How Florida Pulled Off the Greatest Glow-Up of the Gilded Age
If you're a fan of HBO's The Gilded Age as much as I am, you start to think... what was happening in Florida during all of this? With all the high-society drama in New York, the arrogance of Mrs. Astor, and the shade between the Russells and the Van Rhijns, Florida feels like a complete afterthought. The truth is, for most of the era, it was. But like the talk in Mrs. Fish's parlor room, there’s more to the story. It’s a tale of two railroad moguls, one visionary and determined woman, and how a one fateful event changed Florida forever.
Florida: Where Two Tycoons Threw Down the Tracks
The Gilded Age in Florida wasn't about the Vanderbilts, it was about two men with big money and even bigger egos: Henry Flagler and Henry Plant. Think of them as the rival magnates in a reality TV show, competing to see who could build the most extravagant hotels and lay the most railroad track.
Henry Flagler, who made a fortune with John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, was Florida's undisputed hype man. He saw our state and thought, "You know what this place needs? More luxury!" He bought up a bunch of small railroad lines, creating the Florida East Coast Railway, and started building insanely opulent hotels along the coast. These weren't your average roadside motels, we're talking grand palaces like the Hotel Ponce de León in St. Augustine and the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach. They were so luxurious, they'd make the Russell family's New York mansion look a little… tame.
Not to be outdone, his friendly rival, Henry Plant, was busy doing the same thing on the west coast. He built his own railroad and dropped the stunning Tampa Bay Hotel, a Moorish Revival-style palace that was so over-the-top it came with its own fleet of steamships. This friendly competition between the two "Henrys" turned a vast swamp into a winter playground for the ultra-wealthy.
Miami's Origin Story: A Gilded Age Plot Twist
Here's a fun fact that feels straight out of a script: Miami as we know it didn't even exist during most of the Gilded Age. The area was just a tiny settlement known as Fort Dallas. The fate of our city all came down to one stubborn woman and a perfectly timed weather disaster.
Julia Tuttle, a wealthy landowner, kept trying to convince Henry Flagler to extend his railroad south from Palm Beach, But in the winter of 1894–1895, a brutal freeze wiped out citrus crops everywhere in Central Florida... except for Miami.
Flagler was sold. His railroad arrived in 1896, and with it, the foundation for our city. He dredged a channel, built roads, and installed the first water and power systems. On July 28, 1896, the City of Miami was officially born.
So while the Gilded Age was winding down everywhere else, Miami's story was just beginning. It was this era of bold ambition and massive development that set the stage for our own Glenn Curtiss to later come along and build the amazing Miami Springs we all love today.
Next time you hear about the Gilded Age, just remember that we weren't a footnote—we were just getting started!
Royal Poinciana Hotel
Built in 1894 by industrialist Henry Flagler, the Royal Poinciana Hotel was the first of his grand projects in South Florida. Located in Palm Beach, this massive wooden structure transformed the area into a premier winter destination for tourists.
At its peak, the hotel was considered the largest wooden structure and largest hotel in the world, boasting nearly 1,100 rooms and accommodating up to 2,000 guests. The hotel's success, alongside its sister property, The Breakers, fueled the rapid development of Palm Beach.
However, the hotel's glory was short-lived. Following a devastating hurricane in 1928 and the economic downturn of the Great Depression, the Royal Poinciana Hotel struggled. It closed its doors for good in 1934 and was tragically demolished the following year.
Villa Zorayda
Built in 1883, the Villa Zorayda in St. Augustine, Florida, was the extravagant winter home of Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith. Inspired by Spain's 12th-century Alhambra Palace, Smith named his creation after a princess from Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra.
In 1913, the castle and its art collection were sold to Abraham Mussallem, an antiquities merchant. Now a museum, the Villa Zorayda is still owned by the Mussallem family and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It stands as a testament to its original creator's vision and the historic art collection he and Mussallem curated.
Built in 1902, Whitehall is a 75-room Gilded Age palace in Palm Beach, Florida. The 60,000-square-foot mansion was the winter retreat of industrialist Henry Flagler, a key figure in the development of Florida's east coast.
Designed in the neoclassical Beaux-Arts style, Whitehall is considered a major architectural landmark. Today, it is open to the public as the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, celebrating the life and legacy of its builder. The building is also recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Whitehall
The Casements
The Casements, located in Ormond Beach, Florida, was once the winter residence of American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. This famous mansion, situated on a barrier island overlooking the Halifax River, is now owned by the city. It serves the community as a cultural center and park, preserving its history while offering a space for public enjoyment.
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, formerly known as Villa Vizcaya, is the stunning early 20th-century estate of businessman James Deering. Located on Biscayne Bay in Miami's Coconut Grove, this magnificent property features a villa designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, extensive Italian Renaissance gardens, and a historic village. The estate's design was a collaborative effort, with notable contributions from architect F. Burrall Hoffman and landscape architect Diego Suarez. Today, Vizcaya is owned by Miami-Dade County and is open to the public, easily accessible via the Vizcaya Metrorail Station.
Villa Vizcaya
El Mirasol
Completed in 1920, the magnificent El Mirasol was a 37-room Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in Palm Beach. Designed by the renowned architect Addison Mizner for financier Edward T. Stotesbury, the estate was a sprawling compound that stretched from the Intracoastal Waterway to the ocean. At its peak, it boasted a 40-car garage, a tea house, an auditorium, and even a private zoo. The mansion's lawn was famously used as a filming location for the 1926 silent film It's the Old Army Game. Tragically, this historic estate, which means "The Sunflower," was demolished in 1959.