West Settlers Historical District
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 26° 27.760 W 080° 04.696
17R E 591882 N 2927252
Located on 5th Ave just north of Atlantic Ave. 60 NW 5th Ave. A similar marker is located at NW 4th Ave and NW 2nd St.
Waymark Code: WMRTX9
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 08/04/2016
Views: 8
The West Settlers community, established in 1894 as Delray Beach’s first African-American community, was self-sufficient with commercial buildings and churches serving its residents. Originally N Blackmer Street, NW 5th Avenue was the hub of business and social activities. The building at the northwest comer of NW 1st Street and NW 5th Avenue was known as “The Fountainette” and contained a soda fountain, doctor’s offices, and a pharmacy. The pharmacy, run by Dr. Simon Barnes, was the only one to serve the African-American community. The former residence of Delray’s most prominent black educator and community leader, Solomon D. Spady, is located at 170 NW 5th Avenue. The circa 1926 Mission Revival structure is now a museum primarily dedicated to African-American history. One of the community’s earliest builders was William Robinson who developed the property at 315-317 NW 1st Street for his wife, Essie, in 1902. The Robinson homestead, one of the first in the area to have electricity, running water, and a telephone, was designated an official Red Cross hurricane shelter in the 1940s. In 1997, the community was locally designated the West Settlers Historic District.
Marker Number: F-668
Date: 2009
County: Palm Beach
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: The City of Delray Beach, EPOCH (Expanding & Preserving Our Cultural Heritage, Inc.) and the Florida Department of State
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.