NEIGHBORHOODS
24
DON ARMSTRONG
“Enchanting” may be an overused adjective, but it aptly describes this street median. St. Lucie Estates medians were designed with lush landscaping, and
some even double as parks. A path through this one meanders under the massive, twisting branches of ancient mango trees.
place. With the exception of Riverside Drive, which follows
the winding bank of the St. Lucie River, there are few curving
roads common in later suburbs.
Second, the landscape design enhanced walkability, created
a strong sense of place and encouraged public interaction.
The primary streets are boulevards with lushly landscaped
medians that serve as linear parks with paths and benches.
Third, the designs of the early houses were shaped by a
simple architectural code that created visual harmony, designs
based on the revival styles popular in South Florida at the
time St. Lucie Estates was created. Revivalism in architecture
is the use of visual styles that mirror those of a previous era.
FANTASY ARCHITECTURE
Several revival styles were used in 1920s subdivisions. One
that left its mark on St. Lucie Estates and other coastal South
Florida communities is Mediterranean Revival-style architecture.
Popularized by Palm Beach architect Addison Mizner,
the style started in 1919 with his design for the Everglades
Club in Palm Beach.
Mediterranean architecture’s predominant influences originated
from Spain and Italy — an idealized aesthetic evoking
exotic seaside villas for those who wished to escape the
conventions and cold of the North and Midwest.
An early fanciful ad for St. Lucie Estates featured another
house style that also reflected boomtime optimism. It appeared
in the March 1926 issue of South Florida Developer, one
of Stuart’s first newspapers. The ad depicts a Gatsby-like
couple with a Tudor Revival-style house in the background.
Though Mediterranean Revival was the most popular, a
number of Tudor and Pueblo Revival houses — inspired by
Though Mediterranean Revival was most popular, Pueblo Revival houses inspired
by Spanish missions in New Mexico, such as this one depicted in an
early photo, were also built in St. Lucie Estates during the 1920s and 1930s.
Spanish missions in New Mexico — were also built in St.
Lucie Estates during the 1920s and 1930s.
Many of these original houses are still standing and
contribute to the neighborhood’s historic character. St. Lucie
Estates continued to expand with much of the subdivision located
directly off East Ocean Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare >>