Talk:Northwest Historic District

Northwest Historic District

The Northwest Historic District is located in Downtown West Palm Beach, Florida in the U.S.. This historic district was designated as such on January 22, 1992.

Its first Non-Native American settlements date back to the late 19th Century.

After Henry Flagler announced his plans to extend to Southeastern Florida the Florida East Coast Railway, blacks from northern Florida, Georgia, and the Bahamas moved to this area in search of work.

When the Town of West Palm Beach was established, blacks living in the Styx began relocating to the western shore of Lake Worth.

In 1894, West Palm Beach became incorporated making it the oldest municipality in the county.

From decades, the neighborhood hosted the local segregated black community that prospered and developed their own identity and culture.

Nowadays, the neighborhood still contains 316 historic buildings, including remarkable churches and houses that represent a variety of styles from the late 19th- and early 20th- century in the South like the Bungalow Craftsman style, the Bahamian Vernacular style, the Shotgun, the Bahamian Vernacular, and American Foursquare style.

One important building hosts a famous jazz club, the Sunset Lounge which was also referred as “The Cotton Club of the South.”

The Sunset Lounge has been fully rehabilitated and is now surrounded by the Hear & Soul Park. This historic jazz club is one of the few remaining cultural venues on the Chitlin' Circuit.

Even though, its history, architecture, topography, and privileged location, the neighborhood became heavily neglected and stigmatized.

Since 2018, the Northwest Historic District has been undergoing a transformative renaissance.

The West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is hosting a community engagement initiative called Historic Northwest Rising. AireWabiSabi (talk) 20:00, 23 September 2023 (UTC)