James D. and Alice Butler House facts for kids
|
James D. and Alice Butler House
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Deerfield Beach, Florida |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 95000916 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | 28 July 1995 |
The James D. and Alice Butler House, often called the Butler House, is a special historic house museum in Deerfield Beach, Florida. You can find it at 380 East Hillsboro Boulevard. This historic home was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1995. This means it's a very important place in American history.
About the Butler House
The Butler House was built in the Mediterranean Revival style. This style often features red tile roofs and stucco walls, making it look like homes found in Mediterranean countries. It was the home of James D. and Alice Wood Butler, who were important early settlers and leaders in Deerfield Beach.
How the House Was Built
Alice Butler found the plans for their new home in a popular magazine called Ladies' Home Journal in September 1923. The house was built on nearly four city lots. The Gulfstream Lumber Company from Delray built it for about $10,000. This was a lot of money back then! The house was built on the same spot where the Butlers had bought a home in 1912 for just $300.
The building is made from strong hollow tiles. Inside, the walls are made of plaster over lath, which is a traditional way to build walls. The roof is covered with beautiful Spanish terracotta tiles.
Becoming a Historic Site
In 1974, the Butler House was named a Florida Historic Site. This means it's recognized as an important historical place in Florida. A few years later, in 1977, the Butler family gave the house and its land to the Deerfield Beach Historical Society. This society now runs the house as a historic house museum, so people can visit and learn about its past.
Life at the Butler House Today
The Butler House has been carefully restored. Many of the original items and furniture are still inside. For example, the wicker furniture that the Butlers bought in 1923 for $500 is still there. You can also see hats from the "flapper" era, which was a popular style in the 1920s. There's even a special bathtub with "lion's paw" feet!
One interesting story is about the dining room table. The original table was used to protect a window during a big storm called the San Felipe Segundo hurricane in 1928. Because of this, a new dining room table had to be put in.
The house is open to the public monthly, so visitors can explore it. The property also has a very old, one-hundred-year-old Banyan tree. The Deerfield Beach Historical Society often holds events under this large tree. The society uses the property as a place for events and keeps its main office there, in addition to running the museum.
