June 9, 1903: Fire destroys Flagler's Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach
Breakers Hotel fire, 1903. Photo: Florida Memory
Just seven years after its 1896 opening in what would become the posh resort of Palm Beach, Henry Flagler's hotel, The Breakers, caught fire during an expansion project and burned down. Flagler ordered the hotel rebuilt immediately, and it reopened on Feb. 1, 1904 with 425 rooms.
Guests included the nation's most rich and famous, with names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Astor. Rooms started at $4 a night, including three meals. The hotel burned again in 1925 and it was rebuilt yet again, reopening late in 1926 with 550 rooms. In 1973, the 105-acre Breakers Hotel Complex, with 15 buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Guests included the nation's most rich and famous, with names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Astor. Rooms started at $4 a night, including three meals. The hotel burned again in 1925 and it was rebuilt yet again, reopening late in 1926 with 550 rooms. In 1973, the 105-acre Breakers Hotel Complex, with 15 buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.