The 1925 Alfred H. Wagg Corporation Building - commonly called the "Wedding Cake Building" - officially became a downtown West Palm Beach historic landmark on July 15.
The West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously approved the designation of the Wagg Building, located at 215 South Olive Avenue, as a municipal landmark property on the city's "Local Register of Historic Places" during its regular meeting.
The Wagg Building is a five-story Mediterranean Revival-style commercial building, designed by the local architectural firm of Harvey and Clarke, and built by contractor J.S. Wilson. The building was dedicated in March 1926 during a ceremony hosted by its civic-minded owner, Alfred Hoppock Wagg II, and served as the headquarters for his real estate and development company during the 1920's land boom era in Florida.
The office building earned the nickname of the "Wedding Cake Building" from its intricate molding and unique exterior detailing. The architects used the University Building in Salamanca, Spain, as a model and inspiration for the Wagg Building.
In its recommendation for approval as a city landmark, city staff reported, "Specifically, the building is at least 50 years old, it is associated with events that have made significant contribution to the broad patterns of the city's history, it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction..."
The Legacy of Alfred H. Wagg in West Palm Beach
Alfred H. Wagg, II was born Aug. 1, 1886 in New Jersey. He was the son of the Rev. Dr. Alfred (1861-1941) and Sara H. Jeffrey Wagg (1864-1943). Both his father and grandfather, John Wagg, were born in Burslem, England. They emigrated to America in the 19th century and served as pastors of Methodist congregations in New Jersey during most of their adult lives.
Alfred Wagg the younger departed from the family's ministerial tradition. After graduating from Dickinson College, he began a business career in New York City as a realtor and developer. His Amsterdam Development and Sales Company was one of city's leading real estate firms prior to World War I.
As a child he visited West Palm Beach with his parents. After a extended illness in New York, he returned to the Palm Beaches to recuperate as a seasonal winter resident in 1917. Wagg decided to make it his permanent home.
Wagg established his development company in West Palm Beach at a time when South Florida was experiencing its post-World War I land boom. The corporate slogan he used in local newspapers to promote his real estate projects was "We sell the Earth."
He developed the "Central Park" neighborhood in West Palm Beach. Wagg also promoted real estate sales in Briney Breezes, Loxahatchee Groves, Lake Park, Clewiston and residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Port of Palm Beach. True to his family tradition, he also financed the construction of a Methodist chapel on Garden Avenue in West Palm Beach.
The most ambitious of his many development projects was the "Estates of Palm Beach," a 125-acre subdivision extending from the Lake Worth Lagoon west to Dixie Highway. Today, the neighborhood, located just south of the Palm Beach Canal, is known as "College Park".
Profits from his real estate projects allowed the construction of the Wagg Building beginning in 1925 for $200,000. The developer resided in a Spanish Revival-style home on Brazilian Avenue in Palm Beach. He also owned a mansion called "Driftwood Manor" on Long Island.
Wagg served a two-year term in the Florida Senate beginning in 1926. He was reelected by the voters for a full four-year term, representing West Palm Beach in the Florida Legislature, from 1928 to 1932.
After retiring from state politics in 1932, he was selected as the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He also held an honorary title as a "commodore" in the Palm Beach Yacht Club.
The Great Depression not only crashed the stock market, it crushed the real estate market in Palm Beach County. The 10-year land boom became a bust for persons employed in the local real estate industry.
The Alfred Wagg Development Company became a victim of the business downturn. He was forced to sell his interest in the Wagg Building in a foreclosure sale. Wagg also sold his home in Palm Beach.
Alfred Wagg died July 1, 1937 from a cerebral hemorrhage while visiting Syracuse, NY. He was just 50 years of age. Both Wagg and his widow, Emma, were buried in the Hillcrest Memorial Park cemetery in West Palm Beach.
After many changes of ownership, the Wagg Building was acquired by Neil Seidman, the vice president of a cell phone tower company based in Boca Raton. He began restoring the Wagg Building to its original historic beauty four years ago as both a business opportunity and labor of love.
The designation of Wagg Building as a city landmark assures the community that the "Wedding Cake Building" can be admired for its architectural uniqueness for many years to come.
*NOTE: See additional articles below and archived in Older Posts.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
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