Wellington: A Residential Mecca
THEN AND NOW
Story by Deborah Welky • Photos by Abner Pedraza
Before the 1970s, what is now Wellington was gladiola and strawberry fields as far as the eye could see. In 1972, plans were finalized to turn the land into a thriving residential mecca. It was the largest single development ever approved in Palm Beach County. The goal was to create a well-thoughtout community. People laughed. Wellington didn’t even have a beach. What on earth would be the attraction? Yet even before the first polo pony set hoof in Wellington, curious people were making the drive west to see what Wellington had to offer. Many found the peace and quiet they desired with stars at night and charming individual neighborhoods. Aside from the recent downturn, Wellington has long remained a hot residential commodity. With real estate
once again on the move, we sought out some of the people who have kept the dream of Wellington alive across five decades.
Beverly and Dennis Spriggs were staying with parents and looking to rent a duplex when they arrived in April 1978 with their young children, Nicole and Traci. “We had built a home six years before, in Virginia, and I didn’t want to go
through that again,” Beverly recalled. “We were really looking for a larger home than we bought, but there were no resales in Wellington, everything was new.” But a “Model House for Sale” sign in the Eastwood neighborhood caught their eye. “The builder, Floyd Wright, only built a few homes here, then went to the west coast to build condos,” Dennis said. Life in early Wellington required a pioneering spirit. There were few activ-
Beverly and Dennis Spriggs arrived in April 1978 with their young children. Life in early Wellington required a pioneering spirit. There were few activities for kids on the outskirts of civilization.
24 24 September September 2014 2014 |wellington |wellington the the magazine| magazine| 10th 10th Anniversary Anniversary