Historic Sir Harry Oakes Mansion May Be Demolished (WD) 1-30-75WINTER CLUB
i Jan. 30—Feb. 5, 1975 WeekDay Page 10—B
Site Eyed, For Civic Center
rc'Si'or Harry HI*stoiOa es'MansioMay Be
The last vestige of a
Mrs. Zaborski mentioned" rolling."
by -gone era, the old North
with approval the committee Librarian Mrs. Nancy
Palm Beach Country Club
that was instrumental in Moore agreed.
building _- once the center of
saving the Kelsey City gates, "It is always rnuch easier
social life for millionaires
in Lake Park. "Maybe to knock things down than to
and nobility, is in danger of
people haven't even consid- restore them. But it would be
being torn down.
ered what will happen to thisone of the most wonderful
The lovely, historic old
building if they get a . things we could do for the
mansion, formerly known as
modern, efficient civic cen- area, if we could save the
the Palin Beach Winter Club
ter. How much nicer to Clubhouse.
is in an advanced state of
preserve a lovely, graceful. The buftdingwas designed
decay.
structure and he able to tell by a .0tieW architect in
According to architect Ira
some of its past! Why, we 1925, to be the Palm Beach
Kuchler, chairman of the
could even try to get a Winter Club, Moving forces
North Palm Beach Civic
committee to work, on its behing the club were Harry
Center committee, "'The
restoration. I would be, Kelsey, founder of Kelsey
most feasible area for a civic "c
interested in helping if City - now Lake Park, cold
center Would he the site ,of
someone would get the hall Paris Singer, son of I.B.
the old Oakes building, but
the building itself is not
-*north preserving - it*s a fire
Other residents of North
trap.
Palm Beach take a different
Kuchler explained that the
approach. To them, the
building has been terribly
former elegant habitat of
neglected for years and the
foreign nobility and Ameri-
expense of trying to restore
can millionaires, has one.
the - place to its former
rare advantage - it's historic
grandeur would be prohibi-
background - and that it is in
tive.
an area that was raw land
"The wiring would all
until the 1920s..
have to he re -done and the
"I really feel that it- is
whole building fireproofed,
important for the cities here
The upper story is a disaster
to maintain- what little
-the windows are all broken
history they have," explains
and pigeons live in there,"
North Palm Beach- Library
the architect said fintily.
Director Mrs. Jackie Zabor-
"Besides, the building has
ski. "We ought to think of
no aesthetic appeal. You
future generations. If we
can"t preserve something
just shucked it, there would
just because it*s old.""
be no bistory. Rather than
Some of the materials used
tear it down, why not think'
in the building are nice,
about renovating the -build-
Kuchler- admits. He would'
ing and preserving a piece of
like to take those materials
our past.
and add them to a new
structure. To bring the old
Winter Club back to its
forryier grandeur could cost
about $100,000 at today's
prices Kuchler believes.
"Mavbe someone would
J -
want to move the structure to
another location," he sug-
lo,ested.
,Singer, founder of the Singer
SeNNing Machine Co. Singer
was at that 'time engaged in
building the Blue , Heron
Hotel on the island he
brought known as Singer
Island, according to an old
"Sur, " article.
When the Clubhouse was
built, the only access was
from Prosperity Farms Rd.
0
The founders also had a
channel dredged from Lake
Worth and a 'boat slip and
docks were added to 'permit
Nvater access from Palm
Beach to the Winter Club.
Excess fill fro -m the channel
built up the west lawn of the
Club. - Landscaping for the
grounds was done by S. J.
Blakely's Kelsey City Nur-
spry and Landscaping Co,,,
father of the present owner.
The course was written about
in the Red Book of the
National Golf Association as
one of the best -built and
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ww:
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designed courses of the time.
The layout has been
changed twice since then to
make A/Vay fpr residential
development.
I At the opening' of the club
in 1926, guests included,
Vanderbilts, Phipps, Bas-
ches and Woolworths, plus
Italian and French nobility.
Al Jolson, according to a
Juno resident's acount, even
sang a song in the men's
locker room.
ONCE the J)'flatial holue of international figure Sir
H.-Arry Oakes, this inansion Neter served as the hub of
North Paini Beach Country C11.1b.