The Historic Wellbrock House is Complete!
A house that was built in the 1920s has lovingly found a new home and is welcoming a new title, all thanks to the CRA’s team efforts.
The Historic Wellbrock House was designed by the first registered architect in Delray Beach, Samuel Ogren, Jr. It’s roots were established at 215 N.E. Seventh Avenue for almost 100 years, but found reason to move when the area was going to be redeveloped. In an effort to preserve the home, the CRA managed the relocation and redesign of the house to fit its new purpose, which is additional CRA office space.
Now located at 22 N. Swinton Ave., the House marked its final journey with renovations completed Summer 2022. The recent housewarming event was an open invite to the Delray Beach community to join the CRA in celebrating the milestone event.
“It has been quite a journey – literally and figuratively – to get to this point and we are all excited that the renovation turned out so well,” said Christine Tibbs, CRA Assistant Director, who recognizes that the community has been a part of the process since the beginning.
The project entailed prepping the current site of the building and building out the foundation on which the building is tied down, moving the house to its current location, repairing the exterior siding, part of the chimney, part of the roof, balconies, and renovating the interior space for office use.
The kitchen area saw the biggest transformation as the area was turned into a staff break room, ADA compliant bathroom, and a reception area. The downstairs living area and sunroom remain true to how they looked prior to the renovation, just with a new coat of paint and new uses as a CRA conference room and an office.
The two upstairs bedrooms also remain true to how they looked prior to the renovation, just with a new coat of paint and new uses as two offices. The upstairs bathroom was partially renovated – the bathtub was taken out and a wall was put up to split the room in half; there is now an IT closet where the bathtub was ann the half bath (toilet and sink) remain.
“Older, unmaintained structures can contribute to dilapidated conditions within a community,” Tibbs said. “Historic preservation serves many purposes within a community and is an important part of the Delray CRA mission because by renovating and repurposing existing older, historic buildings, it revitalizes the built environment and helps to improve the surrounding community, can serve to spur further private development within the area, and give the community a sense of place and a tangible, visible connection to the past.”
The CRA not only helped to preserve the House, but was also able to get the House designated as historic and placed on the local historic register.
“Everyone who has had the chance to visit Wellbrock House has enjoyed seeing the new space and also the preserved original features of the home that are from the 1920s. It’s a wonderful addition to the Delray CRA and the local historic register.”
