Biography of Freeman W. Blandford, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
II, page 238, 1923.

BLANDFORD, FREEMAN W., as a boy learned the building business under his father, and is one 
of the accomplished designers and builders who in recent years have been attracted to West 
Palm Beach as the center of their operations.

Mr. BLANDFORD was born at Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was reared and educated in that city.  
His father, ROBERT J. BLANDFORD, is one of the oldest building contractors in Michigan.  For 
a number of years his business headquarters were at Battle Creek.  FREEMAN W. BLANDFORD 
learned both the practical and technical side of the building art under his father.  Through 
experience and study he has become an expert designer and architect, and for some years has 
made the designs and plans for practically all the houses constructed by him.  Mr. BLANDFORD 
was for a time engaged in the building business in California and Washington.

For several years before locating permanently in West Palm Beach he and his father had been 
coming here as winter visitors, and had put their experience and resources in service for 
the building program of the city.  ROBERT J. BLANDFORD for a number of years has been a resident 
of Macatawa, Ottawa County, Michigan, but he regularly spends his winters both for recreation 
and business in West Palm Beach.

It was in 1919 that FREEMAN W. BLANDFORD permanently established himself in West Palm Beach.  
Since then he has built up a large business as a contractor over this section of Florida.  
For himself he erected one of the most attractive homes in the city, at the northeast corner 
of North Olive Street and Seventh Avenue.  The house is a fine type of architectural beauty, 
and grounds have been made most attractive with subtropical plants, vines and trees.  On 
the grounds are some rare botanic specimens.  One of them is a cinnamon-jessamine tree, 
an Asiatic growth from Java, and is one of only two known specimens in this country.

Mr. BLANDFORD is a member of the Masonic order, the Christian Science Church, the Chamber 
of Commerce and Palm Beach Yacht Club.  He married Miss HELEN C. COLLINS, of Chicago.  Their 
three children are FREEMAN W., Jr., BERNICE HELEN and LESLIE ROBERT.