33-The DeWitt EstateORDINANCE NO. 71-04
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, DESIGNATING
THE DEWITT ESTATE, LOCATED AT 1110 NORTH
SWINTON AVENUE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED HEREIN, AS A LOCAL HISTORIC SITE;
PROVIDING FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE "ZONING
MAP OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, JULY, 2004";
PROVIDING A GENERAL REPEALER CLAUSE, A
SAVING CLAUSE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Section 4.5.1 of the Land Development Regulations of the Code of Ordinances
of the City of Delray Beach provides for the designation and protection of historic sites; and
WHEREAS, John L. and Janet S. Page, as property owners, have nominated the property
described herein to be designated as a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Delray Beach held a duly
noticed public hearing in regard to the designation of the property as a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, on November 3, 2004, the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Delray
Beach recommended 7 to 0 that the property described herein be designated a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach adopts the findings in the
Planning and Zoning Staff Report; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach finds the ordinance is
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach has conducted a duly noticed
public hearing in regard to the designation of the property described herein as a local historic site.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DELRA Y BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That the recitations set forth above are incorporated herein.
Section 2. That the following described property in the City of Delray Beach, Florida, is
hereby designated as a local historic site in accordance with and under the provisions of Section
4.5.1 of the Land Development Regulations of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, to-wit:
The East 365.69 feet of Lot 8 (less the West 40.00 feet of the South 20.00 feet of said East
365.69 feet of Lot 8) Subdivision of South half of East half of Lot 8, Section 8, Township 46
South, Range 43 East, according to the Plat thereof, as recorded in Plat Book 16, Page 80, of
the Public Records of Palm Beach County, Florida.
Section 3. That the Planning Director of said City shall, upon the effective date of this
ordinance, amend the Zoning Map of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, to show the historic
designation, in an overlay manner.
Section 4. That all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith be, and the same
are hereby repealed.
Section 5. That should any section or provision of this ordinance or any portion thereof,
any paragraph, sentence, or word be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder hereof as a whole or part thereof other than
the part declared to be invalid.
Section 6. That this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon passage on second
and final reading.
PASSED AND ADOPTED in re~r session on second and final reading on this the
I... day of ~~j ,2005..
Rl~ATTEST
o \). ~'~~-"J
City Clerk
First Reading "Q\ U. \ \)<\-
Second Reading \ \A. ~
2 ORD NO. 71-04
MEMORANDUM
FROM:
MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS
CITY MANAGER ~
AGENDA ITEM # \Cç::: - REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 4.. 2005
ORDINANCE NO. 71-04 (DESIGNATING THE DEWITT ESTATE AS
LOCAL HISTORIC SITE)
TO:
SUBJECT:
DATE:DECEMBER 30, 2004
This ordinance is before Commission for second reading and second public hearing to designate The
DeWitt Estate, 1110 North Swinton Avenue, located between N.W. 11th Street and N.W. 12th Street
on the west side of North Swinton Avenue, to the Local RegÎster of Historic Places.
The subject residence was desÎgned by noted architect, Gustav Mass, in what was termed, ''Virginia
Colonial Farmhouse Style". The R.C. Lawson contracting firm completed construction of the house
on the associated property in 1936 for Marshall and Jeanette Butts DeWitt, and the structure remains
architecturally sound. The DeWitt's have made several contributions to Delray Beach. Mr. DeWitt
served as both a City Commissioner and Mayor, and helped create the Lake Worth Drainage District
among other services. The structure is outside the boundaries of the five (5) existing historic districts.
The residence is unique and would be a good addition to the Local RegÎster of Historic Places;
presendy there are 27 individually listed properties.
The DeWitt Estate is being considered for listing in the Local RegÎster of Historic Places for historical
significance under the criteria listed in Land Development Regulations (LDR) Sections 4.5.1 (B) (2) (a)
and (c) (Criteria for Designation of Historic Sites or Districts) as the residence was that of one of
Delray Beach's foremost residents, who was politically and socially active in the community and
helped found a continuing institution which has contributed substantially to the life of the City. The
dwelling can also be desÎgnated under the criteria listed in LDR Section 4.5.1 (B) (3) (c), as the structure
is an outstanding work of a prominent architect.
The Historic Preservation Board considered the historic designation at a public hearing on November
3, 2004. There was no public testimony. The Board voted 7-0 to recommend to the City
Commission approval to list The DeWitt Estate (1110 North Swinton Avenue) in the Local RegÎster
of Historic Places
At the first reading on December 6, 2004, the City Commission passed Ordinance No. 71-04.
Recommend approval of Ordinance No. 71-04 on second and final reading.
S:\City Clerk\agenda memos\Ord 71-04 Historic Designation DeWitt Estate.Ol.04.05
TO: DAVID T. HARDEN, CITY MANAGER
THROUGH: JEFFREY A. COSTEllO, ACTING DIR 0 Pl NING AND ZONING
FROM: ROBERT G. TEFFT, SENIOR PLANNER12~:J-(~j ~¡
SUBJECT: MEETING OF DECEMBER 6, 2004
REQUEST TO INDIVIDUAllY liST THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1110 NORTH
SWINTON AVENUE ~WEST SIDE OF NORTH SWINTON AVENUE BETWEEN NW 11TH
STREET AND NW 12 H STREET) TO THE LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
I'~!;:" .' . . . -. BACKGROUND I ANALYSIS
1CITYCOMMISSIONDOCUMENTATION
The subject residence was designed by the noted architect, Gustav Mass, in what was termed, "Virginia
Colonial Farmhouse Style." The R.C. Lawson contracting firm completed construction of the house on
the associated property in 1936 for Marshall and Jeanette Butts DeWitt, and the structure remains
architecturally sound to this day. The DeWitt's themselves made several contributions to Delray Beach.
Specifically, Mr. DeWitt served as both a City Commissioner and Mayor, and helped create the Lake
Worth Drainage District among other services. The structure is outside the boundaries of the five
existing historic districts; however it is located within the boundaries of the proposed Northwest Swinton
Avenue Historic District. The residence is unique and would be a good addition to the Local Register of
Historic Places as an individually listed property. Presently there are 27 individually listed properties.
The residence at 1110 North Swinton Avenue is being considered for listing in the Local Register of
Historic Places for historical significance under the criteria listed in Land Development Regulations (LOR)
Sections 4.5.1 (B) (2) (a) and (c), as the residence was that of one of Delray Beach's foremost residents,
who was politically and socially active in the community and helped found a continuing institution which
has contributed substantially to the life of the City. The dwelling can also be designated under the
criteria listed in LOR Section 4.5.1 (B) (3) (c), as the structure is an outstanding work of a prominent
architect. Additional information concerning the proposed individual designation can be found in the
attached Designation Report.
r' ." ' . .. . '. . r .n.._ _ ...._._.._._. .. . _.....__... . ___.. . ..__... "'_'__'.')
HISTÒRIC PRESERVATION BOARD CONSIDERATION
At its meeting of October 20, 2004, the HPB set a public hearing date of November 3, 2004, to discuss
the proposed designation and provide a recommendation to the City Commission for the individual
historic property listing. On November 3, 2004, the HPB voted unanimously (7-0) to forward a
recommendation of approval to the City Commission to list the DeWitt Estate (1110 North Swinton
Avenue) in the Local Register of Historic Places.
I' . .RECOMMENDATIOÑ----·-·-..·-- - -...--..-....-. ......--..--....- ---')
Move approval on first reading of Ordinance No. 71-04 that the residence and associated property at
1110 North Swinton Avenue (The DeWitt Estate) be listed in the Local Register of Historic Places, by
adopting the findings of fact and law contained in the staff report, and finding that the request and
approval thereof is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and Sections 4.5.1 (B) (3) and 4.5.1 (C) of the
Land Development Regulations.
Attachments: Ordinance No. 71-04 and Designation Report
0<2,
ORDINANCE NO. 71-04
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, DESIGNATING
THE DEWITT ESTATE, LOCATED AT 1110 NORTH
SWINTON AVENUE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED HEREIN, AS A LOCAL HISTORIC SITE;
PROVIDING FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE "ZONING
MAP OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, JULY, 2004";
PROVIDING A GENERAL REPEALER CLAUSE, A
SAVING CLAUSE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Section 4.5.1 of the Land Development Regulations of the Code of Ordinances
of the City of Delray Beach provides for the designation and protection of historic sites; and
WHEREAS, John Land Janet S. Page, as property owners, have nominated the property
described herein to be designated as a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Delray Beach held a duly
noticed public hearing in regard to the designation of the property as a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, on November 3, 2004, the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Delray
Beach recommended 7 to 0 that the property described herein be designated a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach adopts the findings in the
Planning and Zoning Staff Report; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach finds the ordinance is
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach has conducted a duly noticed
public hearing in regard to the designation of the property described herein as a local historic site.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DELRA Y BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOlLOWS:
Section 1. That the recitations set forth above are incorporated herein.
Section 2. That the following described property in the City of Delray Beach, Florida, is
hereby designated as a local historic site in accordance with and under the provisions of Section
4.5.1 of the Land Development Regulations of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, to-wit:
The East 365.69 feet of Lot 8 (less the West 40.00 feet of the South 20.00 feet of
said East 365.69 feet of Lot 8) Subdivision of South half of East half of Lot 8,
Section 8, Township 46 South, Range 43 East, according to the Plat thereof, as
recorded in Plat Book 16, Page 80, of the Public Records of Palm Beach County,
Florida.
Section 3. That the Planning Director of said City shall, upon the effective date of this
ordinance, amend the Zoning Map of the City of Dekay Beach, Florida, to show the historic
designation, in an overlay manner.
Section 4. That all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith be, and the same
are hereby repealed.
Section 5. That should any section or provision of this ordinance or any portion thereof,
any paragraph, sentence, or word be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder hereof as a whole or part thereof other than
the part declared to be invalid.
Section 6. That this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon passage on second
and final reading.
PASSED AND ADOPTED in regular session on second and final reading on this the
day of , 200_.
ATTEST MAYOR
City Clerk
First Reading
Second Reading
2 ORD NO. 71-04
Designation Report
Historic Preservation Board
Delray Beach, Florida
The DeWitt Estate
Table of Contents
I. General Information
II. Location Map
III. Architectural Significance
IV. Historical and Cultural Significance
V. Statement of Significance
VI. Bibliography and Sources
Report Prepared by:
Janet S. Page
1110 North Swinton Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida 33444
August 27,2004
I. General Information
Address: 1110 North Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444
Legal Description: Sub 8-46-43, S ~ ofE ~ of Lot 8, E 356.69 ft of Lot 8 / Less S 20 ft ofW 40 ft
Present Zoning: Single Family Residential (R-l-AA)
Classification for Designation: Cultural and Architectural Significance
II. Location Map
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DeWitt Estate
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III. Architectural Sie:nificance
The house was designed in 1935 by the noted architect, Gustav Mass, in what was termed, "Virginia
Colonial Farmhouse Style." The R.C. Lawson contracting firm built the house on a large piece of
property facing Swinton Avenue. The original piece of land went west all the way back to Lake Ida. The
house was completed in 1936 as the DeWitt's residence.
IV. Historical and Cultural Sie:nificance
The history of the DeWitt family in Delray Beach begins in 1928. Marshall DeWitt and Jeanette Butts
graduated together from Palm Beach High School in 1925. Mr. DeWitt went on to the University of
Florida to study agriculture and Miss Butts attended Florida State University. They were married in 1929
and settled in Delray Beach where Mr. DeWitt became of prominent farmer. His farm was on West
Atlantic Avenue and U.S. 441.
Jeanette Butts DeWitt was a Florida native and from a Boca Raton pioneering family. Her father, August
Butts, moved his family to Palm Beach County in 1909 from Fort Lauderdale where Jeanette was born.
A good portion of present day Boca Raton was part of Butts Farms, Inc.
The DeWitt's contributed so much to Delray Beach for over 60 years, finally coming to an end with the
deaths of Marshall and Jeanette in 1993. Their legacy to the community is great. Many innovations in
farming techniques which will benefit agriculture for years to come, including new methods of irrigation,
were developed by the Butts/DeWitt partnership. Mr. DeWitt's establishment of stable banking practices
in the Depression era made possible the economic stability of the growing community. His years of
service to the City of Delray Beach as a Commissioner and Mayor, to the Lake Worth Drainage District
which he helped create and to the Delray Kiwanis Club were very valuable. Jeanette DeWitt's service to
the Girl Scouts, the Delray Beach Library Board, where she worked tirelessly to improve the Library's
programs for children, the Delray Beach Garden Club she helped to found and Cason Methodist Church
where she taught.
V. Statement of Sie:nificance
The DeWitt's made generous donations to many local organizations including Old School Square and the
Delray Beach Historical Society. Before their deaths, they made the important decision to leave their
beautiful home to Old School Square. In March, 1995, the DeWitt Home and Gardens Showcase honored
the many contributions of this distinguished couple to the life of Delray Beach. They were modest people
who never desired recognition of their contributions. It is long overdue that this wonderful family gets
the recognition that their home and lives gave to others and this City.
VI. Biblioe:raphv and Sources
See attached.
The
DeWitt
Family.
f
Delra y~~ach:
1928 .:
By WILLIAM M. POSEY
he history of the DeWitt fam-
ily in Delray Beach, 1928-
1993 is, in a sense, the hist(}-
ry of the community itself,
for few citizens of the
Village by the Sea" played a
more significant role in the life and growth of
the community in those vital fonnative years
than Marshall and Jeannette DeWitt.
Dekay Beach was certainly a small vil-
lage when Marshall DeWitt left the University
of Horida to come here in 1928 and seek his
livelihood, It was not an auspicious time for a
young man to start his career in that area. Two
years earlier, the devastating hunicane of 1926
had ended the "Great Horida Land Boom" and
the following fall of 1929 saw the collapse of
the stock market and the beginning of the
Great Depression of the 1930s. Billy DeWitt
notes that his dad always had an interest in
accounting, finance and banking, but as he put
it, "in the 1930s, you had to eat," and thus it
was that in those early years, Marshall DeWitt
became a fanner.
The story of Marshall DeWitt's years as
a prominent fanner in Palm Beach County is
connected to the history of his wife's family
and the early association between his father
and Jeannette DeWitt's father, August H.
Butts. The Butts family came to South
Florida in 1909. August hailed from Lake
County, FL, where he was born in 1884. He
married Natalie Swanson of Mt. Dora after a
courtship which involved his often riding 70
miles on his bicycle from Onnond Beach to
Mt. Dora. After their marriage, August and
Natalie Butts came to Palm Beach County
and started their family.
Jeannette Butts was born in Ft.
Lauderdale in 1907 and eventually attended
Palm Beach High School. It was there that she
met her husband-to-be, Marshall De Witt.
Marshall had been born in 1908 in Duluth,
MN, but his family had eventually migrated to
South Horida. He and Jeannette both graduat-
ed from Palm Beach High School in 1925,
Marshall going on to Gainesville and Jeannette
to Horida State, where she graduated in 1929,
the same year she and Marshall were married.
Florida State was then a woman's college.)
The association of the Butts and the
DeWitt families went back to the 19208 when
the elder DeWitt and August Butts both
worked for the Hammond Development
Company west of Pompano Beach in what
was known then as Hammondville and is now
Margate. There were four Butts children,
Harold, Clarence, Jeannette and Myrtle.
Eventually, after Marshall De Witt married
Jeannette and the younger daughter, Myrtle,
married Tom Heming, the two sons and sons-
in-law were all involved in extensive fanning
west of Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
Marshall DeWitt and his brother-in-law,
Clarence Butts, were helped by their respec-
tive fathers to establish a fann west of Delray
Beach, where route 441 meets West Atlantic
A venue. Mr. Jimmy Love remembers that
before Marshall and Clarence married their
respective wives, they kept bachelor quarters
upstairs over the old Love's Drug Store on
Atlantic A venue. Mr. Love and Harold Butts
were roommates at The University of Horida
and both played basketball for Gainesville.
Marshall DeWitt and Clarence Butts
farmed the West Delray property until the
early 1950s and then, for a time, it was con-
verted into a ranch for cattle. Ranchers from
Harvesting vegetables-green peppers and green beans.
First National Bank of Delray, later Sun Bank
North Horida would bring cattle in for a peri-
od of time to fatten them up. Nick Sloan and
Billy DeWitt remember working there as boys
when they had the unpleasant job of treating
the cattle for screw wonn, a plague that veteri-
nary science has now eliminated. By the mid-
1950s, the Delray property was given up,
because August Butts needed all the help the
family could give him in managing their huge
holdings west of Boca Raton.
A good portion of present day Boca
Raton was part of Butts Fanns, Inc. An area
from the ocean to the El Rio Canal, and from
Palmetto Park Road northward was originally
a pineapple plantation, and the area which is
now various neighborhoods, particularly
Royal Oak Hills, was a bird sanctuary which
aL
e
Jeanette and Marshall DeWitt
Coconut palms after a storm.
DEWITT HOME AND GARDENS SHOWCASE /1995
THE DEWITT FAl'vllLY AND DEL RAY BEACH: 1918 - 1993
the family owned, but on which Mr. Butts did
no fanning. The family owned 3,500 acres to
the west, and Billy DeWitt remembers when
some of this land was cleared for farming,
whole areas were set afire, from Palmetto Park
Road all the way north to 51 st Street.
Thousands of rattlesnakes and other animals
fled the burning brush.
When all members of the family were
concentrating their efforts on the West Boca
farmland, Harold Butts was his father's partner
in the enterprise, Tom Fleming handled
finances and sales, Clarence Butts was in
charge of itrigation and Marshall DeWitt was
in charge of planting, harvesting, packing and
payroll. August Butts had great feeling for
native Florida pine trees, and hated to see them
taken down. As a result, tractors often went
around the trees for planting, and it was
thought that the wannth of the trees and their
needles helped protect crops. In the slow times
of the year, produce other than beans were
tried, including even peaches and sweet pota-
toes. Marshall DeWitt and the Butts family
fanned on land along Glades Road from the
Seaboard tracks west to the turnpike until the
late 1960s when they began to sell off their
West Boca properties for development. Today,
all the Butts land has been sold and developed.
As the fanning era was coming to a close
in South Palm Beach County, Marshall
DeWitt turned his attention more to other
interests in the Delray Beach area. He was a
member of the Board of Directors and later
Chainnan of the Board of the First National
Bank of Delray Beach. Branches were later
established at Linton and Federal Highway
and on Atlantic Avenue west of Military Trail.
Mr. DeWitt remained active in the bank even
after it was sold to Sun Bank. In addition to his
banking interests, he was active in the local
Kiwanis Club and in the city government. He
was a member of the City Commission of
DeIray Beach, and was elected mayor, serving
in the mid-to-late 19408. During this period,
one of the worst hwricanes in DeIray's history
occurred, and Nick Sloan and Billy DeWitt
remember that after the 1947 hurricane the
police borrowed a vehicle belonging to
Marshall DeWitt which had huge 19-inch bal-
loon wheels and with which they patrolled the
beached for looters. On that same occasion,
Mr. DeWitt and Mr. Butts brought in their
farm workers from the west to help form
crews, each of which would take a section of
the city for clean up. One of the very difficult
tasks in flooded areas involved the city ceme-
tery, where numerous coffins had floated to
the surface.
In the war years, both Marshall and
Jeannette DeWitt were active in civilian
defense activities. He was a member of the
local Ration Board, and she was active in the
Red Cross and in coastal watching. There was
a tower at the old Seacrest Hotel (now the
Mayor Marshall DeWitt with winners at
the Delray Beach Tennis Tournament.
Holiday Inn) from which the ocean was under
observation. Many Axis submarines operated
in these waters and there were frequent torpe-
doings, requiring help with rescue operations.
On one occasion when Jeannette DeWitt was
on duty, she reported survivors on a raft, but
when rescuers came closer, the "survivors"
turned out to be two pelicans happily floating
on the otherwise empty raft.
In addition to his family fanning activi-
ties, business and community interests,
Marshall DeWitt was above all else a family
man who was devoted to his family and to his
home. Certainly, in the year 1935 in the midst
of the worst depression in American history,
not many people were building houses, but
Marshall DeWitt and Clarence Butts had been
very lucky in their fanning activities. A major
freeze had hit the bean crop in most agricul-
tural areas of Florida, but their crop had some-
how survived and was sold at a very hand-
some profit. The house on Swinton Avenue
was begun shortly thereafter. It was designed
by the noted architect, Gustav Maas, in what
was teoned, "Virginia Colonial Farmhouse
Style." The R. C. Lawson contracting fion
built the house on a large piece of property
facing Swinton Avenue. The house was com-
pleted in 1936.
Both DeWitts were interested in horticul-
ture. Marshall put in many beautiful native
trees and shrubs, and Jeannette laid out beauti-
ful gardens. There was a rose garden and a
slat house for her beloved orchids. She was a
founding member of the Delray Beach
Garden Club and a lifelong gardening enthu-
siast.
When the house was built, the only
homes in the area were those that faced
Swinton Avenue. The land behind those
houses extended all the way down to Lake Ida
without interruption. Nick Sloan remembers
that "it was all Palmetto trees and scrub oaks,
which in turn were covered with a canopy-
like vine of yellow and orange blooms which
went on literally for hundreds of yards."
It was a wonderful place for young boys
to grow up, even with the dangers of rattlers
and other wildlife which abounded. The
delightful small cottage behind the main
house was originally an open pavilion where
Mrs. DeWitt held meetings of her scout troop
or church groups. She was very active in the
scouting movement and in Cason Methodist
Church, where she taught Sunday school for
many years. The outdoor pavilion was an
ideal place for meetings of such groups, and
in addition, there was a large screened porch
on the west side of the house, ideal for enter-
taining in the cooler months. Jeannette
DeWitt would often entertain friends or hold
Garden Club gatherings there.
But then, as Billy DeWitt notes, a prob-
lem arose. Gradually, nearby properties were
sold and homes were built close enough so
that an evening party might annoy a neighbor.
As a result, the porch was enclosed to create a
Florida Room" and the pavilion was
enclosed to create an entirely self-sufficient
cottage in which Marshall DeWitt's parents
lived in their later years.
When the De Witt house was built in
1936, air conditioning was a dream of the
future. Gradually came window units in the
19508, and later the house was converted to
handle central air conditioning. Just after
W odd War IT, however, and before air condi-
tioning, Marshall De Witt purchased one of
the huge exhaust fans from the Air Base (on
the site of EA.U.) which was being disman-
tled at that time. The fan was very powerful
THE DE\VITT FAMILY AND DELRAY BEACH: 1928 - 1993
and was installed upstairs. At night, windows
would be opened in one area, and the cooler
night air would be drawn in by the fan. The
only problem was that the moisture would also
be drawn in so that in no
time all the shoes in clos-
ets were growing mold
and there was mildew
everywhere. Air condi-
tioning must have been a
very welcome innova-
tion. The arrival of air
conditioning was espe-
cially appreciated with
concern for the lovely
pecky cypress paneling in
the living room, which
always swelled with the
moisture.
The beautiful
grounds also had to go
through occasional ad-
justments to meet practi-
cal rea1ities. For example,
there were originally two
massive ficus trees just
off the west screened
porch. WIùle they provid-
ed wonderful shade, it
was eventually discov-
ered that their roots were
under the house and in
danger of lifting it literal-
ly off its foundations. The
trees had to be removed,
and the stumps were so
massive, that when they
were being lifted out by
huge crane trucks, the
trucks were lifted off the
ground and had to be
anchored with dirt-filled
dwnp trucks.
All of the DeWitt's
family and close friends
remember them especial-
ly for their warmth, kind-
ness and consideration for
others in their communi-
ty. Once when one of his
agricultural workers was not well and in need
of surgery, Marshall DeWitt sent him to his
own physician and then arranged to pay for the
much-needed operation. This was a time of
personal concern between employer and
employees, and Marshall DeWitt considered
the welfare of his employees to be his special
responsibility. One of the DeWitt's closest
friends over the years was Dr. Monroe Farber,
who remembers them as a very close family.
club in the early 1940s. The members played
on courts built by the W.P .A. during the
Depression on the site of the present Tennis
Center. Marshall DeWitt and Monroe Farber
were instrumental in set-
ting up the annual Delray
Beach Tournament for
young people from all
over the state. The young
Chris Evert was a partici-
pant in this annual event
Marshall DeWitt loved to
play golf as well as ten-
nis, playing often at the
Delray Beach Municipal
Course. Another interest
shared by the DeWitts,
Farbers, Loves and other
Delray families from the
1930s to the 1980s was
dancing. In 1937, a group
met at the DeWitt home
and fonned The Cotillion
Club. Marshall De Witt
was the first president of
this social group, and
later, other groups were
fonned from the original
club, including The
Revelers' Club, The
Coronado Club and The
Jubiliers (children of the
founders of the original
club).
The DeWitts are
remembered not only for
their warmth and many
kindnesses, but for pos-
sessing wonderful senses
of hwnor. Monroe Farber
remembers the days
when men first began
wearing white shorts
instead of the traditional
long trousers on the ten-
nis courts. The first man
to cut off a pair of his
long tennis white was Ca1
Garner, who came onto
the courts rather shyly
and uncertainly. Jeannette took one look and
said, "Cal, now I can die . . . I've seen every-
thing." Cal fled.
Listening to long-time residents of Delray
talk about the early years makes one realize
how much the way of life has changed. When
DEWITT HOME AND GARDENS SHOWCASE 11995
When the Farbers moved across the street
from the DeWitts in 1936, Jeannette came
over immediately with a welcoming gift, and
thus began a long and warm friendship in
which the two families enjoyed fishing trips
together on their boats and formed a tennis
w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE DEWITT FAJ'vITLY A.ND DEL RAY BEACH: J928 - 1993
Billy DeWitt and Nick Sloan were boys, they
would hunt behind the DeWitt house to Lake
Ida and beyond to the railroad tracks following
them north as far as the present sites of Saint
Joseph's Church and
Bethesda Hospital. The
area was called Wildcat
Creek at that time. The
boys also used to take
part in the town's annu-
al "Sadie Hawkins Day
Race," when the girls
chased the boys. One of
their friends built a
moat around a tree
where he could climb to
escape a pursuing
female. Unfortnately,
one of the mothers who
was checking on her
children's whereabouts
fell into the hidden
moat instead and broke
her arm. There were
about 3,700 people liv-
ing in Delray when
Billy and Nick were
boys and they remem-
ber other examples of
how wonderful it was to
grow up in a small town
in that period. The old
Love's Drugstore was
where everyone gath-
ered and it had a tiled
floor, ceiling fans and
wire ice cream chairs.
Telephone numbers had
three digits, and when
the boys discovered
girls and were involved
in long evening conver-
sations, suddenly the
operator would break in
and say, "Your mother
is trying to call you and
is upset that you've
been on the phone for
so long."
Billy and Nick
loved the old Delray because everyone knew
everyone else and it was a very friendly
place. Jimmy Love remembers the old
Love's Drug Store in the 1940s when his
father was Postmaster (the Post Office was
in the drug store), and the pharmacist and ocean
to the Post Office in an old Model-A
Ford with a ftatback rear section on which
he sat in an Adirondack lawn chair.
Certainly, Delray Beach in these years was
not only a delightful
small town in which to
grow up, but a town of
wonderful and colorful
characters as well.
Myrtle Butts
Fleming is now the only
remaining child of
August and Natalie
Butts. She was the
youngest of four, and
recalls that when they
were growing up,
Jeannette who was 11
years older than she,
was called "Big Sis,"
while she was called
Little Sis" and the two
boys, Harold and
Clarence, were in the
middle. She remembers,
with great fondness, the
role that her older sister
played. From 1922 to
1925, the family lived
in West Palm Beach,
where Jeannette taught
Sunday school at the
Methodist Church. She
always took her
younger siblings to
church and to the public
library for story hours.
She also taught them to
dance and to play tennis
and other sports. In this
sense, Jeannette was an
inspiration to the other
children and always led
them by example.
Before her marriage and
move to Delray Beach
in 1929, Jeannette and
her family lived in Fort
Lauderdale. These were
her years at college, and
during the summers she ran the young peo-
pies' programs for the Fort Lauderdale City
Recreation Department and also founded
The Junior Cotillion Club in that city. The
Continued
city judge were all there at the same time.
While business was slow in the 1930s (Love
remembers going to college on $50 a
month), Delray had a pretty decent tourist
business even then, and it was also an
artists'/writers' colony. There were a num-
ber of prominent cartoonists, including
Fontaine Fox, who drew the Toonerville car-
toons. Nick Sloan remembers Fox being dri-
ven by his chauffeur from his home on the
bottled
li/ding! For
Iting "Green"
NS
ntally friendly
iG·
ICA RATON, FL.
THE DEWITT FAMILY AND
DEL RAY BEACH: 1928 - 1993
two sisters remained very close over the
years. When Jeannette married, Myrtle visit-
ed her sister and brother-in-law every sum-
mer in Delray Beach and came to know all
their close friends. She also graduated from
Florida State in 1936 and married Tom
Fleming in 1939. Myrtle Fleming is espe-
cially pleased to play a role in the honoring
of her sister's family and their home as part
of the history of Delray Beach's centennial
year. She is a member of the Fort
Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and
Mount Dora Historical Societies and states
that, "Historical Societies are the cement that
holds us in our proper places."
Elizabeth DeWitt Blevins, Marshall
and Jeannette DeWitt's granddaughter
remembers with great fondness her grand-
parent's monthly fishing trips to Port
Salerno where they were usually accompa-
nied by their grandchildren. Marshall
DeWitt loved his boat and took beautiful
care of it. He later gave it to an older couple
who had an equally strong love of fishing
but could not afford to buy a boat of that
quality.
Both Billy DeWitt and his family and
Myrtle Butts Fleming were particularly con-
cerned to stress that no history of the DeWitt
family and their home on Swinton Avenue
would be complete without a discussion of
the roles played by Sidney Miley and
Council Hayes. Sidney came to the DeWitt
household when she was only 16 years of
age. She was Billy DeWitt's "nanny" and
the family housekeeper for over 60 years.
She was a member of the family in every
sense. The DeWitts helped Sidney Miley to
buy her home where she still lives today.
Council Hayes was the gardener on the
DeWitt property for nearly 20 years.
Elizabeth DeWitt Blevins remembers that
Council and her grandfather would work in
the yard side-by-side for hours on end, and
that the beauty of the De Witt grounds and
gardens were in large part due to Council's
efforts.
The DeWitt era in Delray Beach lasted for
over 60 years, finally coming to an end with
the deaths of Marshall and Jeannette in 1993.
Their legacy to the community is very great
indeed. Many innovations in farming tech-
niques which will benefit agriculture for years
to come, including new methods of irrigation,
were
developed by the Butts/DeWitt partner-
ship. The establishment of stable banking
practices in the Depression era made possible
the economic stability of the growing commu-
nity. Marshall DeWitt's years of service to the
city of Delray Beach as commissioner and
mayor, to the Lake Worth Drainage District
which he helped create and to the Delray
Kiwanis Club are only the briefest accounting
of his many contributions. Jeannette DeWitt's
service to the Girl Scouts, the Delray Beach
Library Board, where she worked tirelessly to
improve the Library's programs for children,
the Delray Beach Garden Club she helped to
found and Cason Methodist Church whose
young people she taught over many years...
that service, too, is so great that it is difficult to
measure.
The contributions of Marshall and Jean-
nette De Witt were not only in time and interest
but in material goods as well, and continue be-
yond their lives. Following their deaths, it was
announced that a generous bequest had
been made by them to endow student schol-
arship funds at the University of Florida
College of Dentistry. Certainly, the
DeWitt's close friend, Dr. Monroe Farber,
helped make this gift a reality. Other gener-
ous donations were also made to Florida
State University and to Florida Sheriffs'
Boys and Girls Ranches. When the Delray
Beach Historical Society envisioned the
concept of Old School Square, the DeWitt
family were strong supporters and members
of both The Historical Society and later Old
School Square itself as it became a separate
entity and flourished. Frances Bourque
talked often with the DeWitts, and before
their deaths, they made the important deci-
sion to leave their beautiful home on
Swinton A venue to Old School Square. The
March, 1995, DeWitt Home and Gardens
Showcase honors not only the generosity of
the DeWitt family's gift to Old School
Square, but the many contributions of this
distinguished couple to the life of Delray
Beach for over 60 years. The De Witts were
very modest people who never desired
recognition for their many contributions to
their community. Now, at last, the commu-
nity can say "thank you" in this unique
manner..
Mr. Posey is a retired American History
teacher residing in De/ray Beach. He taught
American History for 40 years, 30 years at
St. Andrews School in Boca Raton.
Special thanks to the Delray Beach
Historical Society Archives for use of pho-
tographs.
Furn
ACCt
Decc
cc ~.CÛAól ~~
CITY ,OF DELRAY BEACH
DESIGNATING'THE 'DEWITT ESTATE AS .A .
LOCAL HISTORIC SITE
The Ci~ Commission of the City of Ddray Beach, Florida, proposes to -
adopt the following ordinance:
ORDINANèÊ NØ. 71-Q4
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AN ORDINANCE OF THE OTY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DELRAY
BEACH, FLORIDA, DESIGNATING THE OEWITI ÈSTATE, LOCATED AT
1110 NORTH SWINTON AVENUE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED HÈREIN, AS A LOCAlHISTORlC SITE; PROVIDING FOR THE
AMENDMENT OF THE NZoNlNG MAP OF DELRAY BEA~H, RORIDA, .
JULY, 200.4*; PROVlDl~ A GENERAl 'REPEALER CLAUSE, A SAVING
ClAUSE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE:
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The City Ú)g\mission will conduct f!Io (2) Public ~rings for the purpose
of accepting public 1estimony regarding the proposed ordinà~e. . The
first Pubtic Hearing will be held on MONDAY~ DECEMBER 6; 2004,
AT 7:00 P.M. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 100 N~W: 1st
Avenue, Delray BeachrFlorida. If the proposed ordinance is passed on
first reading, a second Public Hecíring will be held on ·~ESDAY, J~N-
UARY 4, 2005, AT 7:00 P.M. (or at any continuation of suéh rOOet--
ing which is set by the Commission).
o
o
N
I All interested citizens are invited to 'attend the public hearingsa.,ct com-
ment u~ the proposed ordin~nce or subl)\it their c.ommenfs in writing
on or before the date of ~ hearings to the Planning and~ing
Department. FOr -further information or to obtain a copy of the pf:opO~
ordinance, please contact Jt.Jè. pfenning and ~oning Depalir1\enf, PIX .
Hall, 100 N.W. 1 st Avenue, Delroy Beach, Florida 3344.4 '{eÌÌ1ai~ at
pzmail@mydelraybeach com} or by calling 561/243-7040), between
the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding holidays.
o PlEASE
BE ADVISED THAT IF A PERSON ~CI~~~TO APPEAL ANY
DECISION MADE BY THE CITY COMMISSION WITH RESPECT TO ANY
MATTER CONSIDERED AT THESE HEARINGS, SUCH PERsqN MAY
NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTI-
MONY AND EVIDENCE UpoN WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
THE CITY DOES NOT PROVIDE NOR PREPARE SUCH RECORD PUR-
SUANJ TO F.S. 286~0105.
CITY OF DELRAY BEACH
Chevelle D. Nu1?in
City Clerk
PUBUSH: Tu~ay, Novèmber 73,.200.4
Thursdáy, December 30, 2004
Boca Raton/Delray Beach ~
Ad#NSl t04206
www.bocanews.com · Boca RatonlDelray Beach News - Tuesday, November 23/Wedoesday, November 24, 2004 15
CITY OF DELRAY BEACH
DESIGNATING THE DEWITT ESTATE AS A
LOCAL HISTORIC SITE
The City Commission of the City of Delroy Beach, Florida, proposes to
adopt the following ordinance: .
ORDINANCE NO. 71-04
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DELRAY
BEACH, FLORIDA, DESIGNATING THE DEWITT ESTATE, LOCATED AT
1110 NORTH SWINTON AVENUE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED HEREIN, AS A LOCAL HISTORIC SITE; PROVIDING FOR THE
AMENDMENT OF THE "ZONING MAP OF DElRAY BEACH, FLORIDA,
JULY, 2004"; PROVIDING A GENERAL REPEALER CLAUSE, A SAVING
CLAUSE, AND AN EFFEOIVE DATE.
The City Commission will conduct two (2) Public Hearings for the purpose
of accepting public testimony regarding the proposed ordinance. The
first Public Hearing will be held on MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2004,
AT 7:00 P.M. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 100 N.W. 1 st
Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida. If the proposed ordinance is passed on
first reading, a second Public Hearing will be held on TUESDAY, JAN-
UARY 4, 2005, AT 7:00 P.M. (or at any continuation of such meet-
ing which is set by the Commission).
All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearings and com-
ment upon the proposed ordinance or submit their comments in writing
on or before the date of these hearings to the Planning and Zoning
Department. For further information or to obtain a copy of the proposed
ordinance, please contact the Planning and Zoning Department, CitY
Hall, 100 N.W. 1 st Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444 (email at
pzmail@mydelraybeach.com) or by calling 561/243-7040), between
the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding holidays.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF A PERSON DECIDES TO APPEAL ANY
DECISION MADE BY THE CITY COMMISSION WITH RESPEO TO ANY
MATTER CONSIDERED AT THESE HEARINGS, SUCH PERSON MAY
NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTI-
MONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
THE CITY DOES NOT PROVIDE NOR PREPARE SUCH RECORD PUR-
SUANT TO ES. 286.0105. ¿
CITY OF DElRAY BEACH
Chevelle D. Nubin
City Clerk
PUBUSH: Tuesday, November 23,2004
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Boca Raton/Delroy Beach News
Ad#NS 1104206