Pineapple House in Historic Grandview Heights
West Palm Beach, Florida
What once stood among the premiere residences amid pineapple plantations in West Palm Beach nearly eighty years ago, this fully restored two-story residence now symbolizes the remarkable resurgence of this coastal city of the Palm Beaches and the revitalization of one of its Historic Districts.
As recently as 1992, this, and a number of other homes in the Grandview Heights neighborhood were in a state of disrepair, uninhabited and slated for condemnation. Over the past years, more than twenty homes have been restored, including my house which I've named Casa Piņa, (which means Pineapple House in Spanish). This house was constructed in 1920 and underwent several renovations over the years. Behind the 3,000 square-foot main house, a two-story carriage house was constructed in the 1930s.
The Grandview Heights Neighborhood Association was formed in 1995 and in 1996, the neighborhood received Historic District status from the City of West Palm Beach. In 1998, Grandview Heights was registered as a National Historic District. Grandview Heights is one of thirteen Historic Districts in West Palm Beach and dates back to 1910; most of the homes were constructed between 1920 and 1925.
Another project that I work on is tropical landscaping around my house. The large "shaving brush" tree completely shades the front yard from the end of May until the end of November, at which time it loses all of its leaves. From January through April is when it produces large brilliant pink flowers that resemble the old-fashioned shaving brushes. My yard also contains a dozen or so varieties of palm trees, banana trees, bromeliads, cactus, live oak, ficus, ferns (including staghorns), frangipani, and numerous other plants.
