Yesteryear Village Renovation Underway
Yesteryear Village, a historical complex on the South Florida Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach, Fla., has begun to undergo an ambitious renovation. Organizers have developed a strategic plan to make the village period time appropriate and more historically accurate. The plan, known as the “1-3-5 Year Plan,” has three phases.
The first phase is to remove all structures that are not authentic to the time period of the village. These include two pole barns, a homemade jail, and a saloon. This work was completed in early April. The next phase calls for the relocation of four buildings. The pineapple processing plant, the railroad building, the tax collector/jail, and the shoe shop will be relocated after the annual Sweet Corn Fiesta in late April. A barn that is currently being used for storage will be renovated to house the print shop and firehouse. Construction of a general store and the removal of Barn C will follow. The cost of this phase is estimated at $50,000. The third phase proposes a bank, gas station, and gazebo to be located or replicated.
“The goal is to have the village and its buildings better represent what they actually were in a time period that covers 1895 to 1945,” stated South Florida Fairgrounds Chief Operating Officer Victoria Chouris. |
