Who was Addison Mizner

All over Boca Raton you will see the name Addison Mizner. From the Addison Mizner Elementary School and Mizner Park, to The Addison Catering Hall, if you have spent any time in Boca you know he had a big hand in the development of Boca Raton, FL, but who is he?

Growing Up

Born December 12, 1872 in Benicia California, he lead a very lavish lifestyle. The son of the US Minister to Guatemala, Lansing Bond Mizner, they traveled the world via ship, horse and steam locomotive. Although little is known about his art prior to becoming an architect, it is assumed his youth was spent working on it, as he was an amazing sketch artist and accomplished watercolor painter.

In the late 1800s he served as an apprentice to Willis Jefferson Polk in San Francisco, eventually becoming a partner in the architectural firm. He spent some time in Hawaii, co – authoring several books including “The Cynic Calendar of Revised Wisdom for 1903”(1902), “The Limerick Up To Date Book” (1903), and the complete cynic (1910).

During the early 1900’s he designed several estates on Long Island, and in 1907 he and William Massarene designed “White Pine Camp” in the Adirondack Mountians, Calvin Colidge’s “Summer White House” while he was president of the United Stated.

The Move to Florida

A doctor recommended Addison move to Florida to help with his failing health, so in 1918 he relocated to Palm Beach with sewing machine heir Paris Singer.  Where he continued his career and designed several ocean front fortresses. His designs of stone, stucco, and ironwork where favorable to withstand the tropical storms and hurricanes, as opposed to the wooden shingle style architecture being brought in from the north. It could be argued that his time spent in Guatemala as a youth helped him with his designs.

His Architectural Style

In a time prior to air conditioning, cross breezes were a very important element, so the majority of the homes he built were only one room deep.  He placed the kitchens in the wings to keep the heat away from gathering areas.  He brought the Spanish Mediterranean Revival style to south florida, and is known for the barrel tile rooves, elaborate arches, French doors, and ironwork. He even developed his own manufacturing company in the 20’s to support his building material needs, that became one of the largest manufacturing firm in West Palm Beach.

All told, he designed sixty seven structures on Palm Beach, twenty seven in Boca Raton, and ten buildings in other cities around the county. Perhaps the most famous being John F. Kennedy’s winter white house, during his presidential years. “La Guerida” (Bounty of War) was commissioned in 1923 for $23,000. Joe Kennedy, John’s father purchased the property ten years later for $120,000, and the Kennedy family could be seen attending church at St. Edward or having lunch and milkshakes at Green’s pharmacy counter, still open today.

The Big Florida Land Rush

In 1925, as the first big Florida Land Rush was happening, Mizner got in on the action. Rodman Wanamaker II purchased almost a mile of oceanfront property, and with the help of additional investors the Mizner Development Corporation ended up with over two miles of ocean front land and sixteen hundred acres overall.

Mizner dream was to build the “The Castillo del Rey” the name he gave to his dream resort, describing it as "the world's most architecturally beautiful playground", complete with polo grounds, golf courses, elegant shopping, and landscaped paved streets. The publicity machine that promoted the resort, made Boca Raton an overnight sensation, and the money poured in before anything was built. Two Million dollars on the first day of sales (in 1925!), with an another two million on the second offering of lots.

The Cloister Inn

When Ritz Carlton got involved the ocean front hotel had to be re-designed to meet their standards, and Mizner went ahead and built “The Cloister Inn” on west side of Lake Boca. He also started building the amenities he promised investors including miles of streets, the administration buildings and a number of houses.
One of the areas he mostly competed, was Camino Real. Addison envisioned the 160 foot wide street, to be the focal point of the city, and the shopping district of Boca Raton.  Running two miles from the Ritz Carlton on the beach to the Ritz-Carlton Park, passing through the Golf Courses of the resort, Mizner designed a venetian style draw bridge, with a three story tower containing the bridge tender’s flat. An additional canal was to be built similar to Rio de Janeiro’s famous “Botafogo Canal” but was never completed.

While “The Ritz-Carlton Cloister Inn” opened on February 6, 1626 the land boom was crashing, and by spring most had stopped paying on their purchases. By July Mizner lost control of the Mizner Development Corporation, and was forced to file bankruptcy in September.

His Final Years

His last great design was unhindered by the world depression of 1929, the “Casa Bienvenida” (House of Welcome) in Montecito near Santa Barbara. A two year project directed by Addison from 1929-1930. In his remaining years he was commissioned to do a few homes, but also spent time penning books. Mizner published and autobiography “The Many Mizners” in 1932 covering his youth, years in Alaska, and time in New York. The telling of his Florida story was never finished, as he died of a heart attack in Palm Beach at the age of 61.