Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Flagler

Flagler

PALM COAST, FLORIDA

Location:13 Clark Lane
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Palm Coast was begun in 1969 by the International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) Corporation. The community was planned by William Levitt of Levitt & Sons, which ITT acquired in 1968. Levitt developed Levittown, NY, to provide affordable homes after World War II, and is considered the father of modern American suburbia. Palm Coast differed from the 35 other Florida projects developed by Levitt from 1964-1994 in that it was envisioned as an entire community, not just a subdivision or residential complex. Palm Coast initially included 48,000 home sites on over 42,000 acres. Public amenities included a boat landing, waterfalls, marina, golf course, and yacht and tennis clubs. The community’s first planned neighborhood included nine different Mid-Century Modern model homes, with names such as Santa Rosa, DeSoto, and Delmar. These homes featured concrete block construction with gabled roofs, some detailed by board and batten siding and faux brick. Palm Coast “pioneers” developed a social community as their homes became venues for a Bible school and medical care, and an open area became known as “Neighborhood Park.” By 1975, over 38,000 houses had been sold, and in 1999 Palm Coast was incorporated as a city.
Sponsors: The George Chuddy Family and the Florida Department of State

LEVITT & I.T.T. 'DE BARY' MODEL

Location:29 Casper Drive
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Levitt & International Telephone & Telegraph Corp. (I.T.T.) developed 22,000 acres in Flagler County as part of the Palm Coast Project. Their goal was to construct the largest planned community in the nation, full of scenic drives, golf courses, and a marina. Levitt & I.T.T. engaged in an international marketing campaign on three continents to generate interest. As part of the “Levitt Showcase Golf Course Neighborhood,” the ‘De Bary’ model was the showcase of the nine advertised Contemporary houses. Built in 1971, this house features a stucco exterior, wide gable front, and a central, gated courtyard. Casper Drive, named in honor of golf legend William Casper, was the first street laid in the Palm Coast Project and was the only access road to the 18-hole golf course. Every prospective buyer was offered an official guided tour of the community’s many amenities. The residents of Casper Drive played an important role in the growth of Palm Coast, and occupants of the ‘De Bary’ were just as involved. The house’s first owners, Walter and Anna Kopecky, who purchased the house in 1972, actively worked to draw potential homeowners to the area.
Sponsors: Dr. Mery Gutierrez-Gable

HOLDEN HOUSE

Location:204 East Moody Blvd
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: The Holden House was designed and built in 1918 by Sam Bortree (1859-1918) as a gift for his daughter, Ethel (1892-1977), and son-in-law, Thomas Holden (1892-1974). Holden was the town pharmacist and prominent in business, civic and political affairs. A unique feature on the house is the broken apothecary glass Holden used from his pharmacy as decoration on the gables. This home is among the more elaborate examples of the Craftsman bungalow style, featuring coquina, a shell and stone mixture quarried in this region. The Holden House is associated with I.I. Moody (1874-1918) and the Bunnell Development Company, the principal forces behind the first significant settlement and development of Bunnell. The Bunnell Development Company platted the town in 1909. Two years later, the Florida Legislature incorporated Bunnell as a town. Holden’s family retained ownership of the property until Flagler County purchased it in 1978. Except for the addition of a sunroom on the east side of the house in 1947, and the replacement of sash windows, the house retains its original features.
Sponsors: FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

KING'S ROAD

Location:Old King's Rd N, just South of I-95 overpass
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: This road was built about 1766 when Colonel James Grant was governor of British East Florida. It extended from St. Augustine to Cowford (Jacksonville) and north to Colorain, Ga., across the St. Marys River. Later the road was extended south along the Matanzas River. Aided in part by donations from Grant's friends in South Carolina and Georgia, the road's chief financial backing came from local subscribers. It became a major artery of travel.

MALA COMPRA PLANTATION

Location:Bing's Landing on Route A1A between Apachee St. and Mala Compra Rd.
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Joseph Martin Hernandez (1788-1857) purchased and worked Mala Compra Plantation, originally a Spanish land grant, from 1816 to 1836. The name Mala Compra means “bad bargain” or “bad purchase” in Spanish. It served as the center of the largest plantation system in Northeast Florida until burned by the Seminoles in 1836 during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). He served as Brigadier General through the Second Seminole War and part of the Wars of Indian Removal. Hernandez did not revitalize the plantation after the war. Mala Compra was one of many coastal plantations in the Southeast that grew long-staple cotton. The physical remnants of the main house, well, and kitchen provide evidence of a coastal plantation. The building remains provide rare structural evidence of coastal plantation layout and residential construction in Florida during the early 19th century. Mala Compra’s relatively undisturbed setting offers a legacy of national importance and its lack of development offers the opportunity for further research about coastal plantations. Flagler County purchased the Mala Compra Plantation property in 1989.
Sponsors: FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PRINCESS PLACE ESTATE

Location:2500 Princess Place Rd
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: In 1791, the King of Spain offered a 1,100-acre land grant to Francisco Pellicer. Henry Mason Cutting purchased the property in 1886, renaming it Cherokee Grove. Featuring local materials including tabby block cladding, cedar and palm tree trunk posts and pink coquina, the Adirondack camp-style lodge was constructed in 1887. The complex included servant’s quarters, a caretaker’s house, tennis courts, stables, bathhouse, pool house and the first in-ground concrete swimming pool in Florida. The Lodge became an entertainment center for many socially prominent Americans and New York families as well as European royalty. Cutting died in 1892, leaving a widow, Angela Mills Cutting and two small children. Angela later married an exiled Russian prince, Boris Scherbatoff, a member of the Russian royal family. Because he feared for his life, the Prince later changed the spelling to Scherbatow. After Prince Scherbatow died in 1949, the Princess used the lodge as her primary residence. For this reason it became known as the Princess Estate. In 1954, Princess Scherbatow sold the property to Lewis and Angela Wadsworth, one of the founding families of Flagler County. Flagler County purchased the property in 1993 as a preserve.
Sponsors: THE FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WASHINGTON OAKS GARDENS

Location:Washington Oaks State Gardens.
County: Flagler
City: South of Marineland
Description: Part of a Spanish land grant to Bautista Don Juan Ferreira in 1815. Developed as a plantation by General Joseph Hernandez, early Florida planter. George Washington, related to our first president, married Hernandez' daughter, Louisa, in 1844. They were given this land by Hernandez and remained here until 1856, developing the plantation and starting an orange grove. Louisa died in 1859, and George left, but returned in 1886, to live here the rest of his life. Purchased in 1936, by Mr. and Mrs. Owen D. Young, the gardens, groves, and plantings were expanded. In 1964, after Mr. Young's death, Mrs. Young gave the property to the State.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

LEVITT & I.T.T. DEL MAR MODEL AND PALM COAST GOLF CLUB

Location:11 Cooper Lane
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: The Levitt & International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation (I.T.T.) purchased 68,000 acres in 1969 for the development of a planned community. The site, named Palm Coast, offered numerous amenities, including a marina and golf course. Built in 1972, this home, the “Del Mar,” was one of the nine model homes showcased by Levitt & I.T.T. Designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, it features a stucco exterior with faux brick trim, and a hip roof. The “Del Mar” is located in the “Showcase Golf Course Neighborhood,” which is enveloped by the Palm Coast Golf Club course. Designed by William Amick, the course was marketed as being one of the most challenging in Florida. The proximity of houses like the “Del Mar” to the course helped drive sales. In 1978, the Palm Coast Golf Club became the home course of Ladies Professional Golf Association star Nancy Lopez, and, by 1979, Lopez was the resident touring pro for Palm Coast. The Palm Coast Golf Club was renamed The Palm Harbor Golf Club in 1981. The course was sold to the Centex Corporation in 2006 and the City of Palm Coast acquired it in 2007. The golf course remains a very important community resource.
Sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Costa