Palm Beach officials have resubmitted a proposal for a historic marker to honor fashion icon Lilly Pulitzer.
City Council on October 14. voted unanimously at the meeting in favor of the proposed sign, requested by the Florida Women’s Historic Marker Initiative, which would have been in front of the current Lilly Pulitzer store at 240 Worth Ave.
While council members said they supported the idea and appreciated the late Pulitzer’s contributions to the city, they questioned the placement of the sign, the precedent that allows a historical marker instead of a site, and the sign’s 6-foot height.
“I think maybe there’s a place where it could work, but where it’s being proposed right now has nothing to do with Lilly Pulitzer, and Via Mizner is a much more charming and quintessential design destination for Palm Beach,” Council President Bobbie Lindsay said. “So even with the size, which I’m having a hard time grasping, there might be places where it might fit perfectly.”
Pulitzer was a longtime Palm Beach resident who died in 2013 at age 81. She started her clothing line in the 1950s while working at a juice stand near Worth Avenue. She famously designed brightly patterned dresses because they disguised juice stains. Her first clothing boutique was at 11 Via Mizner.
“She had a story that everybody loves and she’s known all over the world,” said Lynette Long, founder of the Florida Women’s Historic Marker Initiative.
Mrs. Jerome Earl, from left, Mrs. Herbert “Lilly” Pulitzer, Mrs. Mary Alice Firestone and son Mark. Christmas Carols on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.
The council urged Long to look for a possible location on Via Mizner, rather than Worth Avenue in front of the store, which may not be the long-term Lully Pulitzer brand that opened in 1993. was sold to Sugartown Worldwide LLC, home. Via Mizner is a private property.
“I’d like to deny it, as much as I hate to do it to you,” Councilwoman Julie Araskog told Long. “But I think it sets a terrible precedent, and as much as I’d like to do that, there are a lot of people who would like to be recognized and we can run into them everywhere.”
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Suggested marker text includes information about Pulitzer’s time in Palm Beach and details about the early years of her eponymous brand.
Long said that in 2017 began an effort to have one historical marker in each of Florida’s 67 counties honoring a woman after learning that only six of the state’s 950 markers were dedicated to women.
This Lilly Pulitzer ad appeared in The Palm Beach Post in 1973. April 14
Since then, markers have been built for women like Julia Tuttle, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Amelia Earhart. November 4 initiative will be dedicated to record-setting long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad in Fort Lauderdale, Long said.
For a historical marker to be placed in Florida, someone must nominate the person to be honored, and that nomination is submitted to the Florida Historic Marker Program and reviewed by a panel of experts, Long said. As part of the process, Long said she needs to get support from whoever owns the property where the marker is planned. In this case, the right-of-way against the Lilly Pulitzer store on Worth Avenue belongs to the city.
Long received glowing letters of support for the marker from Lilly Pulitzer CEO Michelle Kelly and Worth Avenue Association President Frank Steinhart.
“Everybody loves the idea” of a Pulitzer marker, Long said. “For me, it puts women back in the history book,” she said.
Palm Beach will not have to pay for the marker or its maintenance, she said. Any costs would be covered by the donor, with the state providing the upkeep, Long said.
Nothing was submitted to the state because the town should have signed first, she said.
Palm Beach has six Florida historical markers, and all are for places, not people, council members noted.
Lindsay has spoken with members of the Pulitzer family, who like the idea of the marker but “admit it wasn’t her starting point,” she said.
The Council President Pro-Tem encouraged Long to contact the Palm Beach County Historical Society to find other potential candidates who may not be in Palm Beach. The council is likely to approve the request if the marker is proposed to be placed on private property, he said.
“But right now, I don’t think it’s the best idea, especially in a pole format like this,” Crampton said.
The marker was originally scheduled to be discussed at a council meeting on Sept. 9, but representatives from the Florida Women’s Historic Marker Initiative asked for a one-month delay because they were unable to attend.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. She can be reached at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach council rejects request for Lilly Pulitzer historical marker