Building NALCREST (1964): A Union Retirement Suburb for Postal Carriers in Polk County, Florida

Opened in 1964, NALCREST is a suburban development built for retired members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) union and located about ten miles east of the City of Lake Wales in the state of Florida. Planned by Baltimore-based suburban developer Harry Myerberg, NALCREST mimicked other residential suburban communities—yet it stood apart because it was intended to be age- and occupation-restricted. As such, it stands both within and outside of prevailing ideas about post-World War II middle-class suburbia.

Using evidence from architecture, archival records, and local newspapers, this article explores the early history of NALCREST to broaden understanding of postwar suburbs by examining notions of region and age-restricted communities. It considers Myerberg’s efforts as part of a broader strategy among builders during the late 1950s and early 1960s to “go national,” focusing on how he attempted to court union members to retire in the sunbelt with others like themselves. Looking at suburban retirement communities such as NALCREST signals the need to revise prevailing notions of postwar suburbs by considering their variety, in terms of both region and population.