The LaFrance Hotel is an historic African American hotel that was founded and owned by an African American man named Charlie Patrick.
It was the first black owned hotel located between Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale in 1949.
During the era of legal segregation in America, the LaFrance provided much needed accommodations for African American travelers.
Many of those hotel patrons were African Americans who worked seasonally in the Delray Beach area as maids, butlers, chauffeurs and waiters for the well-to-do seasonal white residents.
Charlie Patrick became very wealthy investing in real estate and he and his wife were among the black high society of the Delray Beach area.