In the late 1920's and the 1930's, the Don Ce Sar Hotel was a renowned luxury resort that welcomed many notable guests. Land developer Thomas J. Rowe conceived it in the mid-20's during the height of Florida's land sales boom, when tourists and investors flocked to the state. Although that boom ended before the hotel was completed in 1928, it remained open throughout the Depression of the 1930's. During World War II, as declining tourism led many Florida hotels to be converted to wartime uses, the Don was purchased by the U.S. Government in 1942 for use as a rest and rehabilitation center. From 1945 to 1967, it served as a federal office building, after which it was vacated. A committee of local citizens then began working for its preservation, and in 1972, with their encouragement and community support, hotel developer William Bowman, Jr. purchased the property. He rehabilitated the Don, restored it to its original function and elegance, and reopened it in 1973. Restoration was completed in 1975, and that same year the Don Ce Sar Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The massive building of stuccoed Belgian concrete remains a symbol of the colorful and exciting boom period of Florida's history.