FIRST BOCA RATON MIZNER COTTAGE RECEIVES LANDMARK DESIGNATION

 

During the Florida land boom in 1925, Addison Mizner, famous for his opulent Palm Beach mansions, built a dozen “Mizner Cottages” for the middle class in Spanish Village, on NW 7^th and 8^th Streets between Boca Raton Boulevard and NW 3^rd Avenue.  Mizner had an incredible influence on Boca Raton architecture.

These houses are 850 sq ft while those built for the Mizner Development Corp. executives in Old Floresta, which was designated an historic district in 1990, were about 1200 sq.  

The Spanish Village homes were advertised for $7000 each, not an inexpensive amount by 1920’s standards.  These homes, often owned by professionals who worked for Mizner, repeated the details of the larger, more opulent homes.  Ceilings are pecky cypress, doorways are arched and roofs are barrel tile.

It took the owner of the newly designated landmark home in Spanish Village a year to go through the landmarking process.  They plan to add more modern conveniences to the interior.  Another owner said they were a challenge to maintain as there was no insulation, the foundation was aging and the electrical wiring was old.  Pretty wood floors indicate the foundation does not meet all the joists anymore.   

 Nevertheless, the love of living in a historic home continues.  It is possible that the 11 other Mizner Cottages could also get historic landmark status in time to come.

The Boca Raton Historical Society has information on Mizner’s architectural pursuits which changed the face of architecture in Boca Raton forever.  An interesting book about Addison Mizner is, “Boca Rococo: How Addison Mizner Invented Florida’s Gold Coast”.