The URL can be used to link to this page

Agenda 03-08-21 CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH r' HISTORIC RESOURCES PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING AGENDA DATE: Thursday, March 18, 2021 TIME: 6:30 P.M. PLACE: Zoom On-Line Meeting & City Hall Community Room, 100 E. Ocean Avenue IMPORTANT NOTICE: This public meeting will be conducted both in-person at the above-indicated location as well as "virtual" with the use of communication media technology. If you wish to join the meeting using a computer or smart phone you only need to use the Zoom meeting link. The electronic link for the meeting and access instructions is available at the City's web www.boynton-besch.orp. If you cannot join the meeting but have questions or information for the Board, written information can be provided to the Board Liaison, Michael Rumpf, at rumpfrnaftfl.us before noon on Thursday, March 18tH 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Agenda Approval 4. Approval of Minutes —January 11, 2021 5. Communications and Announcements Staff plans to announce the commencement of efforts to create the Charlie Pierce History Trail within the Town Square playgrounds and open space. 6. Old Business: A. Historic plaques for designated properties (Informational Item) —Staff will provide an update on the status of acquiring plaques for historic properties. B. Rosenwald Schools (Informational Item) — Staff will provide the Board with informational material on the Rosenwald Schools awareness program and status of coordinating with former City Historian/Archivist Janet Devries Naughton and a representative from the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation in obtaining and displaying a historic plaque near Poinciana Elementary School. C. Historic Preservation Programming and the local Ordinance— Staff will continue advancing the Board's awareness of the status of program implementation, as well as prompt continued discussions on program direction by featuring the prior attempt at establishing a historic district. 7. New Business: A. None 8. Other 9. Comments by members 10. Public comments 11. Announce date of next meeting — May10, 2021 12. Adjournment Historic Resources Preservation Board Special Meeting Page 2 Agenda January 11, 2021 The Board may only conduct public business after a quorum has been established. If no quorum is established within 15 minutes of the noticed start time of the meeting the City Clerk or designee will so note the failure to establish a quorum and the meeting shall be concluded. Board members may not participate further even when purportedly acting in an informal capacity. NOTICE THE CITY SHALL FURNISH APPROPRIATE AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES WHERE NECESSARY TO AFFORD AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF A SERVICE, PROGRAM, OR ACTIVITY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY. PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, (561)742-6060 OR (TTY) 1-800-955-8771, AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY IN ORDER FOR THE CITY TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE YOUR REQUEST. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS MAY BE ADDED SUBSEQUENT TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE AGENDA ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE. INFORMATION REGARDING ITEMS ADDED TO THE AGENDA AFTER IT IS PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK. CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH HISTORIC RESOURCES PRESERVATION BOARD ( MEETING AGENDA DATE: Monday, March 8, 2021 TIME: 6:30 P.M. PLACE: Zoom On-Line Meeting & City Hall Community Room, 100 E. Ocean Avenue IMPORTANT NOTICE: This public meeting will be conducted both in-person at the above-indicated location as well as "virtual" with the use of communication media technology. If you wish to join the meeting using a computer or smart phone you only need to use the Zoom meeting link. The electronic link for the meeting and access instructions is available at the City's web www.boynton-besch.orp. If you cannot join the meeting but have questions or information for the Board, written information can be provided to the Board Liaison, Michael Rumpf, at rumpfm2bbfl.us before noon on Monday, March 8th. 1. Agenda Approval 2. Approval of Minutes —January 11, 2021 3. Communications and Announcements Staff plans to announce the commencement of efforts to create the Charlie Pierce History Trail within the Town Square playgrounds and open space. 4. Old Business: A. Historic plaques for designated properties (Informational Item) —Staff will provide an update on the status of acquiring plaques for historic properties. B. Rosenwald Schools (Informational Item)— Staff will provide the Board with informational material on the Rosenwald Schools awareness program and status of coordinating with former City Historian/Archivist Janet Devries Naughton and a representative from the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation in obtaining and displaying a historic plaque near Poinciana Elementary School. C. Historic Preservation Programming and the local Ordinance—Staff will continue advancing the Board's awareness of the status of program implementation, as well as prompt continued discussions on program direction by featuring the prior attempt at establishing a historic district. 5. New Business: A. None 6. Other 7. Comments by members 8. Public comments 9. Announce date of next meeting — May10, 2021 10. Adjournment The Board may only conduct public business after a quorum has been established. If no quorum is established within 15 minutes of the noticed start time of the meeting the City Clerk or designee will so Historic Resources Preservation Board Special Meeting Page 2 Agenda January 11, 2021 note the failure to establish a quorum and the meeting shall be concluded. Board members may not participate further even when purportedly acting in an informal capacity. NOTICE THE CITY SHALL FURNISH APPROPRIATE AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES WHERE NECESSARY TO AFFORD AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF A SERVICE, PROGRAM, OR ACTIVITY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY. PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, (561)742-6060 OR (TTY) 1-800-955-8771, AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY IN ORDER FOR THE CITY TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE YOUR REQUEST. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS MAY BE ADDED SUBSEQUENT TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE AGENDA ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE. INFORMATION REGARDING ITEMS ADDED TO THE AGENDA AFTER IT IS PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK. Minutes of the Historic Resource Preservation Board Meeting Held on Monday, January 11, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. In the Community Room, Boynton Beach City Hall 100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida Present: Barbara Ready, Chair (arrived 6.41 p.m.) Mike Rumpf, Board Liaison Thomas Ramiccio Dr. Ben Lowe Rev. Bernard Wright Michael Wilson Hollis Tidwell Rhonda Sexton, Alternate In the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair, Board Member Hollis Tidwell called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. 1. Agenda Approval Motion Mr. Wilson moved to approve the agenda. Ms. Sexton seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. 2. Approval of Minutes — September 14, 2020, and September 17, 2020 Motion Mr. Ramiccio moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Wilson seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. 3. Communications and Announcements Pursuant to a prior request by the Board, staff will present a summary of demolitions of buildings eligible for consideration for the Local Registry (i.e. 50 years or older.) There were eight demolitions. There was a home on the corner of NW 5t"Avenue and . Seacrest Boulevard which suffered a severe fire. Mr. Rumpf had inspected the building, and noted there were modifications made to the windows and doors. The home was the oldest and most architecturally unique, being mission-styled. Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 Other homes were located on 225 NE 9th Avenue,145 NE 4th and 1001 North Railroad Avenue some of which were located on planned redevelopment sites such, namely the Cottage District and the MLK Jr. Blvd. project. The North Railroad Avenue property is CRA-owned and was being cleared to accommodate a small redevelopment project at that time to include a social service agency, moving it from 104 NW 5th Avenue. Next 222 and 212 NW 3rd Court. Staff was informed that there were tenant problems and were in very poor condition. The structure at 115 North Federal Highway was recently demolished and the property assembled by the CRA. Chair Ready noted Warren Adams, the former Historic Resource Preservation Planner, set up a process. It was not set up for the Board to deal with what would be significant. She thought it was a shame the home was demolished. Dr. Lowe asked if they could have a list of them. Mr. Rumpf agreed to email the members the PowerPoint presentation with the listing of the demolished properties. 4. Old Business: A. Historic plaques for designated properties — Staff will provide an update on a new supplier for Grandview Aluminum Products that has been located, Express Plaque Awards located in Jupiter; cost estimates and material options; and the design concept. Mr. Rumpf linked up with a local representative and not a salesman for the company they were previously dealing with and the Board may want to reconsider the bronze option. The Board narrowed the choices down to aluminum due to cost, lower theft of the item and their longevity. He noted people frequently opt for a bronze product due to the way it ages as its patina is nicer than other materials. The Board opted for a traditional product with the date as contained in the meeting materials and were using a Palo Alto plaque model. He reviewed the information on the slide. Using the brochure from the company, the Board leaned towards the larger product. The aluminum product was affordable, there was just a slight increase in the letters making the cost of the aluminum plaque $116.19. Bronze is more expensive, but if they could split the cost between the owner and the Historical Society, the cost would be reasonable. Mr. Rumpf reviewed the prices and process. Mr. Tidwell favored the smaller size as did Chair Ready. Ms. Sexton thought the plaque was not very big. Mr. Wilson also supported using the smaller size due to the cost. Mr. Rumpf thought for the price, he could come up with the money for a replica to use as a model. Chair Ready commented now that she has the cost, she can approach the Historical Society and they could underwrite some of the costs of the smaller one. She did not think the Historical Society would pay the entire cost, but she needed to know how many plaques would be needed. Mr. Rumpf noted for small orders, they would not receive a discount. Ms. Sexton commented she owns a historic plaque from Delray Beach and it is oval, 2 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 about 8" x 15" and it is perfectly fine. Ms. Sexton thought the aluminum product looked nice and for the cost, it made a lot of sense. The bronze was four times as much. The aluminum was less than $100 which is very affordable. Mr. Rumpf queried if he ordered a sample piece, if it should be dated for one property and learned it should. Chair Ready suggested they lobby for funds for plaques when the budget is reviewed and to think about items they would like to include in their wish list for fiscal year 21/22. Mr. Rumpf agreed it would be beneficial to have costs when he puts the request forward. They could create a sample plaque for the school. Mr. Rumpf noted they have different sizes for buildings that are larger in scale. Mr. Rumpf will ask around if in the rehabilitation process there was talk about having some recognition. Reverend Wright stated he was unaware of what was occurring, but he had a prior conversation with Mr. Rumpf pertaining to holding a discussion with Dr. Robinson of the Palm Beach School Board at Poinciana so students will know who the founder of the school was. He and Mr. Rumpf spoke about a plaque for a long time, and he did not think there would be a problem with the School Board. In 2014, they were trying to gather history especially dealing with Blacks in Boynton Beach, Robert E Wells, and those who came from Georgia and the Caribbean. It was his reason to serve on the Board. He commended the members, but wanted to talk about plaques at this meeting and to install signs on MLK Jr. Boulevard saying Robert E. Wells Memorial Avenue. Chair Ready thanked Rev. Wright for his input and explained this project was underway for several years. It would be nice to get his ideas in conjunction with the ideas that originated also with the Rosenbaum's request. Poinciana was the first Black school in the area currently known as Palm Beach County. She asked if Mr. Rumpf had an update and learned he did not. He still had to speak with Janet DeVries. The Rosenbaum organization wanted to underwrite the cost of a plaque, but the School District was balking at the location. The Rosenbaum organization wanted the plaque to be where it was visible by parking, but the school locks the parking lot at night so it would not be visible to the public at all times. They had to find a place for the sign to help recognize the school. Mr. Rumpf explained a representative from the Jewish Historical Society wanted to donate the plaque and notified the City officials, who referred it to the Board. Reverend Wright requested confirmation that the issue is where to put the plaque so it would be visible to the public as opposed to the parking lot. He noted there are two sides, front and back as a way for students to enter and exit the school property. He asked if there could be two plaques and if having two plaques, if they should place them outside, inside the parking lot so people could see it. Mr. Rumpf recalled learning about Rev. Wright's objective and commented the Rosenbaum's objective was to have community exposure. Reverend Wright thought it was more for people going into the school than for the public to see and asserted that was where the relevancy was. If someone wants to know about a school, you do not look on the corner of MLK Jr. Boulevard and at the Family Dollar store for information unless someone has the money 3 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 to install a plaque there, otherwise it was more for the students and about the school. He thought having a plaque inside the school entrance would be a good location and thought students and teachers would want to know the history of the school. Reverend. Wright had spoken with the new Assistant Principal at Poinciana. Chair Ready asked about the lobby of the school and learned Rev. Wright thought there would be no opposition to it. Chair Ready commented the Rosenwald plaque had specific things they wanted included on the plaque. Chair Ready thought the site may need two plaques: one plaque inside the lobby of school and the Rosenwald plaque outside of the school. Reverend Wright inquired about Rosenwald and learned they paid for the school to be built. He thought paying for it is one thing, but heritage is different. He thought it was about cause. He advised he will call Dr. Robinson because they want to make it more than a plaque, they want to try to infuse Black History into the curriculum not once a month or once a year. He contended the project was bigger than that and when people enter the City, they enter its history. He did not want anything to do with Rosenwald as the school was originally a Black school and it is their history and culture and it should not be mixed. He did not see why they have to have their name on the plaque. They could be listed as a sponsor of the plaque there, but if he had to pay money for a plaque recognizing his grandfather, he would do so. He did not want any other legacy or ethnic group going on in District II in the Heart of Boynton. Chair Ready explained no one said Rev. Wright could not have his plaque in the lobby. Rev. Wright explained the issue is a plaque from a Jewish ethnic group in recognition of them. He did not want to integrate their history and legacy with anyone. They are being disenfranchised. Chair Ready commented there are a lot of things about the history of the school Rev. Wright did not know about. Reverend Wright commented they were not on the same page. He brought the matter to Mr. Rumpf's attention, so it must have come to the Chair's attention afterwards. He thought additions or deletions to what he had brought to the Board's attention was out of order and improper. In all these years, there was nothing about the school's history other than what he told Mr. Rumpf about. He wanted something conducive to Black History and he did not want to be disenfranchised. Systemic racism was something he was sensitive too and was an issue to be faced today. Ms. Sexton was not familiar with Poinciana School. Rev. Wright explained his grandfather built the school. Ms. Sexton understood there was a lot of history in the neighborhood and how the school was founded. The members deal with the building of the school. Reverend Wright contended they were not on the architectural side of it so it should not be brought in as an issue. Ms. Sexton explained that was the function of the Board. Reverend Wright disagreed and contended the Board preserves the history. He commented they have a sign for Robert E. Wells Memorial Avenue and there is no building that says Robert E. Wells. Reverend Wright gave the City this history in 2014 and about everything that went down the thriving street of MLK Jr. Boulevard which was originally Robert E. Wells Avenue. He has history, legacy and has an inheritance and he is the heir apparent. Ms. Sexton explained she is involved in the Preservation Trust 4 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 and they are very involved in saving Carver High School, which was historically Black when the City was segregated and they are saving the school. There is a lot of work and energy going into saving the building. As a Preservation Board, this historically Black school with a history in the building, seemed like something they would want to be involved in preserving and saving and integrating into the history of Delray Beach. But if it is a brand-new school, the history Rev. Wright is talking about, it would need a different avenue. Reverend Wright disagreed. Reverend Wright explained they are talking about a school his great grandfather founded that is the first school in the area called Poinciana that is still known as Poinciana, similar to MLK Jr. Boulevard and Robert E. Wells Memorial Avenue. There is a historic factor to it, just like preserving a historic building like the St. Paul AME Church that his great grandfather built. He just wanted a plaque there so children can learn about the founder of the school. Mr. Rumpf explained Delray Beach has official programs and federal guidelines to preserve structures/properties connected to events, architecture or a person. The Board is the only historical entity to recognize the school, and they were requested by two different entities to consider signage that has to do with historical events, not necessarily the property per se. Ms. Sexton inquired if it would be like history on a plaque and learned it would. Mr. Ramiccio thought the item should be put on a future agenda. The item on the agenda was about a plaque for a historic structure, but the conversation was different. He thought they should stick to the plaque and give Mr. Rumpf direction for the plaque for the school. Reverend Wright commented he put this on the agenda. He did not want anyone to try to divide it up. The plaque should have nothing on it except for Robert E. Wells . If there is some other person out there that was not true and it was not historical and factual, they would litigate against the Board coming in with misinformation. He informed the Board they are not going to take his family's legacy and do what they want with it. Mr. Wilson suggested putting together some information or a charrette at a future date, and they can all discuss the history of Poinciana School as it is very long and it should be recognized. It is a conglomeration of three different schools, the original, the 1960's and the current. He suggested it be on a future agenda item. Reverend Wright disagreed. Dr. Lowe requested decorum, and not interrupting others and arguing back and forth. He recommended they proceed orderly and use Robert's Rules. He did not think anyone was disagreeing with Rev. Wright but Rev. Wright just brought the matter to them and no one was prepared to talk about it. Reverend Wright helped educate the Board, and they can address it, but they need to dress it in an orderly way and have it all laid out and have steps. Reverend Wright commented he is a man who is factual. For eight years he comes to meetings and he is running for office. The Board will address the matter, but they cannot do it at this meeting. They have to have all the facts and then move on it. They are only discussing what to put on the plaque Mr. 5 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 Rumpf commented based on past discussions regarding the program he agreed to provide slides breaking down features of the program and use it for educational purposes that can be used for strategic planning and the program's direction. B. Historic Preservation Programming and the local Ordinance —The board will be offered the opportunity to continue any discussions regarding desired preservation activities and programming, in conjunction with staff providing an overview of the principal components of the City's preservation ordinance. Mr. Rumpf reviewed the program as contained in the meeting backup. The presentation included an overview of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The program is a voluntary program which has various components such as the Local Registry of Historic Places and National Registry designation. He reviewed the nomination and approval processes including Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for modifications to properties. He noted the program offers tax exemptions for improvements of up to 10 years for qualifying properties. He also noted the program reviews structures 50 years or older associated with local events, significant persons, distinguishing physical character and National Registry designation. The City is focusing on significant persons in the past. Districts are noted and the establishment of them is detailed in the Ordinance as an area having 50% of historically significant structures within a defined boundary. Although the demolition subsection falls underneath the section specifying a historic district, staff understands it also applies to all individual properties outside of the district. The City Commission could act to nominate the property and halt the demolition. The Ordinance contains stays of demolition as well. The City Commission or the Board could present a nomination for a property that meets the criteria for the Local Registry. Mr. Wilson asked about someone wanting to improve the property. Mr. Rumpf explained the Certificate of Appropriateness process would guide them. He noted if looking for significant improvements and a tax exemption is wanted, that is a different process. 5. New Business: A. None 6. Other 7. Comments by members 8. Public comments 9. Announce date of next meeting — March 8, 2021 6 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida January 11, 2021 10.Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, Chair Ready adjourned the meeting at 7:41 p.m. Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 7 / DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT TO: Chair and Members, Historic Resources Preservation Board FROM: Michael Rumpf Development Director DATE: March 4, 2021 RE: Historic Resources Preservation Board Regular meeting of March 8,2021 Staff Report This report represents the combined back-up for the subject agenda. Item 3. Communications and Announcements Coordination between City staff and Harvey Oyer, III are continuing again to plan for the placement of the Charlie Pierce History Trail to be placed within the new playgrounds and open space at Town Square. Harvey Oyer, III is the great-grandnephew of Charlie Pierce and author of the recognized children's book series The Adventures of Charlie Pierce. The book series chronicles some of the experiences of Charlie Pierce, who was an early pioneer of Boynton Beach and resident beginning in the 1890's. The trail is intended to lead to where his home was once situated in the center of Town Square. The "trail" in Town Square, currently in the planning stage, is to feature a few of the components or elements that may have been featured in one or more of the books. The date for completion of the trail has not been set. Item 4.A. Historic Plaques for designated properties The proof for the small historic marker has been ordered, which is the last step prior to payment and production of the marker. In addition to the small historic marker intended, in part, for historic homes placed on the local registry, staff has created a draft mock-up for a similar sign for the Boynton High School, and is assisting with the coordination efforts to obtain and erect a marker recognizing the Rosenwald Schools in the area which locally includes what is known today as the Poinciana Elementary School. Item 4.B. Rosenwald Schools The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation has requested that the City partner with them in the installation of a Rosenwald Schools marker near the Poinciana Elementary School. As further described in the corresponding attachments, the collaboration between Booker T. Washington and Jewish American philanthropist, Julius Rosenwald, including Mr. Rosenwald's involvement on the Tuskegee Institute's Board of Directors, ultimately led to the establishment of the Rosenwald School Building Fund, and the funding of over 5,000 community schools and industrial shops in 15 states. Palm Beach County's first school established with Rosenwald funds was the Boynton Colored School constructed in 1925-26. This school is known today as Poinciana Elementary School. The contribution to the early school system in many cities throughout the U.S. during a period of time that is significant in the history books,particularly given the association with Booker T. Washington, has achieved recognition at the state and national levels. In 2002, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Rosenwald Schools on its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. Of the 5,357 schools or related shops and teachers' homes constructed between 1917 and 1932, only 10 to 12 percent are estimated to exist today. The National Trust promotes the recognition and preservation of these remaining schools. Item 4.C. Historic Preservation Programming Staff will continue advancing the Board's awareness of the status of program implementation, as well as prompt continued discussions on program direction, by featuring the prior attempt at establishing a historic district. The corresponding attachments include listing and a map of the local designations, district location information, examples of the communications with targeted property owners, the outcome of the district survey, and excerpts from the Land Development Regulations that enable and guide the establishment of a historic district. Staff will suggest that the existing eligible properties for local designation be further reviewed and discussed at the next meeting to prompt discussions on site locations, and promote registry additions verses emphasizing the establishment of historic districts. -2- COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 3 . Charlie Pierce History Trail t BOYNTOSQUARE N BEACH THE CHARLIE PIERCE HISTORY TRAIL WalkThrough History with the Barefoot Mailman ti g s t � P ''f�¢ In the center of Town Square,the transformative development in the heart of Downtown Boynton Beach,children,families,and visitors will have the opportunity to travel back in time to experience the people and events that shaped Boynton Beach from its rich past to its exciting present. The Charlie Pierce History Trail takes visitors on a path of learning and adventure to experience the unique history of Boynton Beach and South Florida in an interactive, engaging and fun way.The trail combines two state-of-the art adventure areas (playgrounds), the Schoolhouse Children's Museum,Arts&Cultural Center,and the Boynton Beach historical archives,to create a complete indoor/outdoor recreational and learning opportunity. AT As a Boynton Beach native,I am proud that the City values its ` .� �nf heritage and is sharing it with the families of South Florida in X4 e } such a thoughtful,fun,and interactive way.The Charlie Pierce - , History Trail will become a'must do'stop for every family in the region.Kudos to Boynton Beach's leadership for their creativity.' ° Harvey Oyer, author of The Adventures of Charlie Pierce book series' � t Left to right:Margarita M.Pierce;Hannibal D.Pierce,- Andrew ierce,Andrew W.Gornet,-James'Ed"Hamilton; Lillie E.Pierce;and Charles W.Pierce at the Pierce family home on Hypoluxo Island,ca 1886. w T� Photo courtesy ofHSPBC About Charlie Pierce Charlie's father was an early keeper of the Jupiter Lighthouse, befriended the Seminoles, and planted the coconuts from a Spanish shipwreck that eventually gave Palm Beach County its name.Charlie was an explorer,adventurer, boat captain,farmer,and one of the legendary Barefoot Mailmen. He moved to Boynton Beach shortly after his sister Lillie brought City namesake Major Nathan Boynton to the area in the mid 1890's.Charlie managed the Boynton Beach train station for Henry Flagler,started the City's first bank,and his son Charles was the first child born in Boynton Beach. Ironically,Charlie Pierce's home was located in the middle of Town Square where the Charlie Pierce History Trail ends. Charlie was a Boynton Beach resident and the City's Postmaster when heAdventures of Charlie Pierce - l died in 1939. His sister Lillie too wasThe Last Egr�t a Boynton Beach resident, living only several blocks away from the Town square site. In 2009,the State of q Florida posthumously named Pierce a"Great Floridian" In 2012, his sister Lillie was posthumously inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.They are the only brother and sister so honored in the Rotunda of Florida's Capitol in Tallahassee and both are from Boynton Beach. x '� "The Charlie Pierce History Trail provides a wonderful and creative extension ofour classroom curriculum,providing our students with a hands-on,interactive and engaging way to learn the history and cultural life ofour community." Dr. Donald E.Fennoy II,Superintendent Palm Beach County School District — t s� 1 Sf°f Recreation and Learning The trail includes playground equipment shaped as flora and fauna native to south Florida, agricultural produce,a shipwreck,the Florida Everglades, Henry Flagler's train,and a beach dune where children can dig for buried Spanish treasure.The entire trail is connected by large footprints reminiscent of the Barefoot Mailman. The tour begins inside the Children's Museum,where children will be provided with antiquated maps and compasses that help them navigate the trail and that they take home with them as a memory of their adventure.Children can also utilize replicas of the Barefoot Mailman mailbag as they follow the barefoot prints through Town Square.The trail ends at a giant preserved Kapok tree that marks the spot where Charlie Pierce's home stood during Boynton Beach's pioneer days. Boynton Beach's vibrant African American history will be by highlighted by telling stories such as those of Alonzo King and Samuel Cade,farmers who taught the early settlers best practices in agriculture.Visitors will also learn the important roles played by Boynton's other pioneer families, among them Major Nathan Smith Boynton; Robert E.Wells,who built the City's first church;the dairy farming Weaver family;and Dr. Nathaniel Weems,the City's first doctor. Both adventure areas (playgrounds)are boundary free,thereby allowing children of all abilities to utilize them.Special programming,classes,and camps at the adjacent Schoolhouse Children's Museum,Arts&Cultural Center and City Library will supplement the experience.Cafes are on-site and plentiful public parking is provided. The Charlie Pierce History Trail will make Boynton Beach a popular destination for family outings,school field trips,and a must-see stop for anyone interested in history and culture.After experiencing the trail,visitors can enjoy the restaurants, retail stores, library,galleries,and the many community activities that Town Square in Downtown Boynton will have to offer. 4 4 r• }- tl irk E SHOOG Nti MSS .� 1,_ GREEN SPACE& ILpREN'S 4i�SE .' � AMPHITHEATER �, t 7 2-5 YEAR OLD .., t� .�r PLAYGROUND °�� _ } „ 1T E ACTIVE L ' i - r UJIF,Luln �r �t t a , ;` l i' � `T 'ARTS&CULTURAL CENT�R,t -{, �od �y i BOYNTON BEACH CITY LIBRARY +I" BOYNTON BEACH CITY HALL &INCUBATOR SPACE 1 i lift" CHILDREN'S 4� r I Z YEAR OLD ' ; ,k - PLAYGROUND `,', r i A, � APOK PAR u ` K!"N TiC ART PLAZA " ASP Proposed Stops on the Charlie Pierce HistoryTrail* Schoolhouse Children's Museum 'The City of Boynton Beach has a rich Boynton's agricultural and sugarcane farming history cultural history expanding over 100years. The Charlie Pierce History Trail will depict Everglades and Boynton Beach's natural environment and celebrate this rich history in fun Florida East Coast Railway and creative ways.It will be a wonderful educational tool for students of all ages Sand dune with buried treasure and bring awareness to many amazing chapters in the story of Boynton Beach.I a Providencia and Coquimbo Shipwrecks am certain that the Charlie Pierce History Boynton Beach maritime history Trail will be an all-time favorite amenity at Town Square in Downtown Boynton. Boynton Beach land boom ® Arts&Cultural Center and original Boynton Beach High School building Lori LaVerriere, City Manager Boynton Beach City Library Historical Archives City of Boynton Beach Preserved Kapok tree and site of original home of Charlie Pierce *History Trail exhibit details and exact locations are subject to change � � d Ail I" The Barefoot Mailman image courtesy of Historical Society of Palm Beach County Follow the Footsteps of the Barefoot Mailman The trail is named after Boynton Beach's most famous resident,Charlie Pierce,one of South Florida's earliest pioneer settlers.Charlie and his family arrived in 1872,when South Florida was America's last frontier.Together with his little sister Lillie and Seminole friend Tiger,Charlie experienced one of the most intriguing and exotic lives imaginable. His adventures as a young boy growing up in the wild, untamed jungles of Florida became legendary. Perhaps no other person experienced Nsthand as many important events and met as many influential characters in South Florida's history.Charlie's real life adventures are chronicled in the award-winning, best-selling children's book series The Adventures ofCharlie Pierce,written by Pierce's great-grand nephew and Boynton Beach native Harvey Oyer.The books are mandatory reading in almost all public and private schools in South Florida as well as most charter and home school programs.Over 100,000 fourth graders read The Adventures of Charlie Pierce each year.This creates an enormous built-in audience that will likely travel from all over the region to experience The Charlie Pierce History Trail. "Boynton Beach created a downtown destination that offers recreational activities and excitement for everyone.The Charlie Pierce History Trail is surrounded by the Schoolhouse Children's Museum,theArts&Cultural Center,restaurants and other educational and cultural attractions.The City's new center at Ocean Ave.and Seocrest Blvd.is a place where adults and children of all ages can come to spend the entire day." — Mayor Steven B.Grant City of Boynton Beach "Renate and I are longtime believers in the impact of arts and culture in people's lives. We know that enhanced educational and cultural assets build and strengthen our community.The Charlie Pierce History Trail will provide interactive educational opportunities for our children. We proudly support it and encourage you to do so as well." —Alexander W.Dreyfoos, philanthropist,founder of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, founder of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and namesake of Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts Take Your Place in History With your support,this unique, recreational and learning experience will be available to everyone in Palm Beach County and beyond. Located less than a mile off of 1-95 in the third largest city and the geographical north-south center of Palm Beach County,the Town Square site is ideally situated to - attract families from far beyond the City's borders.There is something for all ages, including adults,at The Charlie Pierce History Trail at Town Square. Name the entire Charlie Pierce History Trail and receive major donor signage on the trail,in all printed trail materials,on the mobile app,on the History Trail website,and on the donor wall highlighting your generous contribution. Name any of the individual Charlie Pierce History Trail stops.Your name will appear in trail signage, in printed trail materials,on the mobile app,and on the History Trail website. Become a corporate sponsor to support children's programs that include field trips to the Charlie Pierce History Trail.Your business name and logo will appear in all printed trail materials,on the mobile app,and on the History Trail website for he length of the sponsorship. Giving opportunities are available in a wide range of gift levels,including custom naming opportunities tailored to a donor's specific interest and giving level.Donations can be made as one-time gifts, multi-year pledges,gifts of stock,or as planned gifts.For more information,please contact Michaela Kennedy or Mary Lewis Moews. Michaela Kennedy 631-786-1362 michaela@TownSquareCampaign.com Mary Lewis Moews 561-309-3296 ary@ToSquareCaain.co We look forward to assisting you in becoming a part of the future of Boynton Beach. KOMPAN Let's play a CITY OF rBOYNTON otllo � " BEM I �' REAL ESTATE "� li �'� { ',n°" SOLUTIONS.LLC Qiltuf,,q&(entre, Inc. TownSqua r f OLD BUSINESS 4.A . Historic plaques for designated properties Sr T W ~a Lr) Qa � �N .n X mr a as 00 W Rosenwald School Marker Example — Faguier County, Va. Front: e, \tt f�fpJAl� i { ti Back: z s, Si s (A (1) W C 41 i C 41 •�-' 4- .i vl C — ,Aa) O C Qi s .- a) dA vI --avOi H i N E .0 •O ECU s O 'O N s > N U_ c0 a) C a) N U S 4- bCA p a) C 7 a) S U N S — - 0 N i i � C :'_' C s -a cn C O 0 C E c: 0 cm s m x E �_ s ° 4O ° s a) O - C 4� s o 0 a N a � > m 4- +J rn u CU a) C � o � 3 i r ti rf, O N 41 ; of c6 O S N N O O-� +s-� 4r + C C 41 06- cu U) O O bA a) ON c) aArqU 4- C s o s C Z = > vI O O U a) f- 'n _ co E +, E O o o -a O a ate) O Ln � N a) a) U " a)U a �p of cp i c6 VI cu dA O U C m E ' mU N a) C i O_ ?i m E0 4�� a o 17 O O xam oal4 + dA 0 O w a) u mre� 4=kK 1.1. W O � � 'i O vi o U vim- �_ � > ?� O O O Cr T _ �_ C a) 2 s c aA vOi C C cp U O � � O O UE cu O N i U i C(:13 a) O 0 s an p f 6 o s C i O + C U vOi U O _ •" O a) vI N a) a) ELn s 3 aA i CO +, o o >� .E o C a) > i 0 O a) s O s s s L2 o C C) s u U H 4J O O C VI V) VI 4jC U N U M a) U o � a) pp �I N s co 'E � N r, E > a v� c0) -oc E p + 3 co U i c6 c" f0 L O �O o 'O w o U a) M s O n +J > i N a) O cu ,_ U rn o . 'Z a) E a) r I 4- s -� a) O N •� Q 4 LA -� J CLI a) ?i U 0 �N w OU Q O > •� cro u ) s a1) s •f6 u .> Q .� i a) >, O a) O a) 7 s O i 7 O_ VI a) a i O O dA N U U fu -� " s vI VI c) O a) i +O a) E 3: O a) .v m .4� a) u O O nif rI O co _ O coo O s +c C.+n 0 O 1- 4� aA a) +� o +� c o o s s m a X a) a) C O vi >- N a) O u LL w Qu O 0 > O � c 0 pA O dA VI N O a) a., u .E C O 4- +fir a) s n3 O a it` O > aEi 3 E s E 4� 3 of r' u O o a) 2 O L U N 4�- 4� Ln N Q J N C -0 N '•' `�- V) i E '6 co s -p O +1 O s v`- +� O C a) dA m dA O E N O a) O " N O ZMEW -C O _ – — 4- N4 — _ _ 00 (1) (1) -C > dA O O O N A� - O N 4� ` 'O dA •� 7 O N a c 7 C p U C dA ~ s o s E a' Q 0 H QN Ou 00 s. EO o u 0) u O O p V) s s + a) 0 u O m s a) In s 3 -a O aa)) aa)) L ap a) � 0 "m ni '+-� _ O " s 'o Ln u C O O a a) a) s C: a) u p +� s c -� c :E a) E a) s C) c t o u N a) U- i N s a) cn m c`o a) o .E a>i r-4 F I I le-Ir. IrN HISTORICAL PLAQUES DOUBLE OR SINGLE SIDED CAST ALUMINUM WITH POST Cast markers are used all over the world to 1, commemorate historically important events, places buildings or people. Now available is our own stock version of these honorary plaques. Each plaque is cast with raised letters and a single line border in natural brushed aluminum with your , choice of a stock background color and sealed with X" our standard clear coating. OPTIONS: Lettering- 800 characters included per side. Additional lettering (if possible) add .84 ea. Smallest letter available is 1/2". Helvetica letter style only. Images- Logo, 2D line drawing, 3D bust, metalphoto, porcelain portraits etc. are additional based on regular catalog price. STOCK COLORS RED - BLACK- GREEN - TAN - NAVY ()RANG-nE - BROWN- MAROON - BE ROYAL BLUE Post Vertical or Horizontal Included!,, Single Sided $2,563.67 Double Sided $3,414.45 Specifications 38" Vertical V4731 2799 Imprint Area: 38"x 26" Overall Size: 47"01"0/4" 2699 3999 Specifications Weight: 60 lbs. Horizontal Includes 6 ft silver H4434 painted post Imprint Area: 39"x 27" Lim w I Overall Size: 44"04"0/4" 4499 Weight:.60 lbs. 3199 Includes 6 ft silver painted post PAGE 10 OLD BUSINESS 4 . B . Rosenwald Schools ROSENWALD SCHOOLS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY Janet.M. DeVries HIS3150 Dr. Derrick White November 26, 2011 By Janet M. DeVries Between 1925 and 1931 the Julius Rosenwald Foundation Fund provided money to erect 11 much-needed public schoolhouses for Black children in Palm Beach County. The buildings ranged in cost from $2,491 to $17,150 to erect. Though none of the original school buildings are still in existence today, the new schoolhouses provided not only a place for Black students to get an education, but the new structures provided space for community events, and provided a haven of peace, cleanliness and order in their lives. The Rosenwald Foundation not only created permanent schoolhouses for the Black children in Palm Beach County, but the end result was a longer school year, more Black students attending high school,and a sense of pride and self-esteem in the Black community. After the Reconstruction period, the schools for Black children in rural South Florida were practically non-existent. The population of the area was very small and most Blacks in Florida lived in rural communities. If a Black child had access to education, it most likely consisted of occasional lessons in the setting of a church building or an informal school. Many families were migrants working seasonally in agriculture; therefore the school year was very short,usually less than five months. Most white people involved with education did not feel education for Blacks was necessary. Because most Black people served in agriculture or domestic occupations, there were few high schools and little opportunity for higher education. When a community did provide an elementary school, it was referred to as a "school for coloreds" and the students used desks, books and materials surplussed from white schools. The lack of opportunity to excel and emerge from the poverty cycle prohibited the majority of Black children from becoming doctors, lawyers,scientists and professors. Along with the sub-standard schools,the separate and unequal treatment resulted in poor self-esteem for some students. 2 By Janet M. DeVries In the early 1900s, a number of foundations, such as the Slater and Jeanes Foundations, were established to help further education for Blacks.: A unique rural school building initiative was funded by Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck and Company.Rosenwald was urged to by Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee Institute founder, to use his wealth to help disadvantaged Black children. Washington believed in educating Black students for service and industry careers. Washington convinced the philanthropic minded Mr. Rosenwald.to help fund school buildings for Blacks in the rural South. In the 1920s,the majority of the Black children living in Palm Beach County were the sons and daughters of farm workers, domestic servants or day laborers. The first documented school for Blacks was in the Tabernacle Baptist Church in West Palm Beach. On September 19, 1894, children began a four-month school term. A month later, another school for Black students recorded as School No. 4 was set-up in the settlement of Linton.i Throughout the next several years School No. 4 was known by several other names including the Linton School, Delray Colored School; and Delray Training School.2 By 1909, when Palm Beach County was established, 11 schools, albeit sub-standard in terms of facilities, for Blacks were in existence.3 For example, .prior to organized white philanthropy for Black schools, when a new schoolhouse for white children was built in Boca Raton, residents of the town spent 18 days hauling the old one-room school across the railroad tracks to be used as a school for Black students. This was a slight improvement in comparison to the earlier school; where students 1 "Fundamentals in the Education of Negros,"Washington,D.C.;1984. The Linton settlement was named after Congressman William S. Linton.In 1898 the name was changed to Delray. 2 School Board of Palm Beach County,"School History 05-01-09," 3 "Fundamentals in the Education of Negros,"Washington;D.C.,1984. 3 By Janet M. DeVries met with teachers in the New Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. The textbooks, previously used by white students, were often torn and sometimes even had missing pages When this school was replaced by a Rosenwald School in 1929, it was the first time most of the children had anything new. At least one Palm Beach County school serving Blacks was already receiving accolades and attention in the early 1920s. Mrs. Agnes Ballard, Palm Beach County Superintendent of Schools, visited the Delray Training School in 1922 after the students in Delray received high honors for their agricultural gardening exhibit at the Palm Beach County Fair. According to newspaper accounts, Mrs. Ballard was impressed by the methodology and proficiency of the industrial school set-up. Delray had one of the few industrial schools operating within the state of Florida in the early 1920s. Mrs. Ballard congratulated Mr. and Mrs.Walker,the Black educators who had set up the vocational school in Palm Beach County according to the industrial school plan popularized by Booker T. Washington.5 The first school funded by the Rosenwald Fund in Palm Beach County was in Boynton.6 Built in 1925, the three-teacher school was the costliest of all the Rosenwald schoolhouses in the county. The school was known as the Boynton Colored School, and the builders followed the Community School Plans designed by architects from Tuskegee University. The blueprints were carefully designed with specifications to allow the maximum amount of light and air in the classrooms. According to the plans, "The building should always be set with the points of the compass, and the plan so designed that every classroom 4 Sally J.Ling,"A History of Boca Raton,"(The History Press:Charleston,5C,2006)12. 5 "News From East Coast Towns," Miami Metropolis,14 August,1922,55. 6 The name of the Town of Boynton changed to City of Boynton Beach in 1941 with incorporation. 4 By Janet M. DeVries will receive east or west light.A plan drawn to face east or west could not properly be used to face north or south, and vice versa."' The classrooms had removable dividers,so the building,could be used for community gatherings such as dances, assemblies, and spelling bees.$ The Tuskegee architects created a variety of plans for one, two; three, four and five room schools. The plans were so popular other schoolhouses, including those for white children, were built according to the Tuskegee Community School Plans. The night of September 19, 1928, a powerful and devastating hurricane hit Palm Beach County.. The: disastrous storm shattered buildings and homes and killed over 2,000 people. Many of the fatalities were agricultural laborers living in the Glades area. The majority of the victims drowned when winds and rain from the hurricane caused the earthen Lake Okeechobee dike to overflow.'9 After the deadly ,storm, Mr. Joe Youngblood, Palm Beach County Superintendent wrote to Mr. D.E. Williams, the 'State Agent for Negro Schools and advised him that the powerful hurricane had damaged every school building in Palm Beach County and had totally demolished 33 buildings.10 Mr. S. L. Smith, the head of the Rosenwald Rural School Building Fund, spent three days surveying the extent of the damages to Palm Beach County schools. He visited the places where schoolhouses had been and personally interviewed Community School Plans,(Tuskegee Institute,Nashville,TN)1924. a Cecil Adderley Jr.,interview by author Janet DeVries,Boynton Beach,FL,29 September 2011. 9 Eliot Kleinberg,"Black Cloud:The Great Hurricane of 1928, (Avalon Publishing Group:New York, 2004)214. io Letter from Joe A.Youngblood,County Superintendent of Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction to Mr.D.E.Williams,state of Florida Agent for Negro Schools,Julius Rosenwald Archives, Franklin Library, Fisk University,30 October 1928. 5 By Janet M. DeVries people he encountered. In a six page letter, Smith wrote a shocking and compelling firsthand account chronicling the complete devastation he witnessed. "I have seen enough wrecked schools all over the county ... a great feeling of depression ... hopeful, cheerful spirits of these colored people .... let me dismiss the harrowing scenes which we beheld by saying no story written in the newspaper projected the pictures as bad as it really were.s11 Despite the damage to the buildings and the tragic loss of life, the storm had a silver lining. Mr. Smith discovered that the Boynton School sustained very little damage. Smith noted that the school, built according to Community School Plan 3-B and funded by the Rosenwald Foundation, required only $60 for repairs and the repairs were covered by insurance. The use of the cement block and stucco materials in the construction had sustained the integrity of the structure. Another Boynton school, one constructed in 1926 for white students,lost most its roof and was nearly demolished.12 As a result of his findings, Mr. Smith recommended the Rosenwald Foundation appropriate an extra $8,800 from the emergency fund to make every Black school in Palm Beach County a Rosenwald school.13 The gifts from the Rosenwald Fund gave hope amid the tragedy and chaos of the hurricane. In April of 1929,the Board of Public Instruction for Palm Beach County announced the construction of nine new school buildings for Blacks in Palm Beach County with the Rosenwald Fund contributing$16,000 of the total cost of$25,000. During the next few months, plans for new Community Schools for Blacks were selected from the Tuskegee models and construction contracts were awarded for nearly a 11 Letter from S.L.Smith to Mr.Stern,Julius Rosenwald Archives,Franklin Library,Fisk University,12 December 1929. 12 Ibid. 23 Ibid. 6 By Janet M.DeVries dozen new school facilities. The J.W. Austin Company won the bid for a new two-room Jupiter schoolhouse costing $2,900. Southern States Construction Company owned by F.H. Link of Delray Beach was awarded contracts to build six other new structures. Southern States Construction built the schoolhouse in;rural Boca Raton, and three schools located out west near the shores of Lake Okeechobee. 'The sounds of hope, of hammering and rebuilding resonated throughout the rural farming communities of Pahokee, Belle Glade and South Bay that had been nearly decimated by the flooding during the 1928 hurricane. All of the new construction was to be completed by July 1, 1929.14 In addition to the schoolhouses,Southern States Construction also won the bid to build two 4-room shops. The trade shops were needed to teach industrial arts such as sewing, home economics, carpentry and mechanics to students in order to prepare them for industrial and domestic jobs. One shop was at the site of Industrial High School in West Palm Beach, and the other for a larger shop building at the existing school in Delray Beach.Is At a special meeting.of the Board of Instruction:in Palm Beach County on August 2, 1928, one of the main items of discussion was the purchase of land for the site of a Black school at South Bay. Dr. Cason motioned the Board authorize the purchase of two acres at $250.16 The Southern Sugar Company, the major employer in the Glades, provided funding for a four-room schoolhouse in South Bay.17 Surrounded on three sides by farmland,the ten- acre site was the largest in all of Palm Beach County; Constructed in the 1928-1929 school year for $4,597, the two-teacher "Rosenwald School" was a luxury for the western farming 14 "Contracts Awarded for 5choo.lhouses," Palm Beach Post,4 April 1929,14. is ibid. 16 Meeting Minutes Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction,27 February,1929,School Board of PalmBeach County Records Office, 17 "Contracts Awarded for Schoolhouses,"Palm Beach Post,4 April 1929,14. 7 By Janet M. DeVries community where most of the families worked in the sugar or truck farming industries. In 1955, five more classrooms were added to the campus. Shortly after the addition, Bean.City, Ritta Island, and Lake Harbor schools merged to become Rosenwald Elementary School.'8 Finding land sites to build a new Black school on was still a challenge for some communities even after the Rosenwald Fund appropriated money for a new schoolhouse, and the school rebuilding program was in full swing, School Board minutes from 1929 bear witness to a time when separate but equal concepts of race still ruled. For example, when a committee from Boca Raton met before the Board of Public Instruction to discuss the location of the Black school,19 Mr. Sullivan, a white board member, appeared before the Board to publicly object to the idea of locating a Black school on the Federal Highway.20 Smith tried to convince the board he was able to secure an alternate five-acre site for the school on Dixie Highway at no cost to the school board.21 The board agreed to take Mr. Sullivan up on his offer if he could secure a clear title to the land and take possession without delay. Because time was of the essence, Mr. C.W. Brown, Trustee of District No. 8, recommended the Board authorized $300 to secure a 2 1/2 acre site for the new school on Dixie Highway in the segregated part of Boca Raton known as Pearl City.22 Prior to the 1928 Hurricane, Black students in the Jupiter area attended school in a church. After the hurricane destroyed the church building, L.M. and Mary Anderson Davis donated one acre of their 160-acre homestead to the Palm Beach County Board of Public is "Rosenwald School Addition Finished,"Palm Beach Post,20 February 1955,23. 19 Meeting Minutes Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction,27 February,1929,School Board of Palm Beach County Records Office. 20 This location was not in Pearl City,the area of Boca Raton designated for Black residents. 21 Meeting Minutes Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction,2 August 1928,School Board of Palm Beach County Records Office. 22 Pearl City was an area designated for Blacks to live in Boca Raton;three of the original streets were named Ruby,Pearl and Sapphire. 8 By Janet M.DeVries Instruction for a school site on September 27, 1929. A new two-teacher school, known as the Jupiter Colored School was rebuilt at a cost of $4,238. The Julius Rosenwald Fund contributed $500 and the rest of the cost was paid with insurance money, public money and money from community members. In 1956, the Jupiter Colored School was renamed the L.M. Davis Elementary School. Lynn Drake; Jupiter historian, has applied to the State of Florida for a Historical Marker commemorating the historical and cultural significance of the school.23 A new schoolhouse for Blacks was built near Kelsey City with assistance from the Rosenwald Fund in 1929. According to Lake Park.Historical Society president L.J. Parker, "My best guess is that it was on the south side of Industrial Avenue about 150 feet west of then Dixie Hwy (Now Old Dixie) as there was a requirement that no Negros could live in Kelsey City so most lived south of what is now Silver Beach Road:"24 The General Education Board of New York made a donation of equipment to the $5,000 schoolhouse and the school was dedicated on May 19, 1929.2' Black students who attended:Rosenwald schools remember the classrooms as being orderly and the time as being well-structured. Mr. Cecil Adderley, Jr. attended a Rosenwald funded school in Boynton.during the late 193 Os- and early 1940s. The school, then known as Boynton Colored School, was located near Green Street.and Wells Avenue. Surrounded by bean.fields, the cement block and stucco structure had three classrooms and a meeting room. Students of different grade levels had to share a classroom. 23 Lynn Drake to Janet DeVries,email correspondence 20 September,2011. 24 L.J..Parker to Janet DeVries,email correspondence 16 September,2011. 25 "Contracts Awarded for Schoolhouses,"Palm Beach Post,4 April 1929,14. ".South Bay School to be.Considered," Palm Beach Post;19 June 1929,3. 26 Green Street is now Seacrest Blvd,and Wells Avenue is now Martin Luther King Blvd. 9 By Janet M. DeVries According to Adderley, two bathrooms attached to the outside of the schoolhouse were a novelty because most of the students did not have indoor plumbing in their homes.27 Modern waste water and sewage disposal did not come to the part of town in which the Black school was located in until 1958.28 The students were proud of their school; in addition to their regular lessons they learned discipline, and the importance of education and hard work. The teachers did not tolerate misbehaving students.29 As a way to keep the attention of students who were on varying levels, sometimes the students who were good at reading helped those who were struggling. According to Mr. Adderley, "the school was a starting point or enthusiasm for education"30 In the period between 1914 and 1929, Julius Rosenwald's Foundation donated three million dollars to build schoolhouses. The gifts from the Rosenwald Fund primed the pump and more dollars poured into educating rural Southern Black children.31 In a formula unique to the Rosenwald Fund, the Black population donated at least $3,500. Some of the donations came in the form of land donations, materials or sweat equity. White people in the South contributed in excess of $900,000, and 17 million dollars of money was funneled into the Black schools from the county treasuries. When e Rosenwald Fund Foundation issued its first annual report o the media on January 2 , 1929, Mr. Edwinbree, the president of the Rosenwald Foundation o ce that the Fund had providede money to build 4,354 rural schoolhouses. With this accomplishment, the Fund triumphantly met its goal of promoting instruction o children by 27 Cecil Adderley Jr.,interview by author Janet DeVries,Boynton Beach, FL,29 September 201L za City of Boynton Reach,Sewage Works Project Preliminary Layout,1957. 29 Cecil Adderley Jr.,interview by author Janet oevries,Boynton Beach,FL,29 September 2011. 30 Ibid. 31 "Claim Rosenwald Induced White South to Spend 17 Million on NegroEducation,"Pittsburgh Courier, 5 January 1929,4. 1 By Janet M, DeVries contributing to the advancement of educational opportunities in the rural South. Embree reported, "The chief contribution of the fund has been not in money, but in stimulating states and counties to assume their proper responsibilities for schools for all classes of the population in helping Negroes and white citizens to work together with the public authorizes toward this common end of better public schools."R In the early 1920s, over 17 million dollars was spent on new schoolhouses in the South. The children of the farm workers and migrant laborers that made up the Black population of Palin Beach County received $8,150 in funding from the Rosenwald Foundation. Despite all the money spent on schoolhouse building, in late 1929Professor Collier pointed out that in Florida, "...a land largely known for being the winter playground for America's idle rich, the Blacks living in rural areas were still lacking adequate school facilities." Collier argued "The children of the native Floridians are growing up in comparative ignorance because of the substandard educational opportunities they have to endure."33 Newspaper accounts attested to the continuing need for financial assistance in the Florida. The Lake City Reporter noted, "The Rosenwald Foundation reports that the South is poor in money and rich with ch ldren.04 While it is not clearly evident if any portions of any of the original Rosenwald School buildings in Palm Beach County still exist, a large entry sign on the elementary school in the far western Palm Beach County town of South Bay still proudly displays the Rosenwald name. Though 80 years have passed since the Rosenwald Fund appropriated money to rebuild the Black schoolhouse in South Bay, the entrance sign still bears the name of the original 32 "Rosenwald Has Inspired States to Help Race Up,' Pittsburgh Courier,25 January 1929,2. 33 "Negro Education in Florida Needs Help,"Pittsburgh Courier,28 December 1929,12. 34 Lake City Reporter reprinted in the Palm Beach Post,22 February 1935. 11 By Janet M. DeVries philanthropist. Below the name Rosenwald Elementary, the school slogan proclaims "A Success for All School Center for Excellence." South Bay, Florida, even in 2011, is still a rural,predominantly Black farming town.35 While it is widely known that the South lagged behind the North in educating its Black citizens, the schoolhouse building campaign started by Julius Rosenwald gave a jumpstart to the quality of education in the South. Mr. Rosenwald understood that wasting any human potential was a big mistake, and that a country with educated citizens was the best way to assure prosperity and is good business plan in the end. The funds contributed by the Rosenwald Foundation primed the pump for an outpouring of private and public money for the education of Blacks. Rosenwald used his money to contribute to the education of Blacks, with the idea that better educated people would earn more and spend more money in his stores. The school building program improved relations between Black and white families and Black students benefitted from consistent lesson plans, and better teaching materials. In addition to being a source of pride for the Black community, the schoolhouses funded by the Rosenwald Fund gave students a place to learn,to plan and to dream about their future. "Do not be fooled into believing that because a man is rich he is necessarily smart. There is ample proof to the contrary." Julius Rosenwald 35 Author Janet DeVries'personal visit to the Rosenwald School in South Bay on 22 November,2011. 12 By Janet M. DeVries Bibliography Primary Resources Archival Collections Boynton Beach City Library Local History Archives, Boynton Beach,'FL. EPOCHArchives, Spady Museum;Delray Beach, FL. Finance Records and Board Meeting Minutes and Agendas, School District of Palm Beach County Public Records, West Palin Beach, FL. Historical Society of Palm Beach County Archives,West Palm Beach, FL. Julius.Rosenwald Fund Archives, Franklin Library, Fisk University,Nashville,TN Newspapers Collections Palm Beach Post Pittsburgh Courier Miami Metropolis 13 By Janet M. DeVries Bibliography Secondary Sources Anderson,James D. The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988. Ascoli,Peter Max.Julius Rosenwald: The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South. Bloomington,Indiana: University Press, 2006. Deutsch, Stephanie. You Need a Schoolhouse:Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South. Evanston,IL: Northwestern University Press, 2011. Embree,Edwin Rogers.Investment in People: The Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Indianapolis,Indiana,Harper, 1949. Gossett,Vivian Reissland and C. Spencer Pompey.Like a Mighty Banyan: Contributions of Black People to the History of Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County,FL: Palm Beach Junior College, 1982. Hoffschwelle,Mary S.Preserving Rosenwald Schools. Washington,D.C.:National Trust for Historic Preservation,2003. Hoffschwelle, Mary S. The Rosenwald Schools of the American South. Gainesville,FL: University Press of Florida, 2006. McGoun, William E.Palm Beach County Schools: The First 100 Years. West Palm Beach, FL: The Palm Beach County School District, 2011. 14 By Janet M. DeVries Messisk,J.D."Negro Education in the South."Journal of Educational Sociology.Vol. 21, No.2(Oct. 1947): 88-96. Nieves,Angel David and Alexander,Leslie M. We Shall Independent Be:African American Place Making and the Struggle to Claim Space in the United States. Boulder,CO University Press of Colorado,:2008. Perkins,Alfred,Edwin Rogers Embree: The Julius Rosenwald Fund, Foundation Philanthropy, andAmerican Race Relations.Bloomington,IN University of Indiana Press,. 2011. Perkins,Alfred. Welcome Consequences and Fulfilled Promise: Julius Rosenwald Fellows and"Brown v.Board of Education." The Journal of Negro Education,Vol. 72. No. 3 (Summer, 2003). 344-356. Pompey,C. Spencer.More Rivers to Cross:A Forty Year Look at the Quest for Fair and Equitable Fulfillment of the American Dream 1940-1980. West Palm Beach,FL: Star Group International,2003, Rufsvold,Margaret I.,"A History of School Libraries in the South."Peabody Journal of Education, Vol: 12,No. 1 (July, 1934): 14-18. Stakenas,Robert G., David B.Mock and Kenneth M. Eaddy. Educating Hand and Mind:A History of Vocational Education in Florida,Lanham,MD and London,England: University Press of America, 1985. 15 By Janet M. DeVries Thesis Statement: Julius Rosenwald was the impetus for improving the educational facilities and the learning opportunities for Black children in Palm Beach County, Florida. The deadly hurricane of 1928 had a silver lining; the schools constructed in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane and funded by the Rosenwald Foundation were held to a higher building standard. Black children now had a nice place to call their own that was conducive to learning and community building. 16 By Janet M.DeVries Janet DeVries HIS 3150 October 20,2011 Historiography: Rosenwald Schoolsin Palm Beach County The landscape of schools for Blacks in Palm Beach County began to change in the 1920s. Until that time, little had been one in the name of formal educationfor Black students. When it came to building public schools and paying teachers to educate Black youngsters, separate and mequal treatment still reigned in the south, Though he was not the first white philanthropist to support the education of Blacks, Julius Rosenwald, the president of the Seaxs Roebuck Company propelled the effort to new heights.. Rosenwald was the impetus that created better schools, longer school years and school libraries for southern Black children. Black people in the south had to struggle for a decent.education oft air children. James Anderson -argues that the programs designed to aid Blacks with their education were flawed. While programs such as the John F. Slater Fund, the Anna T. James Fund., and the Julius Rosenwald Fund improved the quality of the education, the focus was steering Black students into industrial jobs. Anderson claims the tax-supported schools mandated in the latter part of the 19th century transformed the education and schools for Black students. The white philanthropists who enhanced the educational experience merely improved the physical condition of the buildings, and the-Black race was oppressed until t he late 1960s.2 Anderson examines the ideological and institutional nature of schools in the Black south and points out that the to planters who dominated the government resisted public education for Blacks. There were very few opportunities for these students to attend college, By limiting the opportunities for secondary education and advancement of Black people, white supremacy would continue to dominate. 3 Anderson's overall tone suggests the aid to Black education from I Jwnes D.Anderson,The Education offflacks in the South, 1860-1935,(Chapel Hill:University of North Carolina Press, 1988). 137 2 Anderson,279 Anderson,238 By Janet M. DeVrIes white philanthropists such as Julius Rosenwald did not address the matter of allowing Blacks to develop an educational system that would prepare them for careers and equality with whites. Despite the fact that many white people, especially the planter elite in the south, were against race equality, there were others who supported education and equality for Blacks. Mary Hoffschwells argues that it was not just Julius Rosenwald who assisted with building schools and improving educational opportunities in the south, but that it was the combined efforts of three groups. Rosenwald gave the seed money, but the synergy of the fund administrators, the state and to governments, and the contributions of the Black community were all key elements in the success of the Rosenwald school building program.4 Rosenwald's motive for creating the program, according to Hoffschwelle, was to create a better future for all people. Rosenwald's ideology was that building better schools would build better communities and better citizens. In order to keep construction costs down and avoid scrutiny from naysayers, Rosenwald kept the schools designs simple.5 In addition to creating schools, the Rosenwald Initiate was responsible for extending the school year, creating libraries in schools, and fostering a fellowship program for outstanding Black college students. The author supports her claim of Rosenwald as the impetus of change in the landscape of Black education with careful statistics and examples. According to C. Spencer Pompey,the schools in Florida violated the"separate but equal" mandate. Pompey, a Black school teacher, began his teaching career in Palm Beach County in the 1930s.6 He argues that although Palm each County was known for being the playground of the rich and famous, there was a huge disparity in the quality of education between whites and Blacks.7 Pompey references D.E. Williams, who became the State of Florida Supervisor of Negro Schools in 1927. Williams reported that there were few formal schools for Blacks and lessons were being taught in churches and lodge halls. Mr.Pompey quotes Williams' description of the physical conditions of the Black schools of Florida in 1932. 4 Mary S.Hoffichwelle,The Rosenwald Schools of the American South.(Gainesville,FLP®University Press of Florida,2006).24 5 Haffichwelle,96 6 C.Spencer Pompey,More Rivers to Cross:A Forty Year Look at the Questfor Fair and Equitable FuYlIlment of the "American Dream."1940-1980.(West Palm Beach,FL: Star Group International,2003). 181 7 Pompey, 184 By Janet M.Deyries It is very difficult for people to realize that schools were conducted in such buildings .... drinking water, sanitary toilets, desks, blackboards; sufficient textbooks, library books, a good heater and fuel were lacking in many of these schools. Pews and benches often substituted for desks. Water was brought in bottles and jugs by children or gotten in a bucket from a so-called spring ... School officials were reluctant to provide pumps because people would steal them. Often trees and bushes served for toilets; service privies, when provided, were so filthy that children preferred to use the bushes. Toilet tissue and washing facilities were not provided in most schools. Wide planed boards pained'black served at chalkboards ... s Blacks living in Palm Beach County, Pompey argues, experienced better conditions than those living in other areas,of Florida. The white pioneers needed the labor supplied by the Black people, so the whites set up areas near the railroad tracks for the Black laborers to live.9 Pompey vividly describes the conditions living conditions and the school climate..Drawing upon his first- hand experiences, Pompey provides strong evidence documenting the unequal pay scale for teachers based on'race. Pompey was outraged that even though Florida had a statewide system of education, he and his fellow Black teachers'made less money for doing the same job as white teachers. C. Spencer Pompey played a significant part in creating a unified system of pay for teachers in Palm Beach County.10 In his 2011 biography of Edwin Rogers Embree, author Alfred Perkins makes the case that the success of the Rosenwald Fund was due to sociologist Edwin Embree, In 1927, Rosenwald recruited Embree away from the Rockefeller Foundation to be the president of the 8 Pompey, 182 9 Pompey, 187 10 Pompey, 195 By Janet M. DeVries Rosenwald Fund. Embree, who Perkins claims was energetic and intense, was the driving force behind the success of the fund. 11 Perkins presents new evidence that it was Embree who convinced Julius Rosenwald that funding school construction for Blacks in the rural south was not enough. With the goal of making education a public duty funded by taxation, Embree eliminated the Rosenwald fund support for the school building projects in the early 1930s. Instead,Embree focused on providing learning materials for students, funding libraries in rural schools and bringing mobile book trucks to remote areas. Perkins paints a picture of Edwin Embree as the stimulus for public support of schools and libraries. Additionally, Embree was responsible for the Rosenwald Fellowship program. The goals of the Rosenwald Fellowship were to create successful, highly-educated Black leaders who would continue,and ultimately win the struggle for the equality of Blacks and whites in education.12 While viewpoints of who was the drive behind the success of the Rosenwald school building program vary, none of the authors have provided evidence in regard to the impact Julius Rosenwald had on Blacks in Palm Beach County. This area of scholarship is lacking. My paper will add to the scholarship of the history of Black education in Palm Beach County by giving a voice to some of the students who attended a Rosenwald schools. My research will provide examples of the physical description, the construction costs, and statistical data for some of the rural Black schools in Palm Beach County. 11 Alfred Perkins,The Julius Rosenwald Fund, Foundation Philanthropy, and American Race Relations. (Bloomington,IN:University of Indiana Press,2011).28 12 Perkins, 104 By Janet M. DeVries Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Study Act Passes Congress r4 , 2020 On December 21 , Congress acted to pass the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Study Act, (H.R. 3250 / S. 1663) introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL). The legislation authorizes a special resources study of the sites associated with the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools. The National Trust has worked closely with National Parks Conservation Association, the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Campaign, and other partners to advance this legislation with the goal of establishing a national historical park to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Julius Rosenwald and his partnership with Booker T. Washington to establish Rosenwald Schools throughout the segregated South. The National Trust has a long history working to save Rosenwald Schools, including a place on the 2002 America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places List. In addition to the National Trust's efforts to raise awareness and provide assistance, grassroots activists, local governments, and churches that own Rosenwald Schools are finding creative new uses for them. Recently, Antiques and the Arts conducted a Q&A with Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Leggs explains the importance of Rosenwald Schools, saying "Arguably, the Rosenwald Schools story is equal to Brown vs Board of Education. It's one of the most important educational stories of Twentieth Century America. It's also important in today's time, telling how a multiracial community, including Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald—men from different backgrounds—came together as social justice champions in their fight against the inequitable and poor educational facilities that Black kids and families had to endure across the South. This would also be the first of more than 420 National Park Service units to commemorate the life and contributions of a Jewish American." OLD BUSINESS 4. 0 Historic Preservation Programming - Selected Properties and NW 1St Street District Project ntcn Bsaah Re�lg�r of khriodc Piacatf She Mo _. _ Site Hamt: i _ Address a �. _ . q,nation ba" HS 12-001 Audrey D.Gerger House 339 NW 9 st Avenue October INS 13-001 Sophie Am2,2012 ichal House 229 SW 1st Avenue �u�y 2,,2013 13-002 Oscar Magnuson House 211 Fast Qoean Avenue .ianuary 15,2013 "HS 13-003 Boynton High Schaal 125 East Ocean Avenue February 5,2013 HS 13-004 Boynton Hiiis Lights NW 1st Sbeet October 1,2,013 HS 14-001 Lake Boynton Estate Entry Feature 568 West Doean Avenue HS 14-002 1010 South Federal Hi ' 113,2094 Boynton Women's Club Highway October 7,2094 HS 15-009 Barton Memorial Park Cemetery 691 NW 12th Avenue 114817-001 Boynton School 129 E Ocean Ave. Une a.2016 p June B,2017 I Ha�tlanaltsttr of Hrs�aric Paces Slh No. Site Home . .� 7000686 Boynton Woman's Club 1010 South Federal Highway _ Apra 2g6 1979 94000130 Baynton Schonf 141 East ocean Avenue March 7, 1994 ffn�frli �rEi#�� lisp r r �f111��1i11fs t��fr � _ �.. affMw .� I fit mm ARIEV); all ONE - ��■ �##,� �{�� R><�f�, �i�=�iiia _ �+IIF" ""�'�+��tiT S's ,moi�� • .. - �i� _ ■ : SNS■ ., ��S;�R1 l� ■��r�.�I��1 ■!� .� `f 1� WHO momIFETA 1111112 UNION= 111111110 - - n an �- � il11L11�1 1fffILl1I■ Si14i1�j ■��l �I#6� ■ R11111 i ■f1Nllli;; !lli1��1 ■� - 11l111111 1 ■NIf3f:7 ,111111111m ;1«r1rL�rrr`*!E 1f�1�� ■frris �1Y�fifL� IlfLfll}■■ :!<!i'1��II Iff1 .Li Nllf ■■SiNI� 11Alti�gT.■ IlliEfll■ ■Ifl��tl11 !/ ■S�r>rls 1IN��11!R w><lS�f■ ■!!lf1NL� I� !' ■ fills ■l��AIQ m,1111. If11 11s111f� lf 4 s P 4 , t i e Yy� t , � � S ��? ��. i� v ai', N��` qua •� �� `t " t ( qr. �s�- '1 'F '� ttikSt t��hr si rlrR3rJ'7jrts +ft 1$1v t t \ � y,{4,��+fit pp ;. t 1 � �• ,: t� - � 4 tato 3 �NIT y , I J �Y„ ,r t r lieu'+i ��:yt�i11'�ti . l ( � ass t E f3 r S r` c v E' 0 c a a� ,o a U 'y H 0 V •L O a 3 � z � o U O CC p � U J z.. C ? -0 0O J ` v U v Q J Q > U b0 vv 06 W J c 6 m v m v a E co I v o — `—° CL 0 0 3 M 0 6 (7 v u L7 t co J m _ + a O ° v U 2 Co v J v h0 -O ? N C i 2i i-+ O C 7 7 O O 41 (B iv (B t EN Q Q (.7 J d' Co J d U z d' W H v v v v v v v v v v v v v L.: (n Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q v v v v z z z z z z z z z z z z z z o -1 m n -1 m m io o �o 'r 'r o 'r O m N cl cl 0 0 0 .1 •l N N m m N m m m m m m m m m m m m m The City of Boynton Beach DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND ZONING DIVISON 100 E. Boynton Beach Boulevard P.O. Box 310 Boynton Beach,Florida 33425-0310 TEL: 561-742-6260 FAX: 561-742-6259 www.boynton-beach.org June 27, 2016 DI CORRADO CINDY F DI CORRADO LUCIANO & 316 NW 1ST AVE BOYNTON BEACH FL 33435 4006 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Di Corrado: Re: 316 NW 1St Avenue, Boynton Beach As you may be aware, the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Plan update includes a recommendation for a change of land use designation for the properties on the north side of NW 1St Avenue from Low Density Residential (LDR)to Mixed Use Low(MU Low). If this proposal is approved, it would allow the future commercial development of these properties should the owners choose to sell to a developer. Attachment 1 shows the proposed change of future land use with your block outlined in blue. In January,2016, a number of residents from your block met to discuss the potential for creating a historic district in the area outlined on Attachment 2. If such a district was created,the future land use designation for the properties on the north side of NW 1St Avenue within the district would remain Low Density Residential (LDR).This would ultimately prevent the future commercial development of these properties. There are a variety of options and outcomes with both proposals and, as such, I would like to invite you to a meeting to discuss the various alternatives. Please note that this meeting is not the start of the historic designation process, it is merely to explain the various scenarios to you and allow your input. The meeting will be held in the West Wing of City Hall in the second floor conference room on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at 5.30pm. Please contact me to confirm your attendance. If you cannot attend the meeting I am happy to discuss the options with you by telephone or meet with you at your convenience. If you have any questions prior to the meeting or you require any further information please contact me at (561) 742-6757 or by email at adamsw@bbfl.us. Sincerely, Warren Adams, MRICS Historic Preservation Planner, Senior • Page 2 March 4, 2021 Attachment 1 fvi 'v, „ Iii1MIXi k', u� Mimi Olin, 40 P EM 13, P,/ .. t � ) t i f �k vit f - lig i t w, k q} _ V ° F c - $ 41 `t + ` 1 I • Page 3 March 4, 2021 Attachment 2 q � r t i all 61 I �i t F, i itis a s i Y o �� s vj ;� s 7� , 1��1t iF 71 4 t s ii > 4 S 1�� I� \s ` The City of Boynton Beach DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND ZONING DIVISON 100 E. Boynton Beach Boulevard P.O. Box 310 Boynton Beach,Florida 33425-0310 TEL: 561-742-6260 FAX: 561-742-6259 www.boynton-beach.org August 5, 2016 AGNELLO ANGELO A TR AGNELLO MICHAEL H TR & PO BOX 827 PALM BEACH FL 33480 0827 Dear Mr. Agnello: Re: 206 NW 31d Street, Boynton Beach On June 27, 2016, you were sent a letter inviting you to attend a meeting to discuss a potential historic district on NW 1st Avenue. The meeting took place at City Hall on July 7, 2016. Property owners representing six of the properties in the proposed historic district attended the meeting and were given the opportunity to vote for or against the proposed district. On July 18, 2016, a second letter was sent to the property owners who did not attend the meeting to give them another chance to vote for or against the district. The final result of the vote was: six in favor of the district, two against the district, and five no responses. To initiate an application for a historic district, a simple majority of property owners must vote in favor of the district.As six of the thirteen property owners voted in favor of the proposed district, a simple majority was not achieved and the proposal will not move forward at this time. I would however encourage property owners with historic homes to contact me regarding the individual designation of their properties. If you have any questions or require any further information regarding this matter please contact me at (561) 742-6757 or by email at adamsw@bbfl.us. Sincerely, Warren Adams, MRICS Historic Preservation Planner, Senior Process for District Designation Excerpt from Historic Preservation Ordinance (LDR) Code of Ordinances, Part III LDR, Ch 2, Article II, Sec. 6 Sec. 6. Historic Preservation Applications. B. Historic District or Properties Designation. 1. General. a. Purpose and Intent. The purpose and intent of this subsection is to set forth a uniformed procedure, well-defined application process, and information when designating a district as "historic" as defined in these Land Development Regulations. b. Applicability. This application shall be applicable to all improved property that meets the criteria of Chapter 4, Article IX, Section 6.C. Applications for historic designation may be initiated by only the following: (1) Historic Resources Preservation Board, herein referred to as "Board" (see Chapter 1, Article VII, Section 4). (2) City Commission. (3) A property owner for designation of a Site. (4) A simple majority of property owners within the proposed District under consideration for designation. For District designations, each Property shall be allotted one (1) vote. The identity of the property owners shall be determined by the most current Palm Beach County Tax Rolls. Only the Board or the City Commission may initiate designation of a property or district owned by the City, County, State or by an entity created by state law. c. Terms and Definitions. See Chapter 1, Article II for definitions and terms associated with historic preservation. 2. Submittal Requirements. Nominations for historic designations shall be made only on application forms approved by the Board. 3. Review Criteria. See Chapter 4, Article IX, Section 6.C. for the review criteria applicable to designating a district as historic. 4. Approval Process. a. Board Agenda. Following staff determination that an application for designation is complete; the application shall be scheduled for a public hearing by the Board. b. Board Public Hearing Notice. The Board shall advertise and hold a public hearing in accordance with the following public noticing requirements: (1) For the proposed designation of an individual site, the applicant, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the date set for the public hearing, shall: (a) Mail a notice of the time, place and subject matter of the public hearing to any owner of abutting or adjacent property as determined by the Historic Preservation Planner. (b) Post one (1) sign for each street frontage of the property in a prominent location. (2) For the proposed designation of a historic district, the applicants), at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the date set for the public hearing, shall: (a) Mail a notice of the time, place and subject matter of the hearing to any owner of real property within 400 feet of district subject to potential designation. (b) Post signs in prominent locations along public streets at the outer boundaries of the proposed district in such a manner as will assure that the signs will be seen by as many affected property owners as possible Signs shall be legible from a distance of 100 feet and shall contain a description of the approval being sought, the date, time and location of the hearing, and a statement that the application being considered is available for inspection in the Development Department of the City of Boynton Beach. Minimum sign size shall be 24" wide by 18" high. c. No Action Permitted During Pendency. During the period that a designation application is pending, no changes to the property or district shall be made unless first approved by the Board. The application is considered "pending" until the final decision on the designation is made by the City Commission. d. Board Recommendations. The Board shall make a recommendation as to the proposed designation at the public hearing, based on findings of fact which support the recommendation. The Board's recommendation shall be reduced to writing within 15 working days after the hearing date. If the Board votes to recommend approval, it will forward the application with recommendations to the City Commission. If the Board recommends denial, no further action is required unless an applicant, or not less than two-thirds of the affected property owners (in the case of a District), appeals to the City Commission. In such event the City Commission may reconsider designation or require the Board to do so. e. City Commission Decision. Following the Board hearing, a designation application with a Board recommendation for approval shall be scheduled for hearing by the City Commission. The City Commission may approve or deny the designation application. Alternatively, the City Commission may approve the designation with conditions or delay designation for up to one (1) year. The City Commission shall make written findings of fact on which its decision is based. Code of Ordinances Part III, Ch. 4, Article IV, Sec. 6 Sec. 6. Historic Preservation Requirements. B. Designation of Historic Properties and Districts. 1. Guidelines for Historic Designation. To qualify as a Property or a District, individual properties must have significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture and possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. For Districts, eligibility is based on the establishment of historic contexts or themes which describe the historical relationship of the Properties within the district. Individual Buildings shall normally be at least 50 years old and, in the case of a District at least 50% of the Buildings shall normally be at least fifty years old. Buildings shall also be significant in one or more of the following areas: a. Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the City's history; or b. Association with the lives of persons significant in the City's past; or c. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history; or e. Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 2. Criteria Considerations. Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the Boynton Beach Register of Historic Places. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories: a. A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or b. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event, or c. A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building associated with his or her productive life; or d. A cemetery that derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events; or e. A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or f. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or g. A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance. 3. Procedures. See Chapter 2, Article II, Section 6.