1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse

Palm Beach County, established in 1909, first housed its county offices in an old school house in West Palm Beach. In 1913, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners approved construction of a new courthouse designed by Wilber Burt Talley, one of Florida’s prominent architects, and contractor Evert P. Maule submitted the winning bid of $122,500 for the building’s construction. Completed in 1916, the courthouse is an outstanding example of Neo-Classical Revival architecture in Florida, an imposing four-story building dominated by three grand columned porticos, with exterior walls of brick veneer trimmed in industrial limestone. Dedicated in 1917, it originally held all county offices and had one courtroom, which was used for ten years. The county’s explosive growth during the 1920s and after World War II led to several additions that by 1972 had totally enclosed the original building. After standing vacant for nearly a decade, the county funded an $18.5 million restoration in 2002, completed in 2007, and government offices again occupy the building along with a museum showcasing the history of Palm Beach County.

West Palm Beach, Florida · United States