Replace or Restore (Town Crier) 3-17-774 irk
WITIM,4 CLJ_ 'ArPION
"i U i GIIVII
What is to become of the
old "Winter Club" building?
The mansion once designed
by a Chicago architect in
1926 for guests with names
like Vanderbilt, Phipps and
Woolworth is now known
as the Sir Harry Oakes
building and is part of the
North Palm Beach Country
Club scene.
The gracious old building
that originally was the, club
house for , the exclusive
founded by Paris Singer and
Harry Kelsey, founder of
Lake Park, is an an advanced
state of decay. The North
Palm Beach council has once
again requested the advice of
an architect to help them
decide whether to tear down
the building or " restore it in
some measure.
Recently, architect R.M.
Arsenicos went over the
forrner home of millionaire
Sir Harry Oakes and reported
to the council that the cost of
renovation versus the cost of
a new building would just
about equal out.
"Of course, it is rather like
a surgical operation. It is
really hard to say how
extensive the damage is until
you open the body up,"
Architect Rudy Arsenicos
explained. "My report was
based on the previous Team
Plan concept, but did not
include a gymnasium. If a
complete restoration were
desired, that cost would be
greater. But of course, it
could be done if enough
community sentiment were
raised.
Arsenicos declined to offer
his own opinion.
"I am in an advisory
capacity only," he stated. "It
-certainly would not be
[g suitable for me to comment.
However, it would certainly
be a challenging project."
Upon further questioning,
the architect admitted he had
not considered the building
exclusively for use by Senior
Citizens, but had viewed it
with an eye to use by all
ages.
"Actually, it lends. itself
better to adult recreation,"
Arsenicos said.
When the clubhouse was
built, the entrance was from
Prosperity Farms road. The
golf course was considered
one of the best at that time.
Boat slips and dockage were
also available from a canal
leading into Lake Worth, and
the landscaping was done by
S.J.- Blaekly, founder of
Kelsey City Nursery and
Landscaping father of
the present ov:,r,er.
"There isn� much heri-
tage in North F :_:lin Beach or
in the surrounding area,"
said John LaCerda, president
of the Yacht. Club Drive Civic
Association. "Our associa-
tion hopes to preserve the
building if at all possible. I
don't think the Village has
researched the possibility of
state or federal, funding, to
my knowledge. And what
about Lady Oakes? She lives
in Nassau now. Maybe she
might be interested in
preserving the memory of
her late husband."
James Watt, West Palm
Beach city attorney and
president of the Palm Beach
Historic o 1 Society added, "I
can't speak -for the Society,
but the buildhi-Y does have
historic significant- to that
area. Just as we are u: -ging to
save the Mizner buildh-ilus in
Palm Beach, surely `he
Oakes building has value W,
the North Palm Beach arca.
If there were a lot of c`he:
buildings around that had
more value, it Haight not be
so important:. But after all, it
is a landmark - and_ is
synonomous with the area "
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