The Historical Society of Lake Worth was organized in 2016 to preserve the history of Jewell and Lake Worth, Florida. The Society operates on memberships, donations, fundraising, and grants. Recognized as 501(c)3 educational non-profit by the IRS, donations to the Society are tax deductible.
The mission of the Historical Society of Lake Worth is to preserve the history of Jewell and Lake Worth; to encourage historical preservation of significant structures; to conduct research for questions submitted to the Society; to research important topics of local history and document the findings for future researchers.
The primary means of presenting historical topics is through programs offered monthly in season in person or via Zoom. Since our inception over 25 programs have included a wide variety of topics such as Addison Mizner, the Gulf Stream Hotel, the Barefoot Mailman, and Native Americans of the region.
The other method of sharing history is through papers written and published on our website. Some of the papers produced so far include: The History of the Gulf Stream Hotel, Oldest Houses of Lake Worth, Artists in the Lake Worth Beach Public Library, and Layman’s Guide to Archaeology of Lake Worth.
The Society also undertakes projects with other groups to bring history more into the public eye. We have concentrated on little known parts of Jewell history. Relying heavily on Ted Brownstein and his book Pioneers of Jewell, the Society commissioned a historic mural of the homestead of Samuel and Fannie James. It is a vivid, colorful ceramic tile installation by Tracy Rosof-Petersen at the picnic pavilion at South Bryant Park. The mural was funded by a grant through the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. In cooperation with the Historic Preservation Division of the Florida Department of State, the Society wrote a proposal for a historic marker to document the location of the first Jewell Post Office where Fannie James was the postmaster. The marker was approved and the total cost was raised by Society members and friends of the Society.
If being a part of an organization that treasures bringing forth and sharing Lake Worth history is who you are, join us. We welcome new members and always need people willing to dig into history and find little known stories.