Palm
Beach Gardens began on March 20, 1959 when Florida insurance
magnate John D. MacArthur announced his plan to develop 4,000 acres
of prime dairy grazing land in North Palm Beach County.
Originally called Palm Beach City, Palm Beach Gardens was the fulfillment
of MacArthur's dream to create a beautiful "garden city"
where future generations of South Floridians could raise a family
and realize the American dream. He invested millions to create a
Palm Beach County community filled with placid waterways, rolling
terrain, magnificent mature pine and shade trees, and rich foliage.
Being a lover of trees, MacArthur instructed that city streets and
construction go around trees that had been growing for generations.
This proved to be quite expensive, but he insisted that this new
city work with nature - and not the other way around. Wanting to
ensure that Palm Beach Gardens had a variety of houses of worship
to serve residents of all faiths, MacArthur also instructed that
churches be the first buildings built in Palm Beach Gardens.
In 1964, Mr. MacArthur heard that the Professional Golfers Association
(PGA) was searching for a new location for their home offices and
golf courses. MacArthur donated more than $2,000,000 to the project
and in March 1965 the PGA clubhouse was completed.
Palm Beach Gardens is located 7 miles north of West
Palm Beach. Current land area is 54.23 square miles - making
it the largest land area in Palm Beach County! |
