Walking Tour: Golfview Road

Golfview Road

Development on the street began in 1921 when architect Marion Sims Wyeth designed two homes on the south side of Golfview Road, one for E. F. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post, the other for David H. McCullough.

Architect Marion Sims Wyeth and builder Harry Raymond Corwin formed The Golf View Road Development Company which was financed by E. F. Hutton. Mrs. Post felt that development would encourage “young marrieds” to move to the private street.

The new company began building small Mediterranean Revival style houses on alternating lots on the north side of the street. Property was purchased from Paris Singer’s Ocean and Lake Realty Company.

1 Golfview Road

2001 | Ames Bennett

Designed in 2001 by Ames Bennett, Villa Torre is a three-story Mediterranean –Style house with custom old-world stucco finish. The house design maintains the footprint of the original house. Under the Alhambra clay barrel tile roof is a Romeo and Juliet balcony. A unique feature to the house is a spectacular Mizner influenced observation tower with wet bar. In the rear of the house is a quarry key stone deck surrounding the pool. There are four bedrooms and five and a half baths. Beautiful blue and white Portuguese tiles are displayed throughout the dining room.

2 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 2/11/1997

Two Golfview Road was designed as a spec house in 1922. An ornate wrought iron gate supported by stuccoed pillars is at the front entrance. A brick walkway leads to a wood carved front door flanked by elongated multi-paned windows. The balcony above the entryway is set in a triangular pattern with three columns topped by sea shell capitals and connected by two molded arches and keystones. On the southwest façade is an exterior staircase leading to a roof top garden. The staircase is covered with decorative tiles from Los Manos Potteries, Inc. A Mission style bell tower is on the west elevation. The exterior of this house maintains much of the integrity of Wyeth’s original design.

3 Golfview Road

1954 | John Stetson

The two-story house was built in 1954 by the Stoner Building Company. The original owner was Martin McNally. The current house has three bedrooms and four baths.

4 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 5/13/1997

Four Golfview Road is an asymmetrical two-story Mediterranean Revival design. The front façade is L-shaped with the entry door positioned on the set-in corner. Rising behind and above the set-in corner is the polygonal tower. A stuccoed belt course distinguishes the first and second floors. A roof top garden was originally on a portion of the northwest portion of the roof.

The entry way was redone allowing natural light to flow in, showcasing a fresh new living room. An outside fireplace was an added feature which provides additional ambience. Complementing the home are the lush tropical gardens surrounding the home and repositioned swimming pool.

5 Golfview Road

1921 | Marion Sims Wyeth

Original architectural plans for 5 Golfview show a Mediterranean Revival house designed for D. H. McCulloch. During the 1930s and 1940s architects Maitland Belknaps and Marion Sims Wyeth made revisions. The façade was transformed into the Regency style of architecture, a variation of the Colonial Revival style. Details include the symmetrical front façade, a single paneled door and simple arched pediment.

6 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 3/11/1997

The Golf View Road Development Company built a two-story house on Lot #6 for approximately $14,000 in 1922. Charles E. F. McCann purchased the residence by 1924. From 1924 to 1929 the McCanns commissioned architect Wyeth to make additions which doubled the size of the residence. The McCanns named the house “El Azulejo” which means bluish glazed tile. The current owners maintain the architectural integrity of this exceptional home on Golfview Road.

8 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | DEMOLISHED

“Casa Pequena” which means “Little House” was built in 1922 for Dr. and Mrs. Edmund Leroy Dow. The two-story Mediterranean Revival style house was constructed of hollow clay tile. The exterior was covered with rough cast stucco. The front façade had 8/8 sash windows with unusual vertical 2/2 sash side panels. This window configuration was repeated along the east elevation second story. The garden was once dubbed the most interesting garden in Palm Beach and featured a magnificent specimen tree labeled “Tree of Gold.”

9 Golfview Road

1928 | Clark J. Lawrence | Designated 6/10/1997

Built in 1928 for Mrs. Edward D. Stairs as a two-story Monterey-style, this house recently underwent substantial renovations emphasizing its Spanish Colonial design. The grand double story living room is complemented by the stone fireplace and pecky cypress ceilings. This walled property has been made resilient to rising waters through the installation of passive flood gates at the front and rear of the property, the first property in Palm Beach to do so.

10 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 2/11/1997

This multi-level Mediterranean Revival Style house was built by Wyeth in 1922 for George H. and Bella Nicolai. Bella’s sister Mrs. Edward D. Stairs lived next door at 9 Golfview Road. They frequently exchanged residences during the season. The house is constructed of hollow clay tile and covered with rough cast stucco. The single front entrance door is found on an unusual L-shaped front façade. The south façade has a full-length bay window topped by a metal roof with decorative scalloped trim, this addition was added in 1956 by John Volk. In 1985 Ames Bennett made some additional renovations, keeping in mind the integrity of the original design.

12 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 3/12/1991

Marion Sims Wyeth designed 12 Golfview Road for prominent New York stockbroker Jay F. Carlisle in 1922. When Wyeth designed the homes on Golfview Road he retained a lot between each property so that owners could expand their original homes and gardens. Such was the case with 12 Golfview Road. Mr. Carlisle commissioned Wyeth to design an addition with loggias, terraced gardens, tiled floors and cut-stone decorations. The villa had towers and bells – the house name Las Campanas. In 1949 the building was divided into two separate residences, the blocking in of the loggia wall of 15 Golfview distinguishes the visible separation between these two homes. The bell stayed with 12 Golfview and the name with 15 Golfview Road.

15 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 3/12/1991

Marion Sims Wyeth designed 12 Golfview Road for prominent New York stockbroker Jay F. Carlisle in 1922. Mr. Carlisle commissioned Wyeth to design an addition with loggias, terraced gardens, tiled floors and cutstone decorations. The home’s name Las Campanas derives from the bells located in the towers. In 1949 the building was divided into two separate residences; the blocking in of the loggia wall of 15 Golfview distinguishes the visible separation between these two homes. The bell stayed with 12 Golfview and the name with 15 Golfview Road. In 2002, an artful restoration of Las Campanas received the Preservation Foundation’s Ballinger Award.

14 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 6/10/1991

14 Golfview Road was once part of 16 Golfview Road, Clarence Geist’s residence. Belford Shoumate oversaw the separation and renovations in1948. See 16 Golfview Road.

16 Golfview Road

1922 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 5/14/1996

Clarence H. Geist contracted Marion Sims Wyeth in 1924 to design a house next to the Everglades Club. The family named the home La Claridad, meaning clearness or clarity. The Geists furnished their home with beautiful European antiques. Stone steps lead to the prominent front entrance of intricately carved double doors. The ornate door surround has staggered quoins of smooth cut stone and a low relief sculpture with festoons and shields. To the west is a three-story tower with casement windows, cast stone sills, stone columns and a rustic cypress lintel. The home is currently undergoing an extensive restoration that will be featured in an upcoming documentary.

17 Golfview Road

1921 | Marion Sims Wyeth | Designated 5/13/1997

Edward J. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post decided to build a winter retreat on secluded Golfview Road in 1921. Soon after they moved into “little hearth” they needed more space for house guests. The Huttons asked Marion Sims Wyeth to design an addition which made the home more conducive for entertaining. Not long afterwards they needed even more space and moved about a mile south to build Mar-A-Lago. Mr. Hutton’s brother and family moved in and lived there for many years. From Golfview Road, Hogarcito appears to be a very conservative cottage. Once inside the space subtly unfolds and the rambling structure opens revealing a gracious home for living and entertaining. The house is a special place that represents old Palm Beach.

19 Golfview Road

1938 | Maurice Fatio | Designated 5/13/1997

This important 1938 Fatio house reflects the impact of the Great Depression on Palm Beach architecture. This house, an outstanding example of Monterey style, incorporates architectural elements of both English Colonial and Creole French sensitivities/design, e.g., the cantilevered balcony covered by the main roof. This residence blends superbly with the surrounding houses creating an architecturally integrated neighborhood. Fatio positioned the house to provide a spectacular panoramic vista of the Everglades Club golf course.

About the Architects

Ames Bennett 1921-2013

Ames Bennett was born in Tallahassee, Florida on February 14, 1921 and grew up in Fort Pierce. He attended Marion Military Institute in Alabama and is a member of the class of 1945 U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Bennett received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Florida in 1950 and returned to his wife’s hometown, West Palm Beach, Florida. He worked for Treanor & Fatio as draftsman/ designer for his internship and from Paul Kohler’s office applied for Florida licensure as an architect. In 1953 he opened his own office at 361 South County Road and has spent the remainder of his career designing a wide variety of buildings in the Town of Palm Beach and other Florida communities. Ames was commissioned to design many of the Regency style of homes in Palm Beach. Among his accomplishments include partnering in the design of the original buildings of Florida Atlantic University and the 1965 Palm Beach International Airport terminal complex.

Maurice Fatio 1897-1943

Maurice Fatio was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and studied architecture under Karl Moser at the Zurich Polytechnica. After graduating in 1920, Fatio came to America and apprenticed with Harrie T. Lindeberg, a prominent New York architect of Norman- and English-style country houses. In 1921, Fatio formed a partnership with William A. Treanor. In 1923 they were asked to be the architects for the Olympia Beach development, now known as Jupiter Island. The following year Fatio opened an office in Palm Beach and moved into the Oasis Club. Fatio’s many commissions for houses and commercial buildings in Palm Beach were based on his reputation in New York, as well as his charm, good looks, and European manner. In Florida, Fatio worked in many diverse styles including Mediterranean Revival, Georgian, and British Colonial. The Reef, his Art-Deco home in Palm Beach, earned a gold medal in 1937 at the Paris Exposition.

Clark J. Lawrence 1891-1954

Clark J. Lawrence was born in New York State in 1891. He received his architectural training at Cornell University, graduating in 1913. While attending college and immediately afterwards he worked for Charles A. Platt, Architect in New York then Trobridge & Ackerman, Architects also of New York. During WWI he rose to rank of Major in US Army’s Field Artillery. After the war he formed a partnership with architect George Gray in New Haven CT. In 1925 “Major” Lawrence come to West Palm Beach to participate in the land boom. He opened a practice out of the Potter Building in West Palm Beach and moved quickly into the Palm Beach social circles. He designed the North Fire Station in Palm Beach as well as several public schools and commercial buildings throughout Palm Beach County. At the age of 38 he married and moved to Hubbard Woods, IL. This terminated a blossoming architectural career in Palm Beach.

John Stetson 1915-1986

John Stetson was born in Ft. Pierce, FL and attended the School of Architecture at University of Florida. He withdrew for financial reasons but immediately worked for architect Lester W. Geisler in Palm Beach until 1941.During WWII he worked as a designer for the U.S. Army Engineers in Trinidad and later enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the War he worked for designer Norman Frank Six in Tampa. In 1947 he became a licensed architect and opened an office on Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach and later at 249 Peruvian Avenue in Palm Beach where he practiced his profession the rest of his life. John was designated a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1963. He was a prolific designer and his practice included up-scale residences in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, public schools and commercial buildings. He was 71 when he died.

Marion Sims Wyeth 1889-1982

Marion Sims Wyeth was born in New York City, the son of a prominent surgeon and political activist. He graduated from Princeton in 1910, spent four years in Paris at the L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and one year in Rome as secretary to the American Ambassador. When he arrived in Palm Beach in 1919, his first large commission was Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, the first hospital in the county. The residences he designed in Palm Beach show a strong blend of Italian influences, especially in their courtyards and gardens. Later in his career he designed homes in a Southern Colonial style. Wyeth’s houses can be found on almost every street in Palm Beach. His largest Palm Beach house was the residence for James F. Donahue, just north of Mar-A-Lago. While Joseph Urban is credited with Mar-A-Lago, it was Wyeth’s association with the project as co-architect that brought it to completion. Among his other notable commissions are the Rectory of Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, the Florida Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee, the Norton Gallery of Art in West Palm Beach, and Doris Duke’s Shangri-la in Hawaii. Wyeth was the first Palm Beach architect to be elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

About PFPB

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage and the unique scenic quality of the Town of Palm Beach. Through advocacy initiatives, educational programs, architectural resources, and cultural events, the Foundation’s goal is to encourage the community to learn about and save the historic sites that truly make Palm Beach special.

Over the past 40 years, the Preservation Foundation has undertaken numerous projects throughout the island that protect the heritage and enhance the beauty of Palm Beach. Millions of dollars of have been raised to restore historic resources like Sea Gull Cottage, Town Hall, and Bradley Park. Projects such as Pan’s Garden have fostered a deeper appreciation for the island’s botanical heritage. Along with special exhibitions and publications that advance scholarship in the history of Palm Beach, the Preservation Foundation offers educational programs that serve 6,000 students annually.