History of Lake Worth

After Henry Flagler extended his rail line south from West Palm Beach to Miami in 1896, a land development scheme was created to plant a townsite between the railroad and the lake. Purchasers of lots within the townsite would also receive a larger plot of land west of town for agricultural use. The initial name proposed for the new town was Lucerne, however the U.S. Post Office refused to accept the name because there was already a “Lake Lucerne” in Dade County. The city fathers decided on the name Lake Worth, for the lake on which the fledgling town was located, and one of the main streets was named Lucerne Avenue. The city was officially incorporated in 1912. Many of the first residents were farmers from other parts of the American south and mid-west, looking to benefit from the growing winter vegetable market of the time. The city benefited with the rest of South Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920’s. A wooden automobile traffic bridge over Lake Worth was completed in 1919. The first casino and municipal beach complex was completed shortly thereafter. The 1920’s also saw the completion of the Gulf Stream Hotel, which is presently be renovated and is on the National List of Historic Places.

The city was severely damaged in the 1928 hurricane, toppling the bell tower on the elementary school (today the City Hall Annex) and destroying the beachfront casino and automobile bridge over Lake Worth. This led to a severe economic decline within the community during the Great Depression. Things were so dire in the city in the 1930’s, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration built a striking, moorish-styled "City Gymnasium" on the corner of Lake Avenue and Dixie Highway. The building today serves as City Hall.

Development started again after World War II with many modest pensioners, especially from Quebec, Finland and eventually Germany, moving to the city and building 1,000-square-foot cottages. These new immigrants brought their industrious nature with them as well as their native customs, restaurants, shops, and churches and for decades the town flourished. To this day, one can find an abundance of beer halls, chocolatiers, Bavarian delicatessens and Lutheran churches, which stand out in the semitropical urban sprawl of south Florida.

After a short period of neglect and decline in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the downtown area has seen a huge resurgence in interest and development. The city's main street, Lake Avenue, contains some of the oldest commercial structures in South Florida, including the Lake Worth Playhouse. The rediscovery of this unique charm has spurred new interest in the city.

In 2004 the city’s fishing pier was severely damaged by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. With funding from FEMA, the pier was finally reopened May 9, 2009. The decaying Casino Building, built in 1922, has been a source of debate for many years, and its future is still uncertain.

Historic Lake Worth Photographs