Frank J. McCoy built the Santa Maria Inn on May 16, 1917, opening it with 24 rooms and baths for Coast Highway travelers seeking comfortable accommodations, good food, and hospitality. Frank Joseph McCoy, a master innkeeper and noted floriculturist, gave it the atmosphere of an English inn, seen in the tap room and coach room murals and in his collection of pewter, copper, 19th century prints, and original paintings displayed in the corridors and lobbies. The grounds featured an internationally known cactus garden, tree plantings, and flower gardens, while fresh flowers in the dining room windows and lobbies inspired the slogan "It's always blossom time at the Santa Maria Inn." On December 19, 1922, the Santa Maria Rotary Club received its charter there, and the California Garden Clubs, Inc. was founded there in 1931. The inn was also the first site of KCOY, a pioneer radio station. Within a decade it had become a social influence that attracted elite and famous visitors, and its capacity grew from 24 rooms to 86 through additions of 12 rooms two years after opening, 21 rooms in 1923, and 28 rooms in 1928. The Santa Maria Inn stands as a memorial to McCoy, whose dream of building a fine hotel in a growing city was realized, and after Channel Island Development Company purchased the property in August 1981, it was totally renovated under Chairman of the Board Martin V. Smith and President Victor M. Marzorati to restore traditions of gracious elegance and warm hospitality.