Our Historic Story
Situated on one of the oldest sites in Ft. Lauderdale, the Maxwell Room has a long and varied history. First erected in 1925, the structure was name the Maxwell Arcade for its developer, Fred Maxwell. The Arcade was, and remains today, a premier Boom period example of classic Mediterranean Revival architecture.
Since then the Mediterranean Village had housed many notable businesses, from photo shops to attorney’s offices, restaurants to recording studios. When the Andrews Avenue bridge first opened in 1905, allowing easy access to the south side of the New River, Ft. Lauderdale experienced a rapid expansion. Soon, a Seminole camp neighbored a fish packing house on the site, and by 1919 the city’s first public tourist camp occupied the site, temporary abode of many “tin can tourists.”
Today, the brick arches and colonnades of the Maxwell Room seem to harbor countless reflections throughout its years, from 1925 to the present. A reminder that while the world has changed and grown a fast-paced race, some things retain the charm and elegance of bygone days.
The Maxwell Room is the perfect location for your wedding, reception, cocktail party or corporate event.