Delray Beach Historical Society archivist Dorothy ‘Dottie’ Patterson’s base of operations is in the Ethel Sterling Williams Learning Center at Hunt House. Photo by Jerry Lower
Dorothy “Dottie” Patterson has a passion for art, history and barrier islands. She grew up in southeast Georgia and lived on St. Simon’s Island before moving to South Florida in the early 1980s. Today, she lives on another island — Delray Beach’s barrier island.
Her passion for history is obvious in her role as the archivist for the Delray Beach Historical Society. As the sole staff member, she’s responsible for planning exhibits, maintaining the Cason Cottage collection, and the archives of historical photographs and documents that are housed in the historic Cason Cottage House Museum at 5 NE First St., one block north of Old School Square.
Patterson’s favorite collections are the paintings and architectural drawings, the original mid-century cartoons and the Beachcomber Collection, with items as diverse as baby seahorses, Florida land snails from the Everglades and even Coppertone sun lotion caps, which residents find combing the local beaches.
She loves to frequent East Atlantic Avenue and to dine in many of the restaurants that are housed in historic buildings, such as Jimmy’s Bistro on Swinton Avenue, Gol! Restaurant in the Arcade Building, the Falcon House or even Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, which is located in a former Howard Johnson’s.
And when she’s is not enjoying the ocean or Atlantic Avenue, Patterson likes to travel to her rustic cottage on yet another island, Guanaja, part of the Bay Islands off the north coast of Honduras.
While visiting Honduras with a friend, Patterson fell in love with the peace and quiet of the island. She later purchased a small beach cottage with her brother. Hurricane Mitch destroyed the original cottage in 1998, but Patterson rebuilt and now vacations there when she is not in Delray or in California visiting her son and grandsons.
In Guanaja, says Patterson, “I sit in the hammock and read book after book. I can really concentrate when I am visiting. The island only recently got electricity and I don’t have a TV or computer there. I have the time to cook everything from scratch. I relax, go boating, fishing and hiking — it’s a true getaway.”
— Jan Engoren
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I grew up in Southeast Georgia, although my family lived in Florida for many years. I was a pre-med student at Emory University in Atlanta and then transferred to the University of Florida, where I earned my BA in history. I earned a second undergraduate degree in art at FAU.
Q. Tell us about your role at the Delray Beach Historical Society.
A. In 1991, I was hired by the DBHS as a docent and arranged tours for the local schools to come and visit the Historical Society. At that time we were transitioning the archives from the Cornell Museum to the new Ethel Sterling Williams Learning Center and I helped raise funds to convert the former classroom into a state-of-the-art archival center.
My primary role at the DBHS is to protect the archive, to add to the archive and to develop programs related to that archive. I use the archive to reach out to the community, to invite them to participate in cultural events, to alert them to what we are doing and to use it as a way to convey our history as a community in Delray Beach. The archives are the foundation of everything we do.
I create lectures based on the archive, I write articles, create exhibits, give tours, etc. Last year we had an exhibit of vintage clothing, circa 1915-1935, and this year I am planning an exhibit on the handicrafts of local women and one on our collection of World War I memorabilia. I always have a lot of ideas.
Q. Have you had other careers (or hobbies), and what were the highlights?
A. Yes. I’ve had a very varied career. During the 1970s, I worked as a social worker for the state of Florida with the mentally handicapped. After that, I earned my real estate broker’s license and worked for the GE Real Estate Project at the Coronada Ocean Club in Highland Beach as an office manager. I also earned my American Society of Interior Decorator’s license and helped people choose their tile, flooring and color choices for their condo unit.
But, my favorite job is my current job. I am doing what I love — historical research and creating exhibits on a variety of topics of interest to me, and I hope, to the visitors who come to the museum every day.
Q. How did you choose to have a home in Delray Beach?
A. Before moving to Delray Beach, I lived in both Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton. In 1983, I wanted to buy property and was looking in Delray. At that time, some of the neighborhoods were deteriorating and in disrepair and prices were low. I bought a small, 1925-era apartment building on Northeast Second Avenue and lived in the owner-unit in the building until 2000, when I sold it and moved to a townhouse by the beach.
During the mid-1980s, I was actively involved in the revitalization of Pineapple Grove. We have these pictures in our archive. In the 1950-’60s, Pineapple Grove was a thriving commercial thoroughfare but fell into neglect in the 1980s. Now, in 2010, it is once again a vibrant, thriving commercial district.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray Beach?
A. I like everything about Delray. I like my house; I like my job; I like the beach, even though I don’t go as often as I would like. I like the history, I like the palm trees, I like the old buildings and the sense of community. When you go out and about in the old part of town, (east of I-95), you always see someone you know.
Q. What book are you reading now?
A. I think about books a lot and even keep a book journal. I belong to a book club and just reported on the book No Ordinary Time, an insight into the Roosevelt presidency during World War II by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
I have several books I would like to read, including Monuments Men, by Robert M. Edsel, detailing the true story of how special forces of American and British museum directors, curators and art historians risked their lives after WWII to recover and prevent the destruction of thousands of years of art and culture looted by the Nazis.
As you see, this book combines both of my favorite topics — art and history.
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. I love Latin music, including Mexican-style ranchero music, flamenco, romantic bachata music from the Dominican Republic, and Portuguese fado music. I love the rhythm. It gives me energy to work and inspires me to take tango lessons.
To relax, I listen to Latin ballads and ranchero music by Mexican singer Vicente Fernández and fado music by the Portuguese singer Mariza. I also love NPR’s classical music programming.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. I like quotes from Shakespeare and the King James version of the Bible — anything with beautiful, colorful words, but with a sharp edge. ... Favorites include the Creole proverb: “When you die, the grass grows over the door,” and the Greek adage, “Count no man fortunate until he is safely dead.”
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. Both my parents and grandparents were strong influences in my life. I also had a chemistry teacher in college we called “Tiger Jones,” because of his red hair and the way he paced back and forth in the classroom. Most schoolwork came easy to me, but his class was a difficult mathematically based chemistry class. He taught me to dig deeper and harder and how to study effectively. I used to get test anxiety and I was a bit dyslexic. In those days we didn’t use calculators and had to work out the problems manually. With his help, I went from a D to a B+ and learned a good lesson and work ethic from him. I will never forget him.
Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. Usually, I don’t focus on the celebrity culture, but a more serious British stage actress might be able to portray me. I’ve been told I resemble the British actress Emma Thompson, so I would honored to have her play me. ... Most people think that being an archivist is boring or bookish. But, my life has not been boring or normal at all. I’d say I had an unconventional life.
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