Is Old Northwood the same as the Northwood Historic District?

The National Register listing is the Old Northwood Historic District, and Old Northwood is the name in everyday use. It is bounded by Broadway, North Dixie Highway, and 26th and 35th Streets. Northwood is also used more loosely for surrounding areas including the nearby commercial village, so confirm which boundary a listing or a rule is referring to before relying on it.

What renovation rules apply in Old Northwood?

The district was locally designated in 1991, so city historic preservation review applies. Exterior changes require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Additions under roughly 10 percent of footprint where visible from the front, or 20 percent where not, may be approved at staff level. Larger work and every demolition in the district require Historic Preservation Board approval, contributing buildings included.

Why do sources give different building counts?

The National Register summary describes about 320 historic buildings across roughly 90 acres, while the neighborhood association describes 173 contributing structures built between 1921 and 1929. They measure different sets, total historic stock against a narrower period based contributing group, and the 2 figures have not been reconciled against the original nomination document here.

Is Old Northwood on the Intracoastal?

No. Its eastern boundary is Broadway, which runs west of Flagler Drive, so the district sits a short distance inland from the Intracoastal rather than on it. That does not settle flood exposure. Zone designations and base flood elevations are assigned parcel by parcel, so look the specific address up on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Neighborhoods

Is the Northwood Historic District in West Palm Beach a good place to buy?

Last updated · 2026-09-16

Key facts

Local historic district designation: 1991, described as the first locally designated historic district in West Palm Beach^[2]
National Register listing: April 14, 1994, reference number 94000368^[1]
District size: About 90 acres and 320 historic buildings^[1]
Contributing structures and build period: 173 contributing structures built between 1921 and 1929, by more than 50 individual builders, per the neighborhood association^[2]
Reported portal snapshots: 919,000 dollar median sale price in an October 2025 snapshot, up 3.5 percent year over year, and 1,152,500 dollars in a February 2026 snapshot^[7]

Designation came early here, and it is the local one that binds

Old Northwood was designated a City of West Palm Beach historic district in 1991, which the neighborhood association describes as the first such designation in the city, 3 years ahead of the National Register listing on April 14, 1994 under reference number 94000368. The federal listing is honorific and unlocks programs. The local designation is what brings a property under design review.

The practical effect is the same set of rules that applies across the city's designated districts. Exterior changes require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Additions under roughly 10 percent of the building footprint where visible from the front, and roughly 20 percent where not visible, can be approved at staff level, and everything larger goes to the Historic Preservation Board. All demolition inside the district requires board approval, including for buildings not treated as contributing. On the other side of the ledger, Ordinance No. 4672-16 allows qualifying rehabilitation value to be exempted from city and county ad valorem tax increases for up to 10 years, with the application filed before work starts.

Two different building counts, and what they mean

The National Register listing summary describes about 90 acres and 320 historic buildings. The neighborhood association separately describes 173 contributing structures built between 1921 and 1929 by more than 50 individual builders. Those numbers are not a contradiction so much as 2 different measurements, one counting the historic building stock in the district and the other counting a narrower set from the platted boom period. Neither has been reconciled here against the underlying nomination document.

For a buyer this matters in only 1 way. Whether the specific house is classified as contributing affects how the Historic Preservation Board treats an alteration or a demolition request. That classification lives in the city's district inventory, not in the listing summary, and it should be confirmed for the address before any renovation budget is set.

What the housing stock is, and what it demands

The association describes the dominant styles as Frame Vernacular built in Dade County pine, Mission, Mediterranean Revival, and Mid Century Vernacular, with work by architects including John Volk, Gustav Maass, William Manley King, and T.B. Eissfeldt. The district is also laid out with a rear alley network serving garages and utility areas, which is unusual among West Palm Beach historic districts and changes how a lot can be used.

Frame construction of that age means a specific inspection list. Wood framing and original openings drive both the renovation cost and the insurance quote. Pull the city permit history for the address, and run the city's water service line inventory tool to check whether the property is served by a lead line, which is a live question on parcels of this era.

Contributing or non contributing status, from the city district inventory.
Permit history for additions, roofs, electrical, and plumbing.
Water service line lookup for lead, and wind mitigation and 4 point inspection findings for the insurance quote.
Alley access and garage placement, which affect what can be added at the rear.

Position, flood, and price

The district is bounded by Broadway, North Dixie Highway, and 26th and 35th Streets. Broadway is the eastern boundary and runs west of Flagler Drive, so Old Northwood sits within a short distance of the Intracoastal without fronting it. No parcel level FEMA flood zone was established for this district in the research behind this page, and none should be inferred from the neighborhood name. Look the address up on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. West Palm Beach holds a Community Rating System Class 5 rating, which carries a 25 percent discount on National Flood Insurance Program premiums citywide.

On price, the portal snapshots move a lot. A snapshot dated October 2025 reported a 919,000 dollar median sale price, up 3.5 percent year over year, while a later snapshot reported 1,152,500 dollars for February 2026. A district of a few hundred houses closes few enough sales in a month that a single high closing shifts the median. Use the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser sales search for recorded prices on the blocks you are actually considering.

What the records cannot show

Whether a specific house is classified as contributing. That sits in the city's district inventory, not in the National Register summary.
How the Historic Preservation Board will rule on a proposed addition or a demolition request.
The flood zone or base flood elevation for a parcel, which requires a FEMA map lookup by address.
The condition of original frame construction behind finished walls.
What a seller paid for a renovation, or whether the work was permitted.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Old Northwood the same as the Northwood Historic District?: The National Register listing is the Old Northwood Historic District, and Old Northwood is the name in everyday use. It is bounded by Broadway, North Dixie Highway, and 26th and 35th Streets. Northwood is also used more loosely for surrounding areas including the nearby commercial village, so confirm which boundary a listing or a rule is referring to before relying on it.
What renovation rules apply in Old Northwood?: The district was locally designated in 1991, so city historic preservation review applies. Exterior changes require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Additions under roughly 10 percent of footprint where visible from the front, or 20 percent where not, may be approved at staff level. Larger work and every demolition in the district require Historic Preservation Board approval, contributing buildings included.
Why do sources give different building counts?: The National Register summary describes about 320 historic buildings across roughly 90 acres, while the neighborhood association describes 173 contributing structures built between 1921 and 1929. They measure different sets, total historic stock against a narrower period based contributing group, and the 2 figures have not been reconciled against the original nomination document here.
Is Old Northwood on the Intracoastal?: No. Its eastern boundary is Broadway, which runs west of Flagler Drive, so the district sits a short distance inland from the Intracoastal rather than on it. That does not settle flood exposure. Zone designations and base flood elevations are assigned parcel by parcel, so look the specific address up on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Sources & citations

Factual claims on this page are attributed to the sources below. Public records may lag current market activity. See methodology for the full data-use disclosure.

Wikipedia, summarizing the National Register of Historic Places nomination. National Register of Historic Places listing summary, Old Northwood Historic District. Accessed 2026-09-16. Research database — confidence: medium.
Claim supported: Old Northwood Historic District was listed on the National Register on April 14, 1994 under reference number 94000368, covers about 90 acres with 320 historic buildings, and is bounded by Broadway, North Dixie Highway, and 26th and 35th Streets.
Old Northwood Neighborhood Association. Old Northwood neighborhood history. Accessed 2026-09-16. Industry report — confidence: medium.
Claim supported: Old Northwood was the first locally designated historic district in West Palm Beach, designated in 1991, contains 173 contributing structures built between 1921 and 1929 by more than 50 builders, is laid out with a rear alley network, and features Frame Vernacular, Mission, Mediterranean Revival, and Mid Century Vernacular architecture.
City of West Palm Beach, Development Services. Historic Preservation FAQs. Accessed 2026-09-16. Public agency — confidence: high.
Claim supported: A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior work in a West Palm Beach designated historic district, smaller additions qualify for staff level review at roughly 10 percent and 20 percent of footprint, and all demolition in a district requires Historic Preservation Board approval.
City of West Palm Beach. Ordinance No. 4672-16, Historic Ad Valorem Tax Exemption. Accessed 2026-09-16. Primary public record — confidence: medium.
Claim supported: Qualified historic rehabilitation improvements may be exempted from city and county ad valorem tax increases for up to 10 years, with the application filed before work begins.
City of West Palm Beach, Development Services. Flood Information. Accessed 2026-09-16. Public agency — confidence: medium.
Claim supported: West Palm Beach holds a Community Rating System Class 5 rating, which carries a 25 percent discount on National Flood Insurance Program premiums for properties in the city.
City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities. Water Service Line Inventory. Accessed 2026-09-16. Public agency — confidence: medium.
Claim supported: The city publishes an address level water service line inventory tool that lets an owner check whether a property is served by a lead service line.
Redfin. Old Northwood Historic District housing market portal snapshots, October 2025 and February 2026. Published 2025-10. Accessed 2026-09-16. Brokerage report — confidence: low.
Claim supported: A portal snapshot dated October 2025 reported a 919,000 dollar median sale price, up 3.5 percent year over year, and a later snapshot reported 1,152,500 dollars for February 2026.
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. Palm Beach County Property Appraiser — Property Search and Public Records. Accessed 2025-12-01. Primary public record — confidence: high.
Claim supported: Parcel-level ownership, assessed value, taxable value, exemptions, and recorded characteristics for properties in Palm Beach County.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Accessed 2025-12-01. Public agency — confidence: high.
Claim supported: Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), Base Flood Elevations, and Special Flood Hazard Area designations for waterfront and coastal parcels.

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