As I sit here in a very comfortable hotel on the east coast watching news from Fort Myers Beach, I am overwhelmed by the destruction I am seeing. Although I am sickened by the damage to our island home, I am also realizing that we are not only losing our homes and businesses, but we are also losing our historical landmarks. Preserving our history is important, and it is so sad to learn that these iconic structures no longer exist. Hence, I am going to be posting tributes to the places we have lost, starting with one that is near and dear to everyone’s heart, the Gulf Shore (now Shuckers) and the Cottage.
Thomas Phillips was a wealthy inventor from Maryland who is best known for his San Carlos on the Gulf development started in 1920 but never finished. Phillip’s first investment on Crescent Beach, however, was a casino/bath house located where the Cottage and the Gulf Shore Inn once stood. The casino was a two-story building with a 100-foot boardwalk in front. Phillips also proposed building a 50 foot pleasure pier in front of the casino. The casino was called Pete Nelson’s “Crescent Beach Casino” and was quite the in place back in the early part of the century. Originally, the Gulf Shore was primarily a bathing casino where they rented towels and swimsuits to day trippers who wanted to enjoy the beach. They also sold hot dogs and burgers to the sun bathing tourists.
Later, gambling was added as well as a dance floor. After the 1926 hurricane, the casino became a restaurant, and in 1930, the name was changed to the Gulf Shore Inn. Rental rooms were added, and the inn became a popular destination for winter visitors.
When World War II began and soldiers flooded into Fort Myers for training, the Gulf Shore Inn became a home for officers stationed in Fort Myers.
The inn survived the 1944 hurricane, many no name storms of the 50s, Hurricane Donna in 1960, Charlie in 2004, and Irma in 2017.
In 1997, the owners purchased the beach cottage next door to the Inn and created the bar adjacent to the dining room. The name was changed to the Gulf Shore Grill. Recently, the Grill and the Cottage were celebrating their 100th anniversary.
Today, nothing remains of the structure except what we hold in our hearts and memories.
