Downtown Delray Beach is the heart of the city. The downtown offers a mix of restaurants, antique shops, gift shops, galleries and clothiers, as well as an array of personal and professional services. The center of culture is Old School Square. Once the Delray Beach High School, its grand buildings have been transformed in to the multi-million dollar centerpiece of the historic downtown shopping district. Indeed, state historic preservation officials often point to Delray as a beacon of what committed citizenry and government can do when there is a strong desire to preserve a city's past.
Art and Jazz on Atlantic Avenue draws thousands to the shopping district. Art and Jazz nights feature live music, food, and fun. The downtown's warm and hospitable atmosphere belongs uniquely to Delray. With its paver brick sidewalks, scenic vistas, decorative lighting and miles of shops, Delray Beach's downtown is a great source of community pride.
For more than 100 years, Delray Beach has grown and prospered. A small group of Michigan settlers, led by William Linton and David Swinton, began settling in the area in 1894. Inspired by the natural riches of the area, they tilled the land and grew crops year round. The environment also provided them with plenty of fresh fish, crab and lobster from the ocean.
Delray's early history was dominated by agriculture. By the turn of the century, a number of Japanese farmers came to the area to grow pineapples. They formed the Yamato Colony and farmed on land now occupied by the Boca Raton Airport and FAU. You can learn more of the Yamato Colony at the 200-acre Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a scenic park that draws more than 150,000 visitors a year.
In 1901 the area was named Delray, a Spanish derivative meaning "of the king". When the railroad system built by Henry Flagler expanded from West Palm Beach to Miami, farmers began exporting their harvest of pineapples, tomatoes, peppers, beans and other fruits and vegetables. The Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1925 and the town was booming with tourist trade and a healthy, self-supporting economy. The same is true today. The very reasons people came to our town in 1894 are the same reasons Delray Beach is such a nice place to live and grow today.
As the 20th century progressed Delray Beach grew from a farming community into a bustling city known for its unique architecture and thriving downtown. Delray Beach became a winter resort where artists, writers and cartoonists came to escape the brutal winters and hone their crafts. Nationally known cartoonists Fontaine Fox and W.E. Pat Enright were among the luminaries who called Delray home.
Today, history plays a big role in the city's identity and future direction. Delray Beach is considered a leading figure in the state's growing historic preservation movement. The city has designated several neighborhoods as historic districts; places where residents are encouraged to preserve old homes as a living link to Delray's illustrious past.