Preserving Delray Beach’s Heritage: The Transformation of the Historic Wellbrock House
When you look at the Wellbrock House, you might not realize that it’s lived a very full life for a house! The CRA team is proud to be a part of the century-long life of the home, and to also give it new life. If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a little snapshot of the Wellbrock House.
The historic Wellbrock House was designed by the first registered architect in Delray Beach, Samuel Ogren Jr. in the 1920s for J.C. Wellbrock, a prominent produce broker in the city. For nearly 100 years, it called 215 N.E. Seventh Ave. home.
The house was sold several times over the years, and in April 2019, the property was acquired by a local developer with plans to demolish the house and construct residential townhomes on the site. Because the house was not within a historic district and had no historic designation, there was no protection in place to stop the plans for demolition. This is when the CRA team stepped in.
Historic preservation is a major objective of the CRA, and once plans for demolition were being established, the team took swift action to preserve the historic home through relocation. Not only that, but due to the growing needs of the CRA team, they made plans to use the home as office space, thus giving it new meaning and purpose. The relocation project began in May 2019 and ended in November 2019, and renovations were completed in summer 2022.
For the beautiful icing on the cake, the CRA went a step further and worked to have the Wellbrock House added to the local historic register. This preservation effort not only saved a piece of our architectural heritage but also exemplifies how historic preservation stimulates community development and maintains our connection to the past.
It’s an amazing win for the CRA team, the city of Delray Beach, and Samuel Ogren, Jr.’s legacy. It takes a committed team to help preserve and celebrate Delray’s history, and it’s an honor for the CRA team to both be a part of the process and enjoy the house for many, many years to come.
The new home of the Wellbrock House is 22 N. Swinton Ave. Stop by and say hi!
