512 32nd Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Significance

Northwood was platted in 1921 by the Pinewood Development Company, whose principals the National Register nomination names as David F. Dunkle, Orrin Randolph, and G. W. Bingham. The 1994 nomination states that construction began in 1925 on 5 speculative houses in the district, at 440, 505, 511, 512, and 516 32nd Street. The nomination's building inventory carries 512 32nd Street as a residence of 1926 in Mediterranean Revival style, with a garage apartment of the same year recorded separately at 512 rear, and the address appears in the nomination's list of contributing buildings. The county record also carries 1926; the documents do not establish a precise completion date. No separate architect is named for this address in the nomination. The county classifies the parcel as 0800, MULTIFAMILY < 5 UNITS, records 3 units, and reports 3,839 square feet of total parcel building area. The figure must not be confused with interior living area or a legal rental entitlement.

Documented timeline

1. 1921

   Northwood platted

   The Northwood subdivision was platted by the Pinewood Development Company, whose principals the National Register nomination names as David F. Dunkle, Orrin Randolph, and G. W. Bingham.[2]

2. 1925 to 1926

   Speculative construction documented

   The National Register nomination documents construction beginning on 5 speculative houses in the district in 1925, including 512 32nd Street. The nomination inventory and the county record both date the house, and its rear garage apartment, to 1926.[2][1]

3. 1983

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 September 1983, $80,600, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 04040 / 01950. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

4. 1994

   District listed on the National Register

   The Old Northwood Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 14 April 1994 under reference number 94000368. The nomination counts 320 contributing and 115 noncontributing buildings.[2]

5. 1999

   Sold for $350,000

   The county record shows a sale of $350,000.[2][1]

6. 1999

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 May 1999, $350,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 11163 / 00118. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

7. 2019

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 7 October 2019, $650,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 30952 / 01653. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

8. 2021

   County quit claim entry

   The county sale-history table records 15 April 2021, $385,314, and quit claim, with Official Records reference 32450 / 01583. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

9. 2023

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 27 October 2023, $2,200,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 34719 / 01278. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

Ownership of record

The county summary identifies the owner of record as individual owners; personal names are omitted. Its latest instrument reference is Official Records 34719 / 01278. Use that book and page to retrieve the underlying Clerk instrument and compare the legal description with a current title commitment. The summary is an index to that work, not a title opinion. It cannot establish beneficial ownership, signing authority, current occupancy, private agreements, or the absence of a later instrument that has not reached the appraisal record.

Current status

The latest entry in the county sale-history table is dated 27 October 2023, with $2,200,000 and instrument type warranty deed. This describes the county record reviewed on 1 October 2026. It does not establish current availability or all terms of a transaction.

Buyer diligence

• Match parcel 74-43-43-09-05-024-0030 and the county legal description, NORTHWOOD ADD LTS 3 & 4 BLK 24, to the survey and title commitment. Do not rely only on the street address or historic estate name when deciding what land and improvements a transaction includes.
• Retrieve Official Records 34719 / 01278 and the preceding instruments from the Clerk. Compare instrument dates, recording stamps, legal descriptions, and consideration. The 27 October 2023 date here is specifically the date in the Property Appraiser's sale-history table, which can differ from a reported closing date.
• Reconcile the county's 3 unit count, property-use classification, and 3,839 square feet of total parcel building area with approved plans and an inspection. Accessory structures, garages, and semi-finished areas can affect these fields; the total is not a verified living-area measurement or permission for separate rental use.
• Ask the City of West Palm Beach to confirm current local historic designation, the address-specific inventory record, and the approvals needed for proposed exterior work. A National Register nomination is historical evidence; it does not by itself establish that a particular present project has approval.
• Compare the building card, permit history, and physical inspection. A recorded construction year is a starting point for locating plans, not a warranty of original materials, present structural condition, or completion of later work. Request records for additions and accessory structures as well as the main house.
• Obtain the applicable current FEMA flood map and any elevation certificate before seeking insurance terms. This dossier has not made a parcel flood-zone determination, priced coverage, inspected flood mitigation work, or confirmed the condition of drainage, seawalls, roofing, or concealed building systems.

What the record cannot show

• The complete economic terms of a transaction, private agreements, personal property allocations, or the motivation for a nominal transfer.
• Beneficial ownership behind an entity or trust, current occupants, seller intentions, or the authority of a person to sign a future agreement.
• Whether historical architectural features remain intact or whether an appraisal characteristic corresponds to permitted, completed work.
• Current insurance eligibility and pricing, concealed defects, survey encroachments, or all title exceptions. Those require separate records and professional investigation.