Planned by affluent resident socialite John S. Phipps, this peaceful Old -World cul-de-sac is a mix of residential and commercial properties. The leading Florida architects of the 1920s-Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio and Marion Syms Wyeth-contributed to the streetscape, which blends Mediterranean and Bermudan styles. Distinctive features include belfries and walls covered with tiles taken from old buildings in Cuba, ornate iron gates, winding staircases and a densely planted central park of ficus and yucca, frangipani and golden shower trees. Phipps Plaza became the town's first designated historic district in 1979.