HPB Staff Report-22 N Swinton Ave-2020-07-01
100 NW 1ST AVENUE, DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444
(561) 243-7040
Project Planner:
Katherina Paliwoda, Planner - paliwodak@mydelraybeach.com
Michelle Hoyland, Principal Planner – hoylandm@mydelraybeach.com
Review Dates:
July 1, 2020
Attachments:
1. Designation Report
2. Photographs
22 N. SWINTON AVENUE PAGE | 1
HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD STAFF REPORT
22 N. Swinton Avenue
Meeting File No. Application Type
July 1, 2020 2020-087 Individual Listing to the Local Register of Historic
Places
REQUEST
The items before the Board is for recommendation to the City Commission for a request to individually list
“The Wellbrock House” located at 22 N. Swinton Avenue, Old School Square Historic District, to the
Local Register of Historic Places.
GENERAL DATA
Owner: Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
Agent: Tara Toto, CRA Redevelopment Manager
Location: 22 North Swinton Avenue
PCN: 12-43-46-16-01-060-0120
Property Size: 0.21 Acres
Zoning: OSSHAD (Old School Square Historic Arts District)
FLUM: OMU (Other Mixed Use)
Historic District: Old School Square Historic District
Adjacent Zoning:
• OSSHAD (North)
• OSSHAD (West)
• OSSHAD (South)
• OSSHAD (East)
Original Land Use: Residence
Proposed Land Use: Commercial/Office
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The subject property is on the west side of N. Swinton Avenue between W. Atlantic Avenue and NW 1st
Street, and is within the Locally and Nationally Designated Old School Square Historic District. It contains
Lot 12, less the south 4 feet thereof, Block 60, Town of Delray, Florida, as recorded in Plat Book 1, Page 3,
of the Public Records of Palm Beach County, Florida. The property address is 20 & 22 N. Swinton Avenue
and currently contains “The Monterey House”, which is Individually Listed on the Local Register of Historic
Places. Also, situated on the subject property is a 1937 two-story, Colonial Revival style, structure, which
was relocated to the site. This structure is the subject of the current request for Individual Listing to the
Local Register of Historic Places to be known as “The Wellbrock House”.
The Wellbrock House was relocated to the subject property from its previous location at 215 NE 7th Avenue
in November of 2019. In April 2019, the property was acquired by a local developer with plans to redevelop
the site with a new duplex structure. In its previous location, the structure was not within a historic district
nor was it individually designated to the Local Register of Historic Places. Once informed of the proposed
demolition, the Delray Beach CRA took the initiative to preserve the structure by relocating it to the subject
property.
The subject property is home to the Delray Beach CRA offices (20 N. Swinton Avenue), which are within the
existing 2-story Monterey Style structure known as The Monterey House. The structure was designed as a
single-family residence by prominent Palm Beach architect, Belford Shoumate in 1939. Shoumate (1903-
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1991) was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture. He first started practice in
New York City, in the office of Joseph Urban. Urban was the architect who designed Mar-A-Largo (a
nationally designated site). Shoumate’s first commission in south Florida was in the late 1930’s when he
designed a home in the Art Moderne style at 1221 N. Lake Way in Palm Beach. Shoumate won first prize in
architecture for the design of this structure at the 1939 World’s Fair and the house was named “The House
of the Future”. Mr. Shoumate was in active practice in Palm Beach for over 50 years and during that time he
designed over 1,500 buildings in south Florida.
Originally, The Monterey House was located in the Hillcrest neighborhood in West Palm Beach. It was
relocated to its current address in 1994 by way of the Intracoastal Waterway, along with two other structures
- 24 N. Swinton Avenue (“The Historic Bungalow”) and 516 N. Swinton Avenue (“The Harden-Hart House”).
Prior to the move, this building was considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
The move provided an alternative to demolition, which would have occurred due to the Palm Beach
International Airport expansion. At the time of relocation, the structure contained 2,300 square feet and
following its move in 1995, a 600 square foot addition was approved and constructed. Parking for the CRA
offices exist within the CRA owned parking lot to the west of the property. The structure was then listed on
the City of Delray Beach Local Register of Historic Places.
The Wellbrock House (22 N. Swinton Avenue) was designed by Samuel Ogren, Sr., the city of Delray
Beach’s first registered architect. The two-story home was designed in the wood frame Colonial Revival style
and was built as a residence for John Charles (J.C.) Wellbrock, who was a local produce shipper in Delray
Beach in the early to mid-1900’s.
In June 2019, the CRA Board approved the purchase and relocation agreement for the structure located at
215 NE 7th Avenue and submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness to the City of Delray Beach to relocate the
structure to the subject property. At its meeting of July 3, 2019, the Historic Preservation Board approved
the Certificate of Appropriateness (2019-255) request for the relocation of a single-family residence subject
to the following conditions:
1. That following the relocation, an application be submitted for the individual designation of the
structure to the Local Register of Historic Places; and,
2. That an application for a change of use and site plan modification be submitted following the
relocation of the structure to 20 N. Swinton Avenue.
On November 17, 2019 the Wellbrock House was relocated from the located of 215 NE 7th Avenue to it’s
new existing location of 22 N Swinton Avenue.
The item before the board is for the recommendation to City Commission for Individual Listing of “The
Wellbrock House” to the Local Register of Historic Places.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
Pursuant to Section 4.5.1(B)(1), Criteria for Designation of Historic Sites or Districts, to qualify as a
historic structure, individual properties, structures, sites, or buildings, must have significant
character, interest, or value as part of the historical, cultural, aesthetic, and architectural heritage of
the city, state, or nation. To qualify as a historic site, historic district, or historic structure, the
property or properties must fulfill one or more of the criteria set forth in division (2) or (3) below.
Section 4.5.1(B)(2) A building structure, site, interior, or district will be deemed to have historical or
cultural significance if it meets one or more of the following criteria:
(a) Is associated in a significant way with the life or activities of a major person important in city,
state, or national history (for example, the homestead of a local founding family);
(b) Is the site of a historic event with significant effect upon the city, state, or nation;
(c) Is associated in a significant way with a major historic event, whether cultural, economic,
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social, military, or political;
(d) Exemplifies the historical, political, cultural, economic, or social trends of the community in
history; or,
(e) Is associated in a significant way with a past or continuing institution which has contributed
substantially to the life of the city.
The Colonial Revival, two-story structure located at 22 N. Swinton Avenue meets criteria (a),(c) and (d)
above as it is associated with Samuel Ogren, Sr., the first registered Architect of Delray Beach and it
exemplifies the architectural and agricultural history of Delray Beach.
Persons Important to Local History – Samuel Ogren, Sr.
Samuel Ogren, Sr. was born in 1899 to Swedish missionaries in a Chinese village 500 miles west of Beijing.
His father was killed in the Boxer Rebellion of 1902. After reaching Shanghai, the family fled on a steamer
for a two-month journey to South-Hampton and then to Sweden. Ogren’s mother moved the family to New
York in 1907 and then to Florida in 1919.
Ogren had no formal architectural education and taught himself through correspondence courses and
European photographic books. In 1921, he apprenticed with Orlando architect F.H. Trimble and then Tampa
architects M. Leo Elliott in 1922 and Francis Cunard in 1923. When the Land Boom materialized, Ogren
moved to West Palm Beach where he continued his apprenticeship in the office of noted architect William
Manley King. Mr. King (1886-1961) was an architect in Florida who designed many of the schools located in
Palm Beach County, including, but not limited to, Palm Beach High School and the old Boynton High School.
Many buildings designed by Mr. King are on the National Register of Historic Places. While employed for
King, Ogren designed his first effort in Delray Beach, a residence at 704 North Swinton Avenue. Delray city
officials soon offered him the position of City Architect. He then went to Tallahassee where he took the state
architectural exam, successful in his endeavor, he then moved his family to Delray.
Ogren goes on to become Delray’s first registered architect and designs hundreds of buildings. Today he is
Delray’s most prolific architect. Some of his most notable designs include the Arcade Building, the Delray
High School, and the Marine Villas. While Mediterranean Revival style architecture dominated Ogren’s first
wave of accomplishments, he designed in many architectural styles including Colonial Revival, Minimal
Traditional, and Mission Revival to name a few. And by 1929, he designed more than 100 buildings in
nearly 5 years’ time.
In 1935, he was instrumental in establishing the Better Housing Office in Delray. The office was situated in
the Colony Hotel building and assembled quality craftsmen, promoted new materials and styles and
contributed floor plans and designs weekly for publication in the local press. In 1948, he served as Tax
Assessor for the city. Ogren retired in 1955 moving to Windermere in central Florida and his son, Sam
Ogren, Jr., continued the architecture practice. Samuel Ogren, Jr. passed away in 1988.
The Delray Beach Historical Society has five hundred (500) of Mr. Ogren’s original drawings in archives.
Many of the buildings he designed are still existing, and in prominent locations like Atlantic Avenue, some
are designated historic and others are not.
Persons Important to Local History – John Charles (J.C) Wellbrock)
Records indicate Mr. Wellbrock was born on December 17, 1892, in Charleston, South Carolina, and died in
Charleston, South Carolina in 1965. Based on information provided by the Delray Beach Historical Society,
he was the son of John W. Wellbrock, who passed away when his son was thirteen (13) years old. Like his
father, J.C. Wellbrock was in the produce business, joining his father’s firm in South Carolina after his
father’s death and working in the industry brokering and shipping fruits and vegetables along the east coast
of the United States. During World War I (WWI), J.C. Wellbrock served in the United States Medical Corps.
After returning from the war, he started his own produce company (J.C. Wellbrock and Co.) in Charleston,
South Carolina. At the age of thirty-three (33), he suffered from ill health and came to Delray Beach, Florida
in 1925 to recover. Within a year, his health improved, and he started Wellbrock and Company, Inc. and
became a prominent shipper in Florida. The Wellbrock family was prominent in Delray Beach, Florida
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coming to town in the winter months for over three (3) decades. At this time, his company was known as
Wellbrock and Sloan, Inc., shipping 1,200 boxed cars of produce annually from Seaboard Air Line Train
Station. In addition, he served as a partner in the brokerage firm of Howell, Brown and Co., out of Boynton
Beach, Florida, as well as, partnered with another firm in New York City during off-season months. In 1955,
he ended fifty (50) years in the business.
Section 4.5.1(B)(3) Architectural or aesthetic significance:
(a) Portrays the environment in an era of history characterized by one or more distinctive
architectural styles;
(b) Embodies those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, period, or method
of construction;
(c) Is an historic or outstanding work of a prominent architect, designer, landscape architect,
or builder; or
(d) Contains elements of design, detail, material, or craftsmanship of outstanding quality or
which represented, in its time, a significant innovation or adaptation to the South Florida
environment.
The Wellbrock House is an exceptional example of Colonial Revival architecture. This style of architecture
was especially influential in Florida in the early to mid-1900s with Vernacular designs. Colonial Revival
architectural style originated in the northern United States beginning in the late nineteenth century and
lasting through the early Twentieth Century (1880-1940). Twentieth Century Colonial Revival are typically
interpretations of a combination of elements taken from Georgian, Federal, or Adam style architecture, thus,
a mixture of many architectural styles.
Several contributing exterior elements to the Colonial Revival architectural style are seen on each elevation
of the Wellbrock House. The house is simple in a classical sense, framed in wood clapboard and
complimented by decorative elements and detail, providing for interesting aesthetics. The front elevation is
typical of a Georgian style house, simple in shape, a centered main entry door and symmetrical windows.
The original elevation above shows the simplistic front and side façade with a decorative centered front entry
door, including a cornice, pilaster/columns, and casing. The stately and grand entry is consistent with the
Georgian period, a time of wealth for many. The windows are symmetrical, and consistent: a lintel above,
casing and a board and batton shutter on either side.
Characteristics of the structure include the following:
• Height: Two-Story
• Plan Shape: Symmetrical
• Building Material: Wood Frame/Clapboard
• Exterior Surface Treatment: Wood Siding
• Roof Type: Hip
• Window: Sash/Double Hung
• Other: Brick Fireplace, Octagonal Windows, Decorative Molding, Wooden Pilaster/Front
• Entry, Board and Batton Shutters, and Second Story Balcony with Decorative Railing.
There is a second story balcony, which is relic to the time when the home was designed. While the original
balcony was replaced, the intent of the design remains. The brick chimney on the south side of the building
is an architectural element that is both functional and aesthetically interesting. Two (2) octagonal windows
are present, one (1) above the front entry door and one (1) on the north side of the structure. The octagonal
windows provide variation on an otherwise basic, simple plane. Thus, each elevation has an architectural
element providing a point of interest. A two (2) car attached garage was part of the structure, however, it was
unable to be relocated, due to future site limitations.
The integrity of the structure and majority of architectural features have been preserved. Based on visual
observation, the structure is in good condition considering the age. It is the intention of the CRA to restore
the exterior of the house to the original design based on the original architectural renderings where feasible.
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Relocation of the Structure
In May 2019, the Delray Beach CRA Board discussed the proposal to preserve the subject structure by
relocating it from its original location on NE 7th Avenue to the west side of N. Swinton Avenue behind the
CRA office property located at 20 N Swinton Avenue.
At its board meeting on June 11, 2019 the CRA Board unanimously approved the purchase and relocation
agreement with the current owner of the house, along with the awarding of the house relocation contract.
The CRA then applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the City of Delray Beach to request approval
for the relocation of the residence by the Historic Preservation Board. At it’s meeting of July 3, 2019 the HPB
approved the subject request.
On Monday, November 17, 2019 Modern Movers detached the house from its foundation at 215 NE 7th
Avenue and moved it to the site of where the existing CRA office is located at 20 N Swinton Avenue. The
structure was placed to the west of the current building on the property and assigned a new address – 22 N.
Swinton Avenue.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
A finding of Consistency requires that the requested designation is consistent with Goals,
Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan adopted at the time of submittal. An amendment
to the Comprehensive Plan (Always Delray) was adopted on February 4, 2020, but the application is
subject to plan that was adopted at the time of submittal. The applicable Objectives and Policies
from the plan effective at the time of submittal are provided below.
Future Land Use Objective A-4: The redevelopment of land and buildings shall provide for the
preservation of historic resources. The objective shall be met through continued adherence to the
City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and, where applicable, to architectural design guidelines
through the following policies:
Policy A-4.1: Prior to approval or recommending approval of any land use or development
application for property located within a historic district or designated as a historic site, the Historic
Preservation Board must make a finding that the requested action is consistent with the provisions
of Section 4.5.1 of the Land Development Regulations relating to historic sites and districts and the
“Delray Beach Design Guidelines”.
Policy A-4.2: In order to protect the City’s historic resources, the Land Development Regulations
shall include provisions for designation of historically significant buildings, structures,
archaeological sites, or districts. The City shall conduct periodic neighborhood surveys to identify
and evaluate potential historic resources at least once every five years.
The proposed designation meets the intent of the applicable Objective and Policies noted above, as it will
provide for the preservation of the subject structure, thereby ensuring the protection of an example of this
type of style and building. Further, the review above illustrates that the request meets the criteria set forth in
LDR Section 4.5.1, which provides for the designation of “historically significant buildings”; therefore, the
proposed designation can be considered appropriate. The Public Hearing dates for review of the subject
designation by the City Commission have been tentatively scheduled for July and August 2020.
Courtesy Notice:
This development proposal is not in a geographic area requiring courtesy notices.
Public Notice:
Public Notice letters were mailed to the property owners within a 500’ radius of 22 North Swinton Avenue.
A notice of the public hearing was published in the newspaper on June 21, 2020.
Letters of support or objection, if any, will be presented at the HPB meeting.
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OPTIONAL BOARD MOTIONS FOR ACTION ITEMS
A. Move to continue with direction.
B. Move a recommendation of approval to the City Commission that “The Wellbrock House” located at 22
N. Swinton Avenue, Old School Square Historic District be listed in the Local Register of Historic
Places by amending Land Development Regulations (LDR) Section 4.5.1(I), by finding that the request is
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and meets criteria set forth in the Land Development
Regulations.
C. Move a recommendation of approval to the City Commission that “The Wellbrock House” located at 22
N. Swinton Avenue, Old School Square Historic District be listed in the Local Register of Historic
Places by amending Land Development Regulations (LDR) Section 4.5.1(I), by finding that the request is
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and meets criteria set forth in the Land Development
Regulations subject to the following conditions:
D. Move a recommendation of denial of the City Commission that “The Wellbrock House” located at 22 N.
Swinton Avenue, Old School Square Historic District be listed in the Local Register of Historic Places
by amending Land Development Regulations (LDR) Section 4.5.1(I), by finding that the request is
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and meets criteria set forth in the Land Development
Regulations