Driftwood Inn and Restaurant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Driftwood Inn and Restaurant
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Vero Beach, Florida |
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| Architect | Waldo E. Sexton |
| Architectural style | Frame Vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000751 |
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1994 |
The Driftwood Inn and Restaurant is a special historic place in Vero Beach, Florida. It's also known as The Breezeway. This unique spot is located at 3150 Ocean Drive. On August 6, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
The Driftwood Inn first opened in 1937. It was dreamed up and built by a very interesting local businessman named Waldo E. Sexton. Over the years, the hotel and resort grew bigger and bigger. Today, it's still a hotel where people can stay.
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Meet Waldo E. Sexton, The Builder
Waldo E. Sexton (1885-1967) was the creative mind behind the Driftwood Inn. He built the first two buildings that make up the Inn and Restaurant in 1935. People called Waldo "one of the most colorful persons Florida has ever known." He was also described as an "imaginative entrepreneur" and a "fun, old-time eccentric."
Waldo moved to Florida in 1914. He started building many unique structures. Several of his buildings are still standing in Vero Beach today. He also helped create the famous McKee Jungle Garden in Vero Beach.
How The Driftwood Inn Began
The Driftwood Inn and Restaurant started as a private beach house. Waldo and his wife, Elsebeth Sexton, called it "The Breezeway." They named it this because of a cool opening in the middle of the first floor. Building the house began around 1935 and finished in 1937.
The original house had two rooms on the first floor. The kitchen was on the second floor, right above the breezeway. There was also a balcony on the second floor. Two brick chimneys stood on either side of the breezeway. Family members say a special coiled pipe, like a "solar unit," was between the chimneys. This unit provided heated water! You can even see pictures of these early solar panels at the Inn today.
Expanding The Unique Resort
The original beach house quickly grew. A new section was added to the north in late 1937. Then, a south section was built in 1939. The very first part of the building is now the central section.
The building has special features like walls made of wood boards and battens. The ends of the roof are covered with wood shingles and have cool decorative designs. The balcony railings are made in a rustic style.
The courtyard is also very interesting. It has two stone walls with old, rusty cannons stuck inside them! The courtyard floor is decorated with colorful ceramic tiles. A breezeway is at the east end of the courtyard. Stairs on either side lead up to the second floor. In the hallway at the north end, there's a small painting. It shows a Spanish explorer arriving in the new world. The breezeway walls are covered with fun graffiti from visitors. They also have decorations and parts of an old wooden fireplace mantel.
From Home Kitchen to Famous Restaurant
Even though it started as a family home, Mrs. Waldo Sexton soon began running it as a small hotel. Since there wasn't a restaurant nearby, Mrs. Sexton started cooking breakfast for her guests in the family kitchen. This idea was a big hit! It eventually led to the creation of the restaurant next door.
Waldo's Restaurant was built in 1947. Its main entrance is set back and is right next to the breezeway building. The doors have many panels, insets, and pretty ceramic tiles. Fancy metal grills also decorate the entrance. The balcony has turned spindles, which were part of the original design. Three huge wooden timbers, like "outriggers," decorate the south end of the building. Inside the restaurant, you can still see some original features. These include wood-paneled walls and ceramic tile designs in the floor.
Today, both The Breezeway and Waldo's Restaurant still look much like they did. They show off their unusual craftsmanship and materials. They are a great example of "vernacular architecture." This means buildings designed by local people using local styles and materials. Waldo used these buildings to show off his lively personality.
Waldo's Amazing Collections
Waldo was a world traveler and loved collecting things. He put hundreds of items he found on his trips into the buildings and grounds of the Inn and Restaurant. Displaying these items was Waldo's way of sharing his beautiful and unusual collection.
Some of the wood used to build the Driftwood Inn was salvaged by Waldo from a barn that was blown down in a hurricane. Waldo especially loved bells. He collected 250 bells of all different types and sizes! He found them from churches, trains, ships, and schools. These bells are a big part of the outside of the buildings. They have always been a special tradition at the Driftwood Inn. They were used to welcome guests when they arrived and to ring out a farewell when they left.
The Driftwood Complex Grows
Waldo kept adding to the Driftwood complex after building the inn and restaurant. A small office was built in 1949. That same year, he moved in a row of old fishing shacks. These were used as guest rooms and later as small shops. They were changed back into guest rooms in 1986.
In 1963, a 15-unit apartment building was added. It was just west of the original Breezeway building. Waldo's son, Ralph, built a four-story building to the south in 1965. This added even more apartment units. Two more apartment buildings are now part of the Driftwood Resort. All the apartments and guest rooms were changed to "interval ownership" (like a timeshare) in 1979.
The Driftwood Inn and Waldo's Restaurant have a rustic "beachcomber" feel. While other similar buildings might exist in Florida, few are as big or have as many detailed features. The two original buildings are unique in the Vero Beach area. They still serve their historic purpose of providing places to stay and things to do for tourists. Both were added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The inn and restaurant are still open today. They rent rooms daily or weekly. You can also enjoy lunch and dinner poolside or Oceanside from Waldo's Restaurant.
Surviving The Storms
In 2004, two hurricanes caused a lot of damage to the property. But the Inn reopened in 2005! It kept all the history and special feeling it always had. With help from a local architect, John Dean, and the longtime property manager, Jeanne Radlet, the buildings were fixed up. They stand today as a tribute to Waldo Sexton. He was the amazing entrepreneur and unique person who built these structures almost a century ago.
