Benicia Historical Society

Despite all his efforts, Mizner was ham- pered by the land bust. Left bankrupt in 1927, he turned to writing. In 1932, he published the first volume of his family's history, "The Many Mizners." In 1933, he died at 61 of a heart attack, leaving the second volume of his memoirs unfinished. Mizner drew some of his inspiration from a scrapbook of postcards, photographs, drawings and sketches he kept sorted by subjects. He'd browse through the scrap- book whenever he needed an idea. Mizner's signature style of expansive log- gias, arched windows and doorways and soaring ceilings--all conceived with Mediterranean-Spanish Revival flair-- remains evident throughout Boca Raton. This lavish estate, which recently came on the market, certainly is a prime example of Mizner's architectural influence, which still lingers today. Here are a few quotes attributed to Addison Mizner (according to his biogra- phy)... “Ignorance of the law excuses no man from practicing it” “Where there is a will, there is a lawsuit” Benicia Main Street and the Benicia Historical Society co-sponsored Benicia’s first ever First Street Ghost Walk - a fundraiser benefitting our downtown his- toric district, this past October. We would like to thank all the volunteers that made The Amazing Addison Mizner Considered a founding father of Boca Raton, Addison Mizner had his roots in Benicia. Paraphrased from: “The Story of Boca Raton” by Theodore Pratt He didn't have formal training, and he couldn't draw blue- prints. But Addison Mizner's architectural style captured clients -- especially the rich. Born in Benicia in 1872 to the United States Minister to Guatemala, Mizner and his brother Wilson, a Hollywood play- wright, traveled around the world at an early age. He began his career in San Francisco, where he became well-known for his architectural designs, and later moved to New York. But at 46, Mizner became ill and dispirited. He decided to move to Palm Beach, Florida. There, Mizner introduced Spanish revival architecture. His first commissioned house, El Mirasol, had 37 rooms, a half- dozen patios, an illuminated pool and a 40-car underground garage. "It began looking like a convent and ended looking like a castle," one observer said. In the spring of 1925, he started Mizner Development Corp. His goal was to turn the tiny unincorporated town of Boca Raton into a luxurious resort community that would rival nearby resort areas. He bought more than 1,500 acres, includ- ing two miles of beach, and sent out pro- motional material that boasted a 1,000- room hotel, golf courses, parks and a street wide enough to fit 20 lanes of traffic. THE GAZETTE our first Ghost Walk a truly haunting experience...Cathy Forbes and her “fog man” Ron Forbes at Captain Blythers Restaurant, Donell Ruby and Jon Van Landschoot (in full 1930s regalia) at The Union Hotel, Yolanda Wallace at the Fischer Hanlon Re s i dence ,La r r y Miller at the old “In The Company of Wo l v e s ” ( n o w Filthy Gorgeous) and our tour guides: Kerry K. Carney, DDS, Chloe Kiser, Jerry Hayes, Maryellen Hayes and Kathy Griffin. The event was a huge success. We promise to give you lots of advance notice for next year’s date and tour times! It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to eggnog, the scent of a fresh cut pine tree, logs burning on the fire and good friends to share good times. It’s almost Christmas time again and we’d love to share some holiday spirit with all of you in December! This year will be a very special holiday since the Benicia Historical Museum and the Benicia Hi s t o r i c a l Society will be hosting their holi- day parties t o g e t h e r ! Please join us for holi- day cheer with all the y u l e t i d e trimmings... see the invi- tation with this newslet- ter for all the details. We hope to see you there! The Benicia Historical Society would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your membership and sup- port in 2006. We are proud to have you all as members. We wish you and your fam- ily a very Happy Holiday Season and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Diane Smikahl Rose Russell Fall 2006 A Christmas Party! www.beniciahistoricalsociety.org Our New Members... Welcome! Just for fun.... Benicia’s First “Ghost Walk” Addison Mizner El Mirasol - One of Mizner’s most famous designs Interior view of El Mirasol Dir. Forbes as the Ghost of Captain Blythers (scary)