting Old Dixie Highway and the newly aligned US 1. US 1 was widened and became the main office and civic corridor. Sir Harry Oakes' castle-like home on US 1 became the clubhouse for the village golf course.
In 1958-1959, North Palm Beach elected Walter E. Thomas, Jr. as its first Mayor. Walter and his wife Jackie and four children (Ted, Larry, Jim, and Pam) were the 55th family to move in to the Village, arriving in 1957.
Lake Park West Road was also extended from Old Dixie Highway to US-1 and was renamed Northlake Boulevard, becoming the village's main commercial corridor. Twin City Mall, an enclosed shopping center, opened in 1970 at the corner of Northlake Boulevard and US-1 as Palm Beach County's second enclosed shopping mall. This Mall built onto the previous grocery store/strip mall completed in 1959. The mall contained a Sears, Jeffersons and GC Murphy's department stores, as well as the locally popular Karmelcorn and Orange Bowl eateries. The mall also sported one of the few movie theaters in the vicinity. The enclosed mall was demolished in the mid-1990s and has gradually been replaced by a mid-sized strip mall anchored by Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
. The village has maintained relative prosperity due to the many waterfront homes with Atlantic Ocean access as well as the overall jump in development in northern Palm Beach County in the last 10 years.
In 2006, village resident Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
redesigned the town's golf course and it reopened in late 2006 to rave reviews. Nicklaus charged the Village of North Palm Beach $1 for his services.
Geography
North Palm Beach is located at 26.818239°N 80.063714°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km²). 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (38.62%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,064 people, 6,196 households, and 3,327 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,388.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,308.4/km²). There were 7,325 housing units at an average density of 2,057.1 per square mile (794.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.22% White (93.4% were Non-Hispanic White,) 0.93% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.
There were 6,196 households out of which 15.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.58.
In the village the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 30.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,163, and the median income for a family was $69,104. Males had a median income of $41,709 versus $32,080 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $39,564. About 1.3% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
accounted for 92.78% of all residents, while Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
consisted of 3.91%, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was at 1.32%, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
made up 0.92%, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
0.66%, and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
was the mother tongue of 0.39% of the population.
Notable residents, past and present
- Jeff Atwater State Senator; 25th district
- Gardner Dickinson PGA golfer
- Mike Douglas Famous American entertainer
- Ryan KleskoRyan KleskoRyan Anthony Klesko , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and corner outfielder, who played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants...
Retired Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first basemanFirst basemanFirst base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team... - Jack NicklausJack NicklausJack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
Golf legend and course architect - Sir Harry Oakes, early developer of the area
- Gary Wiren PGA Hall of Famer; famous golf instructor and collector
External links
- Village of North Palm Beach Official website