Lantana

South Florida Featured Cities: Lantana

Lantana is a delightful southeast Florida city, home to over 11,390 people. The city is the 15th largest out of 39 in Palm Beach County. Lantana encompasses around 3 miles in square feet packed with locally owned elective shops, world-class eateries, fascinating historic sites, and plenty of adventure. There are numerous Intracoastal parks and nature preserves, plus the Lantana Municipal Beach has 8 acres of land, with 745 feet of beach lined with a rock reef enjoyed by snorkelers. The beauty of Lantana Camara, a flowering shrub brought to FL in the late 1800s as a decorative plant, inspired the city's name. The overall Lantana city style is a prototype of Old Florida charm, featuring boating communities, beach bungalows, midcentury mansions, retro townhomes, vintage villas, and storybook ranch homes.

Life in Lantana

Although one of the smallest cities in the county, Lantana is also one of the oldest, established in 1921. At that time, the town was one square mile in size and home to 100 residents.  Since its origins, the community vibe has remained consistent. According to the Town of Lantana, the city's mission statement is to "preserve Lantana's small-town atmosphere through responsible government and quality service."  Residents appreciate that today, Lantana continues to grow and evolve, yet stays the same coastal fishing village of yesterday. The city has successfully created this dichotomy and continues to work at preserving it.  A stroll through Lantana allows the streets to reverberate the robust origins of the town, full of healing, humor, love, and kindness.

Lantana History

The history of this sleepy beach town is rich, complex, and diverse. Settlers had started trickling into the area after the 1842 Armed Occupation Act. Lantana's founder, Captain Morris Benson Lyman, came to the area around 1884. Soon after, he moved his family from Canada to Lantana in 1887. The Lyman's original 1889 Dade County pine home still stands today as the Old Key Lime House waterfront restaurant. Lyman established the Lantana post office in 1892, a stop on the 3-day 136-mile journey of the legendary Barefoot Mailman. Soon after, in 1894, the first public school came about. The site of the school moved a couple of times before 1929 when it settled into the current location, now a portion of Lantana Elementary School property.

Shortly after the 19th amendment passed, allowing women the legal right to vote, in 1921, Lantana became a real city. Lantana's first two mayors were women, Ellen Anderson and Mary Paddock. In 1925 the first bridge over the Intracoastal to the beach was erected, drastically improving transportation to the beach. The Southeast Tuberculosis Hospital, A.G. Holley State Hospital, opened in Lantana in 1950, surging new residents to the area. Frank Sinatra was said to have done a private concert for patients at the hospital on March 16th, 1959. In the centuries to follow, cases of tuberculosis continued to decline due to advanced treatment. In 2012, the building closed, then demolished in 2014.

Flash to June 11th during "the Summer of Love" in 1967. Lantana hosts approximately 1,500 people for Florida's First Love-in. The event promised a relaxed atmosphere with music and poetry. From motorcycle gangs to retirees, the event attracted a diverse crowd and more exposure to the area.

In 1971, Generoso Pope moved the headquarters of the tabloid National Enquirer from New York to Lantana. He began a tradition that brought thousands of visitors, each year, they'd create the "Worlds Largest Christmas Tree". This tradition stopped in 1988 when Pope passed away.