Gasparilla Inn & Club

Boca Grande was first developed as a major deep-water port in the late 1800s by the phosphate mining industry. Phosphate was found on the Peace River in 1881 and mining got underway in 1886. The Boca Grande Land Company (BCLC) was a subsidiary of the American Agricultural Chemical Company, which was largely responsible for developing Boca Raton into what it is today. In 1909, the BCLC decided to establish a resort hotel and built it in 1911. It was a simple wood-frame building and it was initially available to the company directors and their guests.

However, soon after it was built, businesses and stores were established to serve locals and hotel guests. This prompted the BCLC to grow the small hotel into a residential community for the Inn's employees and stockholders. Over time, Boca Grande became a popular resort destination. It also became known for its sport fishing. The hotel was expanded in 1912 and renamed it Gasparilla Inn, after the name of the island. Soon tennis courts, a casino (for parties, not gambling), a croquet lawn, a nine-hole golf course, and a greenhouse were built at the resort. The Inn was so popular that it was enlarged again in 1915. It also hosted wealthy dignitaries including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and J.P. Morgan. The golf course was expanded to 18 holes in 1928. The Inn continued to evolve in the coming decades, adding additional amenities and constructing cottages to provide more space for guests. Today the Inn features 137 rooms spread out in the hotel building and the cottages.

Hartig, Mikki. "Gasparilla Inn Historic District." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. March 18, 2008. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/08000205_text.

"Our History." Gasparilla Inn & Club. Accessed March 10, 2021. https://the-gasparilla-inn.com/about-us/history.