800 S County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480

Significance

The State Library and Archives of Florida preserves an archival photograph cataloged as the Arthur B. Claflin house. The Town identifies the architect as Mizner and the style as Mediterranean Revival. The archival identity is useful for locating early images; it does not establish which historic elements survive today. A design label and a current appraisal description serve different purposes, so neither substitutes for examining approved plans and the existing building. The county classifies the parcel as 0100, SINGLE FAMILY, records 2 units, and reports total parcel building area of 27,133 square feet. That total is not a claim of interior living area. Compare the building and subarea schedule with a measured survey before using it in valuation. The legal description should control parcel matching when street names, historical estate names, or accessory buildings create ambiguity.

Documented timeline

1. 1923

   Town historical construction record

   The Town's landmark inventory gives the historical year as 1923, style as Mediterranean Revival, and architectural attribution as Mizner. The county structural record uses 1928; the sources do not explain the difference.[2][1]

2. 1980

   Town landmark designation

   The Town's Historic Resources Map gives 22 May 1980 as the designation date for this parcel. The address and parcel identifier match the dossier. Obtain the designation report and subsequent approvals to establish the scope of protected features.[2]

3. 1983

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 May 1983, $100, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 03944 / 00271. The nominal amount is not evidence of market value or proof of the transfer purpose. The underlying instrument must be read before assigning a legal explanation.[1]

4. 1983

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 October 1983, $1,300,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 04064 / 01213. 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]

5. 1987

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 September 1987, $1,600,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 05423 / 01639. 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]

6. 2007

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 31 December 2007, $10, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 22354 / 01808. The nominal amount is not evidence of market value or proof of the transfer purpose. The underlying instrument must be read before assigning a legal explanation.[1]

7. 2020

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 13 January 2020, $24,000,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 31170 / 00173. 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 a trust; personal names are omitted. Its latest instrument reference is Official Records 31170 / 00173. 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 13 January 2020, with $24,000,000 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 50-43-43-35-00-001-0020 and the county legal description, 35-43-43, S 200 FT OF N 691.52 FT OF GOV LT 1 LYG W OF & ADJ TO COUNTY RD, 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 31170 / 00173 and the preceding instruments from the Clerk. Compare instrument dates, recording stamps, legal descriptions, and consideration. The 13 January 2020 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 2 unit count, property-use classification, and 27,133 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.
• Obtain the Town landmark designation report and subsequent certificates of appropriateness. The current Town review page assigns landmark and historically significant building review to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Establish the required review for the specific exterior, landscape, or courtyard work before pricing a renovation.
• 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.