Painting of the Former Winter Club (WD) 4-20-8019 0
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PAINTING OF THE FORMER WINTER CLUB which
adjoins the North Palm Beach Municipal Country Club ----
also sometimes known as the Sir Harry Oakes Building
after the name of a former owner -- was presented to the
Village last week by the artist, Mrs. Janet Lee. The view
shows the structure's western facade overlooking its
terrace, as it appeared in its hey-dey of the Roaring
EV7NI !G T�' ME , December '_10, 1980
By JAYNE ELLISON
NORTH PALM BEACH — There
would be knickers, caps to shade the
eyes, frocks with dropped waists,
and a golf course to challenge avid
fans. In the evenings, formal gowns
and dinner jackets with black tie
would set the mood of rustic opu-
lence.
Everything was in readiness.
A fire crackled in the fireplace in
the north end of the huge dining
room. Overhead, the vaulted ceiling
was scored with oak beams. The
ochre roof was of Cuban tile.
It was Jan. 5 , 1927: the start of a
three-day party, with three boat-
loads of smuggled -in liquor on hand,
to launch the Palin Beach Winter
Club.
Throngs of wealthy or elite men
and women from Miami north to
Palin Beach, and golf professionals
had been invited to play the course,
dine sumptuously and quench their
thirst with strong spirits despite
prohibition.
Twenties. Mrs. Lee who was an art major at college, is
presently a student in the Village adult art class. Shown
L. • to R.:, Vikki Bonneau, art instructor; recreation
director Stu Taber.; Mrs. Lee; mayor Dr. V.A. Marks;
vice -mayor Al. C. Moore, and councilwoman Harriet
Nolan, ]Present but not shown in picture, councilman
Tani Valente.
"Kelsey had been approached by
sewing machine heir Paris Singer,
who wanted him to build a club so
that guests at Singer's planned hotel
on Singer, Island would have a place
to play," Branch -said. "Singer was
very good at getting others to put up
the money to build things.
"When I first saw the Winter
Club, it was just a restaurant. One
of the, golf course architects had
died. There were other - problems.
There was a lot of work to be done."
Branch, -who had not glimpsed in-
side the Winter Club for more than
15 years, revisited it on a recent af-
ternoon. He was disgruntled by the
neglect and degradation of the once -
proud clubhouse. Bunch was ada-
mant, that it should be restored to its
former French Provincial beauty.
The club has been named to the
National Register of Historical Plac-
es.
Charles O'Meilia, public woks
director, said the Winter Club ill
get a new $40,000 roof sometime in
1981. He said if the interior is e -
paired it can be used for archives,
administrative offices for the coun-
try club, and community meeting
rooms. He said one section might be
used for a small theater.
"There was a study of the building
about five years ago, which said it
would cost about $500,000 to reno-
vate it," O'Meilia said. "The same
study showed we could tear down
the building and build a new recrea-
tion center for the same amount of
money, $500,000."
He was unwilling to speculate,
given the inflationary spiral, what it
would cost in 1981 to make the build-
ing f it for use.
Branch found the building ravaged
by termites, vandalism, invasion . of
"It was a very posh event with
even nobility attending from Eu-
rope," said Charles A. Branch, 5400
N. Dixie Highway, West ' Palm
Beach, who had -put the. fininshing
touches on the Winter Club and golf
course to prepare it for the opening.
The nobility were friends of the
Drench architect who designed the
Winter Club," he said.
In what is: now North Palm Beach,
Harry S. Kelsey had .the Winter Club
built on a man. -made rise, just a slip
away from the _ Intracoastal Water-
way. Kelsey, a marketing and de-
velopment whiz, two years earlier
had hired Branch, an engineer, to
oversee his' multiple projects.
Branch said the pay was $150 a
week.
pigeons, and the mindless interior
alterations. In one room, the cypress
ceiling is painted white.
Branch still chuckles when he're.-
calls that Kelsey, while showing pro-
spective club members through the
building, would tell the women that
specially trained worms made the
pesky cypress.
• "He was quite a ladies' man,"
said Branch. "They believed him."
In his walk through the parts of
the building which have not been
blocked off for safety. Branch was
puzzled why there are no vestiges of
improvements reportedly made to
the building by the late Sir Harry
Oakes. Oakes, a flamboyant gold
miner who struck it rich, acquired
the Winter Club and most of Kelsey
City, the old name for Lake Park, in
the late 1930s.
The Maine native became a Brit-
ish subject and was knighted be-
cause of his generous contributions
to hospitals in the British Isles.
Oakes made at least two additions to
the club, a large section on the
southwest section and a. smaller one
'on the north.
Branch tapped some of the floors
and walls with his care.
"The partitions can come out but
this place is about ruined," he said.
"Under this flooring, there should be
oak planking about two inches
thick."
. Branch said the club failed to
break even and was limping along in
the summer of 1928, when the Sep-
tember hurricane practically demol-
ished then -Kelsey City, cau:seri
severe damage, to the club, • and
swept on to Lake Okeechobee whet e
it took more than 2,200 l.iveF,.
Oakes committed an utlpardonable
sin, in Branch's view when he de-
stroyed many fairways and gre'ens
at the Winter Club to create riding
areas for his horsc.-loving children.
`'I guess he didn't like golf,"
Branch said.