From Pier to Plaza: The Story Behind Palm Beach's Majestic Clock Tower

The 25 ft tall Clock Tower commemorates the start of one of America’s foremost shopping districts and the end of the historic Palm Beach Pier.

Palm Beach Florida’s Worth Avenue is one of the ritziest and most famous high-end shopping districts in America.

Although the Clock Tower looks historic, it is actually one of the town’s newest landmarks.   A plaque on the inside of the tower notes the history of the Palm Beach pier and the Cowboys of the Sea, a beach Patrol stationed on the pier.

The use of clock towers dates back to antiquity.   The earliest Clock Tower was the Tower of the Winds in Athens, which featured eight sundials and was created in the first century BC during the period of Roman Greece.

In 1913 the street was named after Major General William Jenkins Worth, an American officer during the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War.

The Worth Avenue Clock Tower was originally built as a monument to the Palm Beach pier which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1930.

The area became known for its high quality merchandise in the 1920s.

The upscale shopping and dining District reflects the lifestyle of Palm Beach.

Today the street has approximately 250 high-end shops, boutiques, restaurants and art galleries.