Mar-a-Lago

Mar-a-Lago—from the Spanish for sea to lake—is a resort and National Historic Landmark in Palm Beach, Florida. The sprawling 62,500-square-foot estate was built in the 1920s by heiress and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post, with 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and three bomb shelters. She hosted many lavish parties there in addition to philanthropic events such as the International Red Cross Ball. It was designated Mar-a-Lago National Historic Site in 1969 and a National Historic Landmark in 1980. Upon her death in 1973, Post willed the 17-acre estate to the National Park Service as a Winter White House for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries. However, the cost of maintaining the property exceeded the funds provided by Post’s bequeath, so Mar-a-Lago was returned to the Post Foundation in 1981. Donald Trump purchased the property in 1985 for $7 million, and after completing extensive renovations, turned it into a private club in 1994. The estate’s breathtaking architecture and picturesque gardens, coupled with its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, remains a symbol of opulence and an interesting record of a segment of the architectural, economic, and cultural history of the United States.