Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The Delray Beach Hotel was constructed on this site in 1939. Engineered by William Victor Peterson and built by Taylor Construction, the Mediterranean style hotel featured a Cuban tile roof, high ceilings with exposed beams, and large glass windows for ocean views. Peterson, born in 1882 of Swedish descent, had farmed pineapples in Hawaii. Delray's similar climate and pineapple-growing heritage brought him to the area, where he entered Florida’s tourism industry. The Delray Beach Hotel and other contemporary establishments catered to a winter colony of wealthy, creative people. Peterson operated the hotel with his wife Margaret and son Robert during the tourist season. The family also owned the Northern Pine Lodge in Park Rapids, Minnesota, which they operated in the summer when the Delray Hotel was closed. In 1944, the hotel was sold to MacNab Hotels Inc. A restaurant added to the southwest side of the building in 1953 was designed by prominent Delray Beach architect, Samuel Ogren Sr. Berkshire-By-The-Sea was built on the original site of the Delray Beach Hotel in the early 1980s.