1. Located on the Atlantic coast, in the southeast corner of Palm Beach County, Florida, Delray Beach
enjoys a tropical climate. The first structure in the area was the Orange Grove House of Refuge, built in
1876 by the United Life-Saving Service to provide shelter and sustenance for shipwrecked sailors. Black
farmers migrated south from the Florida panhandle, and the community grew large enough to build a
schoolhouse in 1894. The area was named Linton after a U.S. congressman who purchased a tract of
land that he intended to subdivide and sell for farming.
Farming was successful for a few years, but a hard freeze struck in 1898, discouraging many and driving
them away, including Linton. The town changed its name in 1901 to Delray, from the Spanish “del rey,”
meaning “of the King.” Farming resumed, with tomatoes and pineapples among the main crops.
Pineapple farming suffered in the 1920s due to the partial drainage of the Everglades and competition
from Cuban pineapples. A great deal of building took place in the 1920s, including many structures now
preserved as museums and historical places. A number of hotels were also built to accommodate
vacationers; the most famous of these, the Colony, was built in 1926 and still operates year-round. In
1927, the town was renamed Delray Beach.
Modern Delray Beach is home to about 65,000 residents; a vibrant arts district encompassing cultural,
entertainment, and performing arts venues; and a number of restaurants. Of special importance to
Delray Beach, the Old School Square is a restoration of former public school buildings abandoned by the
city in the 1980s when the growing population necessitated the building of new schools. The restoration
began in 1986 and led to the revitalization of the entire downtown area of Delray Beach, where
occupancy rates had sunk to about 30 percent.
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About the Author: Edward Dovner, a resident of Delray Beach, is an inventor and entrepreneur who has
founded and sold a number of successful enterprises. His current project, Bike in the Air, is slated for
rollout to the public in 2011.
