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In the 1920s, Delray was known as “The Ocean City” and many businesses had the same name,
including the lumber company and obviously the local garage.

The Bijou Theatre on Atlantic Ave c. 1920s

Delray’s first theater was the Bijou, later named the Roxy. First run movies were screened in
this building on Atlantic Avenue for decades, one block east of Swinton Avenue.

Dixie Highway Near The Hofman Homesite c. 1910s

Adolf Hofman’s farmhouse was a few blocks north of Atlantic Avenue, just east of Dixie
Highway, the only road from West Palm Beach to Miami. This photo was taken in front of the
Hofman home with a view to the north, the “highway” to Boynton Beach five miles away.

Flag Raising at The Delray School (Now Cornell Museum) c. 1913

The Delray School, built in 1913, became The Cornell Art Museum in 1990. It is located on the
Old School Square campus at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton Avenue.

Henry Sterling’s Delray Canning Company c. 1910s

First a full-time operation for shipping pineapples (up to ten railroad freight cars per day), the
Delray Canning Company also shipped canned pineapples, tomatoes and other produce to
markets nationwide.

Atlantic Avenue Looking West Through Downtown

A Pioneer Family Arriving at The Beach c. 1900s

Before automobiles, families would travel to the beach in Delray with a horse and buggy. This
photo was taken at Atlantic Avenue and the oceanfront before any streets were paved.

Chase & Co Tomatoes on a Merchant Wagon c. 1900s

The first decade of farming in Delray saw the transition from mostly pineapple farms to more
successful tomato crops. This wagon is loaded past capacity with crates of tomatoes. The
Snider Catsup Company later opened a plant in Delray.

Black wool “bathing costumes” were the only option for people to enter the Atlantic Ocean in
Delray’s early days. Then as now, and thanks to the Gulf Stream current, the water temperature
never dips below 70 degrees.

High School Girls on Atlantic Ave Bridge c. 1920s

After the Atlantic Avenue bridge was constructed in 1911, it allowed easy access to the beach.
These girls wearing their Delray High School uniforms posed for the photographer on the
bridge.

After the first group of farmers bought land and planted crops, the Delray area quickly became
the agricultural capital of South Florida. This was the first packing house in the area, owned by
Henry Sterling.

Arriving in Delray when she was just three months old, Annie Hofman became an iconic figure
in the area. She produced her father’s award-winning produce displays at the annual fair and
was one of the first schoolteachers in Delray. This photo was taken at Sundy Farms, about five
miles west of Delray.

The Orange Grove House of Refuge was the first building in the area in 1876 and was used by
the “Barefoot Mailman” for his overnight rests while delivering mail up and down South
Florida’s coast. The US Lifesaving Services built 5 refuges along Florida’s coast as shelters for
shipwrecked sailors. Its name comes from the Orange Grove Haulover, the first “place name”
in the area, where a sour orange grove was located and where native Indigenous peoples would haul their canoes between Indian Creek and the Ocean.

Considered the oldest home in Delray Beach, the Sundy House was home to John Sundy, who was mayor of Delray four separate times. It is a Queen Anne style home and was completely restored in 2025 as part of the “Sundy Village” development. The original home, built before electric power came to Delray, included a windmill and water tower.

Built in 1902 by John Shaw Sundy, the first mayor of Delray Beach, the Sundy House is the
oldest house in the city. It was built on the highest land in the area, which was then covered
with pineapple groves. The house is made of Dade County pine and has a solid wood frame.

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Pioneers

Fourth of July Parade on Atlantic Avenue c. 1944

This 1944 Fourth of July photo shows uniformed servicemen viewing the fire engine leading the
parade. At the time, there was a road adjacent to the bridge, where the fire truck is turning.
When a larger bridge was built, that road was eliminated.

The Colony Hotel on Atlantic Avenue c. 1950s

“The Colony,” built during the Land Boom of the 1920s, is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. It has its original furnishings in the lobby and is visited by many to view the
historic photos in the original dining room.

The Alterep Hotel, now the Colony Hotel c. 1920s

One of the oldest photos of this iconic Delray Beach hotel.

Florida East Coast Railway Depot c. 1940s

Built by Henry Flagler in 1894 as his railway first connected all of South Florida, the railway
station is now the oldest building in Delray Beach. It is owned by the Delray Beach Historical
Society and is located just north of Atlantic Avenue. The original location as shown in this
photo was immediately south of Atlantic Avenue, on the east side of the tracks.

Arcade Tap Room on Atlantic Avenue c. 1940

Built in 1926 by Adolf Hofman and designed by iconic local architect Samuel Ogren, Sr.,
considered The Father of Delray Architecture, The Arcade Building was home to many artists,
resulting Delray being known as an art colony. They included nationally known illustrators and
cartoonists. The Arcade Tap Room later became the most famous Delray Beach restaurant and
lounge, hosting celebrities from around the world.

This photo was taken just east of the bridge, looking to the east. The royal palm trees were a
fixture on Atlantic Avenue until it was widened. 100-year-old royal palms still line Seabreeze
Avenue, two blocks east of the bridge.

Photo taken in the center of Delray, looking to the west.

Many years before Atlantic Avenue was paved, it was a dirt path to the ocean. It was located
here because of a stone wall and orange grove just to the south. The origins of both are
unknown.

Atlantic Avenue at Military Trail c. 1950

This photo by T.P. Wyatt shows the intersection with no businesses whatsoever. In 1950 the
intersection was in the middle of cow pastures and farm fields. At the time, US-1, Military Trail
and 441 were the only north-south roads in the area.

Photo taken at the corner of US-1 and Atlantic Avenue. The Cromer Building is on the left, and
is still in use more than 100 years later.

Downtown Delray

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Delray was one of the first East Coast locations where surfing became popular. These lifeguards posed for photos with their boards on a flat calm day, but in 1964 on a good surfing day, there were often more than 100 surfers in the ocean at the same time. Surfing was almost outlawed the same year, since hotels did not want the beaches monopolized by local youth at the expense of space for wealthy tourists.

"America's Winter Polo Capital" was a title for Delray Beach in the 1940s and 1950s.  Sunday tournaments included the best polo players in the world, including local icon Stewart Iglehart, world famous polo star.  The polo fields were located on A1A a mile north of Delray Beach, in the town of Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream Polo Fields were just one mile north of Delray Beach on A1A in the town of Gulf Stream, making Delray Beach the hub of America's winter polo culture.

These “Jack Crevalle” fish are one of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean, so these Delray
Beach anglers were obviously proud of their catch.

In the 1940s, ocean fishing included fishing for grouper on the offshore reefs.

Recreation

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Ocean Rescue Headquarters in the 1940s was located at the foot of Atlantic Avenue, with the
lifeguard captain housed above the municipal pool overlooking the ocean.

Several homes and businesses in the area had windmills and even water towers before
electricity became available. These girls posed on the windmill during the first decade of
settlement here.

This anchor was salvaged from a 1700s sailing ship wrecked a few miles south of Delray
Beach. It is now in Anchor Park at the south end of the beach.

Delray Beach hosted numerous beauty pageants in the 1950s.  These contestants happily pose on a lifeguard stand for a publicity photo.

Strolling along the beach or sitting in the sun has always been a favorite passtime in Delray
Beach.

Tourists have flocked to Delray Beach for more than 100 years, and the beach has always been
the number one attraction for visitors and residents.

Boating on the Intracoastal Waterway c. 1950s

Delray’s marina and yacht clubs just south of the Atlantic Avenue bridge have hosted all kinds
of pleasure and fishing boats for more than 100 years.

Not only was the pool popular for residents and tourists, but it was also home to the high
school swim teams and diving teams. It was located at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and A1A.

In the 1950s Delray Beach experienced the second “land boom” and thousands of people
moved to the area. Delray’s mile long beach, originally donated for public use, became a draw
for everyone.

Even after Delray Beach experienced serious hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, the beach still did
not erode significantly. Only after the Boynton Inlet disrupted the normal flow of sand did it
become necessary to dredge and fill the beach from offshore.

The Delray Beach Historical Society Photo Ordering

The Delray Beach Historical Society Photo Ordering

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