The La Coquille Club, built in 1954, was one of the most significant mid-century modern buildings
in the area. The architect was Byron F. Simonson.
In 1934, Jacques and Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan bought land on the south end
of Hypoluxo Island, which they named Casa Alva. In 1957, William Benjamin II
bought the estate and turned it into The Manalapan Club.
Photos provided by the Historical Society of Palm Beach County
By Mary Thurwachter
Social clubs formed by Standard Oil scions Spelman Prentice and William Benjamin II were an important part of Manalapan’s history, according to local historian and author Augustus Mayhew. Mayhew addressed residents Jan. 19 as part of the town’s annual lecture series at the J. Turner Moore Memorial Library.
The La Coquille Club, now at Eau Palm Beach (formerly the Ritz-Carlton), was developed by Prentice, one of John D. Rockefeller’s grandsons.
“The original 1954 building, designed by architect Byron F. Simonson, was one of the most significant mid-century modern buildings in the area,” Mayhew said.
Club members were captains of industry, congressmen and people with names like Hutton, Ford, Vanderbilt and Rockefeller. It was a place to see and be seen. Guests lounged by the pool, sipped cocktails and danced the night away.
After the building was torn down, the Ritz-Carlton was built in its place and the club was housed there from 1991 to 2013, when the hotel became Eau Palm Beach.
Manalpan’s other social club, The Manalapan Club, was founded in 1957 in a home once owned by Jacques and Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan.
During the height of the Great Depression in 1934, the Balsans bought the south end of Hypoluxo Island and three nearby islands for $75,000. There already was a home on the 50-acre property, which had belonged to the John Demarest family, and it was called La Linda.
The Balsans added on to the house and renamed it Casa Alva, with designs by Treanor & Fatio architects. Sir Winston Churchill, a family friend and cousin of Consuelo’s first husband, visited Casa Alva several times and often spent his time painting scenes around the grounds. One of his paintings is hanging on a wall at the town library.
Benjamin bought Casa Alva in 1957, added 50 acres and filled in the islands to develop Point Manalapan. He also added rooms to the house.
In 1958, Benjamin unsuccessfully lobbied for a bridge between Point Manalapan and A1A.
The Manalapan Club had its home in Casa Alva from 1957 to 1976. The club included a nine-hole, par-3 golf course, game room, cocktail lounge, dining room, and suites for members during the season. Gala balls, fashion shows, lectures and bridge tournaments were among the club’s social activities.
After the club closed, Benjamin and his wife, Maura, lived at Casa Alva until 2013, when they sold the property to its present owner, investment banker and New York preservationist Gary W. Parr.
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Future speakers in the library series include Manalapan gardener and author Jack Staub, who will discuss the private gardens of South Florida on Feb. 16; international cellist Yehuda Hanani, who will talk about the narrative power of music on March 2; Hippocrates Health Institute health educator Philip Nicozisis, who will discuss the philosophy of food, a vegan perspective, on March 9; and musician and writer Juliette de Marcellus, who will give her lighthearted guide to why classical music is on the decline for the March 30 lecture.
Lectures are free to library members and $5 for others. For more information, see www.manalapan.org.
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