A historic Prairie School home in Boca Raton, long misattributed to Addison Mizner, but actually designed by Hermann V. von Holst.
At a glance
The Lavender House, also known as the Hermann V. von Holst House, is a historic home at 875 Alamanda Street in Boca Raton, Florida. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1995. The house is one of only two National Register-listed properties in the city.
History
The house stands in the Floresta neighborhood, whose early history is often misunderstood. Modern real estate agents in Boca Raton tend to attribute von Holst’s residential work there to Addison Mizner, the better-known developer. Mizner did serve as the general contractor and developer of Floresta in its initial stage.
But the architectural plans for these homes were by von Holst. He was a distinguished Chicago Prairie School architect who relocated to Florida specifically for this project. Soon after the neighborhood was begun, Mizner defaulted on payments to contractors. Von Holst and others successfully sued him.
Von Holst then took chief responsibility for nurturing Floresta to success. Lucy von Holst, along with the wives of the two remaining partners, John Verhoeven and Fred Aiken, prepared unsold homes for stylish winter rentals for snowbirds. This history has been carefully documented by Dr. Donald W. Curl in the journal of the Boca Raton Historical Society.
What you see
The Lavender House reflects the Prairie School design principles of its architect, Hermann V. von Holst. The street address places it within the historic residential fabric of old Floresta, a neighborhood whose early homes share a common architectural language drawn from von Holst’s Chicago background.
Cultural significance
The house carries architectural significance as a documented work of von Holst, correcting a widespread local misattribution to Mizner. It is one of two houses listed in the National Register in Boca Raton. The other is the Fred C. Aiken House, two blocks away. Fred C. Aiken, Boca Raton’s third mayor, lived there for 31 years.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Boca Raton, Florida
- Coordinates: 26.3514, -80.1039
- National Register of Historic Places: added February 24, 1995
Practical information & getting there
The Lavender House is located at 875 Alamanda Street, within the Floresta neighborhood of Boca Raton. The Fred C. Aiken House is two blocks away. Both are private residences; viewing is from the street.
Sources & resources
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