561 North Lake Way - Duck's Nest, 1891, Landmark Designation
Scope and Contents
The Property File Collection houses over 3,000 property files that document vital information about the built environment of Palm Beach. The collection is arranged by address and contains brochures, photographs, newspaper articles, historic designaton reports, and other relevant property information. All files can be scanned upon request, although a majority are already digitized.
Dates
- 1891
- Event: Landmark Designation
Creator
- Maddock, Henry (Former owner, Person)
Biographical / Historical
Duck's Nest is considered to be the oldest house in Palm Beach owned continuously by the same family. Constructed in 1891 by Henry Maddock from two prefabricated homes shipped from New York via the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad, the Indian River Steamboat Company, and then the Lake Worth Railroad (also known as the "Celestial Railroad"). The two homes were placed parallel to eachother, and a room was constructed to connect them. The building was restored in the 1940s by Henry Maddock's grandson Paul Maddock. Duck's Nest was owned by members of the Maddock family for 125 years, only being sold to an outside individual in 2018. The name "Duck's Nest" comes from the ducks that used to roost in freshwater marsh that once sat to the east of the property, now filled in.
Duck’s Nest is integral to the architectural history of the town, just one year after the Landmarks Ordinance was passed, it was designated on April 17, 1980.
(Information taken from HABS documentation, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service)
Extent
2 File(s)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- Maddock, Henry (Former owner, Person)
- Wyeth, Marion Sims (1889-1982) (Architect, Person)
- Volk, John L. (1901-1984) (Architect, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Repository