You’ll find Picture City (later Olympia) along Florida’s Atlantic coast, where developers once dreamed of creating America’s second Hollywood during the 1920s land boom. The ambitious plan featured Greek-inspired architecture, movie studios, and luxury homes for film stars, designed to support 40,000 residents. The devastating 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane destroyed most structures, leaving only the Olympia Theater standing – a silent witness to this fascinating chapter of Florida’s forgotten dreams.
Key Takeaways
- Picture City (Olympia) was an ambitious 1920s Florida development project intended to become America’s second Hollywood with a capacity for 40,000 residents.
- The development featured Greek revival architecture and streets named after deities, blending classical design with Hollywood glamour.
- The devastating Treasure Coast hurricane of 1933 caused $3 million in damage and effectively ended Olympia’s dreams of becoming a film hub.
- Only the Olympia Theater survives from the original development, serving as the last remaining evidence of Picture City’s existence.
- The ghost town site faces ongoing preservation challenges from Florida’s climate and jungle growth, requiring protection from vandalism and decay.
The Vision of Florida’s Hollywood Dreams
In the midst of Florida’s 1920s land boom, the Olympia Improvement Corporation launched an ambitious vision to create America’s second Hollywood along Florida’s Atlantic coast.
You would’ve found their Hollywood aspirations reflected in every detail of their master plan, from the movie studios they envisioned to the luxury homes designed for film stars on Jupiter Island.
The project’s architectural influence drew heavily from Greek revival styles, with streets named after ancient deities like Zeus, Apollo, and Athena.
Drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, Picture City’s elegant boulevards bore the names of Olympian gods and goddesses.
Picture City, as it would be known, wasn’t just meant to rival California’s film industry – it was designed to support 40,000 residents through diverse industries including tourism and real estate.
Wealthy backers like Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. and renowned Swiss architect Maurice Fatio lent credibility to this bold venture. Similar to Picture City’s ultimate fate, Joseph Wesley Young’s dream of a thriving Hollywood, Florida faced devastating setbacks when a major hurricane struck in 1926.
However, when the Florida land boom crashed in 1926, these ambitious plans for Picture City were abandoned, leaving behind only traces of what might have been.
Greek Gods Meet Movie Stars: A Unique Town Design
The marriage of Greek mythology and Hollywood glamour created an architectural symphony unique to Olympia’s town design.
You’ll find mythical architecture seamlessly blending Doric columns and movie-star grandeur, where Zeus and silver-screen icons share equal billing in the town’s dramatic façade. The cinematic symbolism appears throughout the community’s layout, from pediments filled with heroic scenes to modernist buildings that channel both Parthenon grace and California cool. Much like the ancient Parthenon, these structures employed post and lintel construction methods to achieve their classical appearance.
Walking through the shaded porticoes, you’ll discover how the designers transformed ancient Greek spaces into mid-century gathering spots. The original sacred precinct Altis in Greece inspired many of the town’s enclosed communal spaces.
They’ve cleverly adapted the palaestra concept into community centers while maintaining classical aesthetics. Each zone of the town pays homage to specific deities, creating an immersive environment where Hollywood’s golden age meets Mount Olympus.
The Hurricane That Changed Everything
While Olympia’s ambitious fusion of Greek and Hollywood aesthetics captured imaginations, September 1933 brought a devastating blow that would seal the town’s fate.
The Treasure Coast hurricane ravaged the community, leveling the iconic Olympia Inn and wreaking havoc on essential infrastructure. You’d have witnessed the destruction of local landmarks as winds tore through the pharmaceutical building, demolished the ice plant’s roof, and scattered a railcar 30 miles north from the railway station. Wind speeds of 125 mph pummeled Jupiter as the hurricane made landfall. The damage was reminiscent of the $10 million destruction caused by the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane.
In the hurricane aftermath, the community’s resilience was tested as residents faced impassable roads, downed power lines, and thousands of damaged homes.
With an estimated $3 million in destruction across the Treasure Coast region, this catastrophic storm accelerated Olympia’s transformation into a ghost town.
What Remains of Picture City Today
Despite decades of urban transformation, today’s Olympia Theater stands as the sole significant survivor of Picture City’s ambitious vision.
Standing defiant against time and change, the Olympia Theater remains the last monument to Picture City’s grand dreams.
You’ll find this historic landmark continuing to serve Miami’s cultural landscape, hosting film festivals and community events in its restored venue. The Miami Film Festival will showcase five new screenings when it returns in April. The theater preservation efforts have stabilized the structure, though ongoing renovations address years of neglect. The building faces major challenges with water damage and deterioration affecting its historic architectural elements.
While the original Picture City dream of a thriving film production hub never materialized, the theater’s cultural significance endures.
The 10-story adjacent tower will become a school facility under new ownership, yet the building maintains its historic architecture.
You won’t find any other remnants of Picture City’s planned studios, coastal subdivisions, or original infrastructure – they’ve all vanished into Miami’s modern urban fabric, leaving the Olympia Theater as the last relic to that era’s grand aspirations.
Preserving Olympia’s Forgotten Story
Preserving Florida’s ghost towns has proven particularly challenging, given the state’s historically late start in heritage protection efforts.
You’ll find that community engagement and statewide advocacy have become essential in protecting sites like Olympia from development pressures and environmental threats.
- Explore remaining structures that serve as physical symbols of Florida’s boom-and-bust cycles
- Discover how legal protections prevent vandalism and unauthorized artifact removal
- Learn about collaborative efforts between historians and preservationists to document historical significance
- Experience the integration of natural landscapes that help stabilize historic sites
- Support local initiatives that balance preservation with sustainable development
The constant battle against encroaching jungle growth threatens to reclaim these historical sites, making preservation efforts even more urgent.
The area’s concrete foundations from the original sawmill offer tangible evidence of the town’s industrial past.
Understanding Olympia’s story requires preserving both its physical remnants and cultural memory.
Through adaptive management approaches and public education campaigns, you can help shift perceptions about heritage conservation while maintaining connections to Florida’s less-celebrated histories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Documented Paranormal Activities or Ghost Sightings in Olympia?
You won’t find any official records of ghostly encounters or haunted locations, despite local folklore. The stories of supernatural activity remain purely anecdotal, with no verified paranormal investigations or documented sightings.
What Were the Real Estate Prices of Properties in Olympia Before 1928?
Like a rocket to the moon, your property values would’ve soared during the 1924-1926 boom, with real estate trends showing prices quadrupling before crashing after the devastating 1926 hurricane’s historical significance.
Did Any Movies Actually Complete Filming in Olympia Before Its Destruction?
You won’t find any documented film productions completed in this location. Historical significance records and research show no evidence of movies being filmed there before its destruction.
Which Film Companies or Studios Had Committed to Establishing Facilities There?
Picture a grand empty stage: You won’t find any major film companies that actually committed facilities. While Picture City Studios incorporated in 1925, there’s no evidence of concrete studio investments beyond local aspirations.
How Many Permanent Residents Lived in Olympia at Its Peak?
You won’t find exact peak population records in Olympia’s history, but based on patterns of similar Florida ghost towns during their population growth periods, estimates suggest fewer than 1,000 permanent residents.
References
- https://www.narcity.com/miami/17-abandoned-ghost-towns-you-must-visit-in-florida
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBFrK-n4HmA
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Florida
- https://www.tiktok.com/@floridaexplored/video/7535172815088061709
- https://www.allinmiami.com/blog/top-5-things-you-may-not-know-about-pinecrest
- https://www.lakeonews.com/stories/picture-city-aspired-to-become-a-new-hollywood
- https://www.townofjupiterisland.com/184/History
- https://www.hollywoodfl.org/187/History-of-Hollywood
- https://archive.tcpalm.com/lifestyle/picture-city-promised-hollywood-glitz-in-1920s-in-what-is-now-hobe-sound-ep-381841066-342931592.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_City
