Port St. Lucie was incorporated in 1961 by a developer selling quarter-acre lots. Its history museum sits in the 1952 Peacock Lodge at The Port District.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the City of Port St. Lucie’s “Our Story”, its 65th anniversary announcement, its growth and development page and History Museum page, the Port St. Lucie Historical Society and the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places locations data.
Port St. Lucie has an unusual origin story, and the city tells it plainly: it was incorporated in 1961 by a development group selling quarter-acre lots to retirees, without sidewalks, streetlights, or water and sewer systems. Unlike Fort Pierce or Stuart, it has no historic downtown built around a railroad stop. Its landmarks are newer, and its history is the story of a planned subdivision that became a big city.
Visit
- Port St. Lucie History Museum and Education Center: 2456 SE Westmoreland Blvd., in The Port District; run by the Port St. Lucie Historical Society
- Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens: 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd., 772-337-1959
- City questions: 1PSL, 772-871-1775
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1917 | The Peacock House is built |
| 1950s | General Development Corp. begins platting land into single-family lots |
| 1952 | The Peacock family’s hunting lodge is built |
| 1961 | Port St. Lucie is incorporated; the city says it had fewer than 300 residents |
| 1970 | Census count under 1,000, according to the city |
| 1980 | The city approves its first comprehensive plan |
| 1983 | First comprehensive plan adopted by ordinance under new state law |
| 2018 | Peacock Lodge and House moved to The Port District with state historical grant help |
| 2022 | City completes refurbishment of the Peacock Lodge as the history museum |
| 2025 | Named an All-America City by the National Civic League |
| 2026 | The city marks its 65th birthday at The Port District on April 25 |
How the city was built
According to the city’s planning department, General Development Corp. (GDC) platted about 66 square miles into mostly single-family lots, starting in the 1950s and continuing through the 1980s, with only minimal roads and drainage. GDC brought the land it owned into the new city in 1961, which is why Port St. Lucie is often called a “platted community.” That history explains the long grids of quarter-acre lots and the city’s later work on what it calls one of the largest septic-to-sewer conversion projects in the country.
St. Lucie West, Tradition, Southern Grove and the other areas west of Interstate 95 came later and were not part of the original plat.
Today the city covers 121 square miles, which it says makes it Florida’s third-largest city by land area. Census estimates now rank it fifth by population; see our population and growth guide.
The Peacock Lodge and House
Two historic buildings anchor the museum site: the 1917 Peacock House and the 1952 Peacock Lodge, the Peacock family’s hunting lodge. Both stood in western Port St. Lucie until 2018, when they were moved to The Port District near the North Fork of the St. Lucie River with help from the Florida Department of Historical Resources. The city finished restoring the lodge in 2022, and it now houses the Port St. Lucie History Museum and Education Center, with exhibits, a gift shop and meeting space run by the Historical Society. Restoration of the Peacock House is planned in the city’s capital program.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Park Service’s National Register data lists no properties inside Port St. Lucie. The nearest listings, all in St. Lucie County, with the year each was listed:
| Property | Place | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| St. Lucie High School | Fort Pierce | 1984 |
| Casa Caprona | Fort Pierce | 1984 |
| Cresthaven | Fort Pierce | 1985 |
| St. Lucie Village Historic District | St. Lucie Village | 1989 |
| Captain Hammond House | White City | 1990 |
| Zora Neale Hurston House | Fort Pierce | 1991 |
| Immokolee | Fort Pierce | 1994 |
| Jules Frere House | Fort Pierce | 1995 |
| Old St. Anastasia Catholic School | Fort Pierce | 2000 |
| Moores Creek Bridge | Fort Pierce | 2001 |
| Arcade Building | Fort Pierce | 2001 |
| Old Fort Pierce City Hall | Fort Pierce | 2001 |
| Sunrise Theatre | Fort Pierce | 2001 |
| Fort Pierce Old Post Office | Fort Pierce | 2002 |
The Fort Pierce Site (listed 1974) and the wreck of the Spanish ship Urca de Lima (2001), offshore near Fort Pierce Inlet, are also on the register.
Other places with history
- Spruce Bluff Preserve, 611 Dar Lane: a county preserve where guided walks visit an Indian mound and a pioneer cemetery. See things to do this month.
- The North Fork of the St. Lucie River, which the city calls its primary natural resource, is a state-designated aquatic preserve.
What this means for you
- Start at the History Museum in The Port District, then walk the boardwalk.
- For older historic sites, head 10 miles north to downtown Fort Pierce.
- The Historical Society welcomes members and volunteers.
Related: parks and trails, population and growth and moving to Port St. Lucie.
Frequently asked questions
When was Port St. Lucie founded?
Port St. Lucie was incorporated in 1961 by a development group, General Development Corp., that was selling quarter-acre lots to retirees, according to the city.
How big was Port St. Lucie in 1970?
Fewer than 1,000 people, according to the city’s account of the 1970 census. The city says it had fewer than 300 residents in 1961.
Is there a history museum in Port St. Lucie?
Yes. The Port St. Lucie History Museum and Education Center is in the restored 1952 Peacock Lodge at 2456 SE Westmoreland Blvd. in The Port District, run by the Port St. Lucie Historical Society.
Are there National Register historic places in Port St. Lucie?
None inside the city, according to the National Park Service’s National Register data. St. Lucie County’s listings are in Fort Pierce, White City and St. Lucie Village.
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